Zelophehad’s Daughters

27 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. ²These five women went to the Meeting Tent* and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the people of Israel. The five daughters said, 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. ⁴This 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.” ⁵So Moses asked the Lord what he should do. ⁶The 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. ⁹If he has no daughter, then everything he owns should be given to his brothers. ¹⁰If he has no brothers, then everything he owns should be given to his father’s brothers. ¹¹If 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.’”

Joshua Is the New Leader

¹²Then 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. ¹³After you have seen this land, then you will die like your brother Aaron. ¹⁴Remember 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* near Kadesh in the desert of Zin.) ¹⁵Moses 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.* ¹⁷I 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.” ¹⁸So the Lord said to Moses, “Joshua son of Nun will be the new leader. He is very wise.* Make him the new leader. ¹⁹Tell 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,* then all the people will obey him. ²¹If Joshua needs to make a decision, then he will go to Eleazar the priest. Eleazar will use the Urim* 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.” ²²Moses obeyed the Lord. Moses told Joshua to stand before Eleazar the priest, and all the people of Israel. ²³Then Moses put his hands on him to show that he was the new leader. He did this the way the Lord had told him.

Meeting Tent The Holy Tent (tabernacle) where the people of Israel went to meet with God. water of Meribah Or, “water of rebellion”. The Lord … these people Literally, “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all people, appoint a man for this community.” Joshua … is very wise Literally, “Take Joshua son of Nun. He is a man with a spirit in him.” This might mean that Joshua was very wise, or it might mean that God’s Spirit was with him. Show … leader Literally, “Give him some of your glory.” Urim Used together with the Thummim to learn God’s answer to questions. They were probably like lots—stones, sticks, or bones that were thrown like dice to make decisions.

Daily Offerings

28 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ²“Give this command to the people of Israel. Tell them to be sure to give the grain offerings and sacrifices to me at the right time. Those are the offerings made by fire. Their smell will please the Lord. ³These are the offerings made by fire that they must give to the Lord. Every day they must give 2lambs that are one year old. There must be nothing wrong with them. ⁴Offer one of the lambs in the morning, and offer the other lamb at twilight.* ⁵Also give a grain offering of 8 cups* of fine flour mixed with 1 quart* of olive oil.” ⁶(They started giving the daily offerings at Mount Sinai. They were offerings made by fire. Their smell pleased the Lord.) ⁷The people must also give the drink offerings that go with the offerings made by fire. They must give 1 quart* of wine with every lamb. Pour that drink offering {on the altar} in the Holy Place. This is a gift to the Lord. ⁸Offer the second lamb at twilight.* Offer it just like the morning offering. Also give the drink offering that goes with it. This will be an offering made by fire. Its smell will please the Lord.”

Sabbath Offerings

⁹“On the Sabbath,* you must give 2 lambs that are one year old. There must be nothing wrong with them. You must also give a grain offering of 16 cups* of fine flour mixed with olive oil, and a drink offering. ¹⁰This is a special offering for the day of rest. This offering is in addition to the regular daily offering and drink offering.”

Monthly Meetings

¹¹“On the first day of each month you will offer a special burnt offering to the Lord. This offering will be 2 male bulls, 1 ram, and 7 lambs that are one year old. There must be nothing wrong with them. ¹²With each bull, you must give a grain offering of 24 cups* of fine flour mixed with olive oil. And with the ram, you must give a grain offering of 16 cups* of fine flour mixed with olive oil. ¹³Also give a grain offering of 8 cups* of fine flour mixed with olive oil with each lamb. This will be an offering made by fire. Its smell will please the Lord. ¹⁴The drink offering will be 2 quarts* of wine with each bull, 1 1/4 quarts* of wine with the ram, and 1 quart* of wine with each lamb. That is the burnt offering that must be offered each and every month of the year. ¹⁵In addition to the regular daily burnt offering and drink offering, you must also give 1 male goat to the Lord. That goat will be a sin offering.

Passover

¹⁶“The Lord’s Passover will be on the 14th day of the first month. ¹⁷The Festival of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of that month. This holiday lasts for seven days. The only bread you can eat is bread made without yeast. ¹⁸You must have a special meeting on the first day of this holiday. You will not do any work on that day. ¹⁹You will give burnt offerings to the Lord. The burnt offerings will be 2 bulls, 1 ram, and 7 lambs that are one year old. There must be nothing wrong with them. ^20–21You must also give a grain offering of 24 cups* of fine flour mixed with olive oil with each bull, and 16 cups* of fine flour mixed with oil with the ram, and 8 cups* of fine flour mixed with oil for each lamb. ²²You must also give 1 male goat. That goat will be a sin offering to make you pure.* ²³You must give those offerings in addition to the morning burnt offerings that you give every day. ²⁴“In the same way, each day for seven days, you must give the offerings made by fire to the Lord and the drink offerings that go with them. The smell of these offerings will please the Lord. The offerings will be food {for the people}. You must give these offerings in addition to the burnt offerings that you give every day. ²⁵“Then, on the seventh day {of this holiday}, you will have another special meeting. You will not do any work on that day.

Festival of Weeks (Pentecost)

²⁶“At the Festival of Firstfruits* (the Festival of Weeks) use the new crops to give a grain offering to the Lord. At that time, you must also call a special meeting. You must not do any work on that day. ²⁷You must offer a burnt offering. It will be an offering made by fire. Its smell will please the Lord. You must offer 2 bulls, 1 ram, and 7 lambs that are one year old. There must be nothing wrong with them. ²⁸You must also give 24 cups* of fine flour mixed with oil with each bull and 16 cups* with each ram, ²⁹and 8 cups* with each lamb. ³⁰You must also sacrifice 1 male goat to make you pure.* ³¹You must give those offerings in addition to the daily burnt offerings and the grain offering you give with them. Be sure there is nothing wrong with the animals or the drink offerings that you give with them.

twilight The time after the sun goes down, but before dark. 8 cups Literally, “1/10 of an ephah.” 1 quart Literally, “1/4 hin.” twilight The time after the sun goes down, but before dark. Sabbath Saturday, a day of rest and worship for the Jews. 16 cups Literally, “2/10 of an ephah.” 24 cups Literally, “3/10 of an ephah.” 8 cups Literally, “1/10 of an ephah.” 2 quarts Literally, “1/2 hin.” 1 1/4 quarts Literally, “1/3 hin.” make … pure Or, “make atonement.” The Hebrew word means “to cover,” “to hide,” or “to erase sins.” Firstfruits Grain, such as wheat, and other crops that began to ripen around May and June. The first crops harvested were given to God.