giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.

See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.

The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.

When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the Lord has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.”

This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.

And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”

We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

“See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”