Numbers 27:15–23

¹⁵So Moses appealed to the Lord, ¹⁶“May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all,^Cc appoint a man over the community ¹⁷who will go out before them and come back in before them,^d and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the Lord’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”^e

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

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