God Tells Joshua to Go and Take the Land
1 After the death of the Lord’s servant Moses, the Lord said to Moses’ helper, Joshua the son of Nun, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. So you and all these people get up and cross the Jordan River to the land I am giving to the people of Israel. 3 I have given you every place where the bottom of your foot steps, as I promised Moses. 4 Your land will be from the desert and from Lebanon as far as the big Euphrates River. It will be all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No man will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. I will be with you just as I have been with Moses. I will be faithful to you and will not leave you alone. 6 Be strong and have strength of heart. For you will bring the people in to take this land which I promised to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and have much strength of heart. Be careful to obey all the Law which My servant Moses told you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left. Then all will go well with you everywhere you go. 8 This book of the Law must not leave your mouth. Think about it day and night, so you may be careful to do all that is written in it. Then all will go well with you. You will receive many good things. 9 Have I not told you? Be strong and have strength of heart! Do not be afraid or lose faith. For the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.”
Joshua Tells the People to Go
10 Then Joshua told the leaders of the people, 11 “Go among the tents and tell the people, ‘Gather together the things you will need. For within three days you will cross this Jordan to go in to take the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”
12 To the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-family group of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember what the Lord’s servant Moses told you, saying, ‘The Lord your God gives you rest, and will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your children and your cattle will stay in the land Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you and all your strong-hearted soldiers will cross the river dressed for battle in front of your brothers. You will help them 15 until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He has given you. Help them until they own the land the Lord your God is giving them. Then you will return to your own land. You will own what the Lord’s servant Moses gave you on the east side of the Jordan.” 16 They answered Joshua, saying, “We will do all that you have told us. And we will go anywhere you send us. 17 We will obey you in all things just as we obeyed Moses. Only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. 18 Anyone who goes against what you say, and does not obey all that you tell him to do, will be put to death. Only be strong and have strength of heart.”