1 Then the daughters of Tz’lof’chad the son of Hefer, the son of Gil‘ad, the son of Machir, the son of M’nasheh, of the families of M’nasheh, the son of Yosef, approached. These were the names of his daughters: Machlah, No‘ah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirtzah.
2 They stood in front of Moshe, El‘azar thecohen, the leaders and the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said,
3 “Our father died in the desert. He wasn’t part of the group who assembled themselves to rebel againstAdonaiin Korach’s group, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father be eliminated from his family just because he didn’t have a son? Give us property to possess along with the brothers of our father.”
5 Moshe brought their cause beforeAdonai.
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6 Adonaianswered Moshe,
7 “The daughters of Tz’lof’chad are right in what they say. You must give them property to be inherited along with that of their father’s brothers; have what their father would have inherited pass to them.
8 Moreover, say to the people of Isra’el, ‘If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter.
9 If he doesn’t have a 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 doesn’t have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra’el, asAdonaiordered Moshe.’”
12 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Climb this mountain in the ‘Avarim Range, and look out at the land which I have given the people of Isra’el.
13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother was gathered;
14 because in the Tzin Desert, when the community was disputing with me, you rebelled against my order to uphold my holiness by means of the water, with them looking on.” (This was M’rivat-Kadesh Spring, in the Tzin Desert.)
15 Moshe said toAdonai,
16 “LetAdonai, God of the spirits of all human beings, appoint a man to be over the community,
17 to go out and come in ahead of them, to lead them out and bring them in, so thatAdonai’s community will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Take Y’hoshua the son of Nun, a spiritual man, and lay your hand on him.
19 Put him in front of El‘azar thecohenand the whole community, and commission him in their sight.
20 Delegate to him some of your authority, so that the entire community of Isra’el will obey him.
21 He is to present himself to El‘azar thecohen, who is to find out by means of theurimwhatAdonai’s will is for Y’hoshua’s decisions. Then, at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the people of Isra’el with him, the whole community.”
22 Moshe did asAdonaihad ordered him. He took Y’hoshua, put him before El‘azar thecohenand the whole community,
23 laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, asAdonaihad said through Moshe.