Numbers 27
Open in the reader1Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Well, the son of Heap-of-Witness, the son of Salesman, the son of Causing-to-Forget, belonged to the clans of Causing-to-Forget son of May-He-Add. These were the names of his daughters: Disease, Trembler, Partridge, Queen, and Delightful. They approached
2the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Drawn-Out, My-God-Is-Help the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,
3“Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Shaven who gathered together against He-Who-Is. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.
4Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father’s brothers.”
5So Drawn-Out brought their case before He-Who-Is,
6and He-Who-Is answered him,
7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.
8Furthermore, you shall say to the children of Strives-with-God, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter.
9If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.
10If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
11And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the children of Strives-with-God, as He-Who-Is has commanded Drawn-Out.’”
12Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “Go up this mountain of the Crossings range and see the land that I have given the children of Strives-with-God.
13After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;
14for when the congregation contended in the Wilderness of Crag, both of you rebelled against My command to show My devotedness in their sight regarding the waters.” Those were the waters of Strife in Devoted-Place, in the Wilderness of Crag.
15So Drawn-Out appealed to He-Who-Is,
16“May He-Who-Is, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation
17who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of He-Who-Is will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18And He-Who-Is replied to Drawn-Out, “Take He-Who-Is-Saves son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.
19Have him stand before My-God-Is-Help the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight.
20Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Strives-with-God will obey him.
21He shall stand before My-God-Is-Help the priest, who will seek counsel for him before He-Who-Is by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the children of Strives-with-God with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”
22Drawn-Out did as He-Who-Is had commanded him. He took He-Who-Is-Saves, had him stand before My-God-Is-Help the priest and the whole congregation,
23and laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as He-Who-Is had instructed through Drawn-Out.