¹² Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. ¹³ When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; ¹⁴ because in the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, to honor me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying, ¹⁶ “Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, ¹⁷ who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of Yahweh may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.”

¹⁸ Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight. ²⁰ You shall give authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. ²¹ He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

²² Moses did as Yahweh commanded him. He took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. ²³ He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as Yahweh spoke by Moses.