After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said
to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is
dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this
people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of
Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I
have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness
and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates,
all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down
of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand
before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so
I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong
and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land
that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very
courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses
my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or
to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This
Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do
according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your
way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and
do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you
go.”
And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through
the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your
provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan
to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is
giving you to possess.’”
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of
Manasseh Joshua said, “Remember the word that Moses the servant of
the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you
a place of rest and will give you this land.’ Your wives, your
little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses
gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you
shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them,
until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and
they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is
giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession
and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD
gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will
do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in
all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with
you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your commandment
and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to
death. Only be strong and courageous.”
