Joshua to Succeed Moses

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain(A) in the Abarim Range(B) and see the land(C) I have given the Israelites.(D) 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people,(E) as your brother Aaron(F) was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin,(G) both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy(H) before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah(I) Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)

15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things,(J) appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”(K)

18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a](L) and lay your hand on him.(M) 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him(N) in their presence.(O) 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.(P) 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring(Q) of the Urim(R) before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him,(S) as the Lord instructed through Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 27:18 Or the Spirit

Joshua Commissioned to Succeed Moses

12 Then the Lord said to Moses,(A) “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range[a] and see the land that I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was.(B) 14 When the community quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against my command to demonstrate my holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the Waters of Meribah-kadesh[b] in the Wilderness of Zin.(C)

15 So Moses appealed to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all,[c](D) appoint a man over the community 17 who will go out before them and come back in before them,(E) and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the Lord’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”(F)

18 The Lord replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.(G) 19 Have him stand before the priest Eleazar and the whole community, and commission(H) him in their sight. 20 Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey him. 21 He will stand before the priest Eleazar who will consult the Lord for him with the decision of the Urim.(I) He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command.”

22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before the priest Eleazar and the entire community, 23 laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. 27:12 = Mount Nebo; Nm 33:47–48; Dt 32:49; Jr 22:20
  2. 27:14 = Quarreling
  3. 27:16 Or God of the spirits of all flesh