Numbers 27:12-23

GOD’S WORD Translation

The Lord Appoints Joshua to Succeed Moses

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Go up into the Abarim Mountains, and take a look at the land I will give the Israelites. ¹³ After you see it, you, too, will join your ancestors ⌞in death⌟, as your brother Aaron did. ¹⁴ You both rebelled against my command in the Desert of Zin. You didn’t show the people how holy I am when they were complaining at the oasis.” (This was the oasis of Meribah at Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses said to the Lord, ¹⁶ “Lord, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone. Please appoint someone over the community ¹⁷ who will lead them in and out ⌞of battle⌟ 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, and place your hand on him. ¹⁹ Make him stand in front of the priest Eleazar and the whole community, and give him his instructions in their presence. ²⁰ Give him some of your authority so that the whole community of Israel will obey him. ²¹ He will stand in front of the priest Eleazar, who will use the Urim ^[a] to make decisions in the Lord’s presence. At his command Joshua and the whole community of Israel will go into battle. And at his command they will return.”

²² Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand in front of the priest Eleazar and the whole community. ²³ Moses placed his hands on Joshua and gave him his instructions as the Lord had told him.