Joshua

After the death of Moses the servant of GOD, GOD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ attendant:

“My servant Moses is dead. Prepare to cross the Jordan, together with all this people, into the land that I am giving to the Israelites.

Every spot on which your foot treads I give to you, as I promised Moses.

Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and the Lebanon to the Great River, the River Euphrates [on the east]—the whole Hittite country—and up to the MediterraneanaMediterranean Heb. “Great.” Sea on the west.

No one shall be able to resist you as long as you live. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

“Be strong and resolute, for you shall apportion to this people the land that I swore to their fathersbfathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; see Gen. 24.7; 26.3; 50.24; Deut. 1.8. to assign to them.

But you must be very strong and resolute to observe faithfully all the Teaching that My servant Moses enjoined upon you. Do not deviate from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips, but recite it day and night, so that you may observe faithfully all that is written in it. Only then will you prosper in your undertakings and only then will you be successful.

“I charge you: Be strong and resolute; do not be terrified or dismayed, for the ETERNAL your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua thereupon gave orders to the officials of the people:

“Go through the camp and charge the people thus: Get provisions ready, for in three days’ time you are to cross the Jordan, in order to enter and possess the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you as a possession.”

Then Joshua said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,cthe Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh I.e., their leaders or householders.

“Remember what Moses the servant of GOD enjoined upon you, when he said, ‘The ETERNAL your God is granting you a haven and assigning this territory to you’:

Let your wives, children, and livestock remain in the land that Moses assigned to you on this side ofdon this side of Lit. “across.” the Jordan; but every one of your fighting men shall go across armedearmed Meaning of Heb. uncertain. in the van of your kindred. And you shall assist them

until GOD has given your kindred a haven, such as you have, and they too have gained possession of the land that the ETERNAL your God has assigned to them. Then you may return to the land on the east side of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of GOD assigned to you as your possession, and you may possess it.”

They answered Joshua, “We will do everything you have commanded us and we will go wherever you send us.

We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses; let but the ETERNAL your God be with you as with Moses!

Anyone who flouts your commands and does not obey every order you give him shall be put to death. Only be strong and resolute!”