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woman came forward before the community. They were the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole community at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord. Instead, he died for his own sin, but he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s brothers.”
5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord. 6 And the Lord said to Moses, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they say. You must indeed give them property as an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.
8 “You are to tell the Israelites, ‘If a man dies without having a son, then you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will possess it. This is to be for the Israelites a statutory ordinance, as the Lord commanded Moses’.”
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim ranges and see the land that I have given the Israelites. 13 Then after you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was. 14 When the community quarrelled at the waters in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against my command to honour Me as holy in their sight.” Those were the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community, 17 who will go out before them and come back in before them, so that the Lord’s community will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. 20 You are to give him some of your authority so the the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will inquire for decisions from the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the whole Israelite community will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the whole community.
23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord had instructed through Moses.