Preparations for a Successor to Moses

¹² Then the Lord told Moses, “You are to climb these Abarim mountains and look over the land that I’m going to give the Israelis. ¹³ After you’ve seen it, you’ll be taken to be with your people just as your brother Aaron was gathered to them,^{[a] 14} because in the wilderness of Zin, when the community rebelled, you rebelled against my command to treat me as holy before their eyes in regards to the Meribah Springs in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.”

¹⁵ Moses responded to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord God of the spirits of all living creatures appoint a man over the community ¹⁷ who will go in and out before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in so that the Lord’s community won’t be like a flock without a shepherd.”

God Appoints Joshua

¹⁸ “Select Nun’s son Joshua. The Spirit is in that man,” the Lord answered Moses. “You are to lay your hand on him ¹⁹ and make him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the entire community. Then you are to set him in charge right before their eyes, ²⁰ turning over your authority^[b] to him so that the entire community of Israel knows to^[c] obey him. ²¹ You are to make him stand in the presence of Eleazar the priest, who is to inquire on his behalf using the Urim^[d] in the presence of the Lord regarding a decision of judgment, because by his command^[e] he and all the Israelis with him will go out or come in.”

²² So Moses did what the Lord had commanded him. He took Joshua, made him stand in the presence of Eleazar the priest and the entire community, ²³ laid his hands on him, and charged him, just as the Lord had commanded, using Moses’ authority.^[f]