Numbers 27 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Zelophehad was the son of Hepher. Hepher was the son of Gilead. Gilead was the son of Makir. Makir was the son of Manasseh. Manasseh was the son of Joseph. Zelophehad had five daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

² These five women went to the Meeting Tent [320] and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the people of Israel.

³ “Our father died while we were traveling through the desert. Our father died a natural death. He was not one of the men that joined Korah’s group. (Korah was the man who turned against the Lord.) But our father had no sons.

⁴ This means that our father’s name will not continue. It is not fair that our father’s name will not continue. His name will end because he had no sons. So we ask you to give us some of the land that our father’s brothers will get.”

⁵ So Moses asked the Lord what he should do.

⁶ The Lord said to him,

⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. They should share the land with their father’s brothers. So give them the land that you would have given to their father.

⁸ “So make this law to the people of Israel, ‘If a man has no son, and he dies, then everything he owns should be given to his daughter.

⁹ If he has no daughter, then everything he owns should be given to his brothers.

¹⁰ If he has no brothers, then everything he owns should be given to his father’s brothers.

¹¹ If his father had no brothers, then everything he owns should be given to the closest relative in his family. This should be a law among the people of Israel. The Lord gives this command to Moses.’”

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up on one of mountains in the desert east of the Jordan River. There you will see the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.

¹³ After you have seen this land, then you will die like your brother Aaron.

¹⁴ Remember when the people became angry at the water in the desert of Zin. Both you and Aaron refused to obey my command. You did not honor me and show the people that I am holy.” (This was at the water of Meribah [321] near Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses said to the Lord,

¹⁶ “The Lord is the God who knows what people are thinking. Lord, I pray that you will choose a leader for these people. [322]

¹⁷ I pray that the Lord will choose a leader that will lead them out of this land and bring them into the new land. Then the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

¹⁸ So the Lord said to Moses, “Joshua son of Nun will be the new leader. He is very wise. [323] Make him the new leader.

¹⁹ Tell him to stand before Eleazar the priest and all the people. Then make him the new leader.

²⁰ “Show the people that you are making him leader, [324] then all the people will obey him.

²¹ If Joshua needs to make a decision, then he will go to Eleazar the priest. Eleazar will use the Urim [325] to learn the Lord’s answer. Then Joshua and all the people of Israel will do the things God says. If he says, ‘go to war,’ then they will go to war. And if he says, ‘go home,’ then they will go home.”

²² Moses obeyed the Lord. Moses told Joshua to stand before Eleazar the priest, and all the people of Israel.

²³ Then Moses put his hands on him to show that he was the new leader. He did this the way the Lord had told him.