Joshua the Next Leader of Israel^(A)

¹² Now the Lord said to Moses: ^(B)“Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. ¹³ And when you have seen it, you also ^(C)shall ^[a]be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴ For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you ^(D)rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the ^(E)waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵ Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, ^(F)the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ^17 (G)who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be ^(H)like sheep which have no shepherd.”

¹⁸ And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man ^(I)in whom is the Spirit, and ^(J)lay your hand on him; ¹⁹ set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and ^(K)inaugurate^[b] him in their sight. ²⁰ And ^(L)you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel ^(M)may be obedient. ^21 (N)He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him ^(O)by the judgment of the Urim. ^(P)At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

²² So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. ²³ And he laid his hands on him ^(Q)and ^[c]inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.