God’s Command to Joshua

1 After Moses, the servant of the ·Lord [or Yahweh; ^C“Lord” (capital letters) represents the divine name YHWH, usually pronounced “Yahweh”], died, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ ·assistant [aide; servant]. ² The Lord said, “My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people ·go across [get ready to cross; ^Larise and cross] the Jordan River into the land I am giving to the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel]. ³ I promised Moses I would give you this land [Deut. 11:24], so I will give you every place ·you go [^Lthe sole of your foot walks/treads] in the land. ⁴ All the land from the ·desert in the south [^Ldesert; wilderness] to ·Lebanon in the north [^LLebanon] will be yours. All the land from the great river, the ·Euphrates, in the east [^LEuphrates], to the ·Mediterranean [^LGreat] Sea ·in the west [^Ltoward the going down of the sun] will be yours, too, ·including [or which is all] the land of the Hittites [^CPalestine was known as “Hatti-land” (or “Hittite country”) by the Egyptians and Babylonians]. ⁵ No one will be able to ·defeat [resist; stand against] you all your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not ·leave [fail] you or ·forget [desert; forsake] you.

⁶ “Joshua, be strong and ·brave [courageous; resolute]! You must lead these people ·so they can take [to possess/inherit] the land that I promised their fathers I would give them. ⁷ Be strong and ·brave [courageous; resolute]. Be ·sure [careful] to obey all the ·teachings [law] my servant Moses ·gave [commanded] you. If you ·follow them exactly [^Ldo not turn from it to the right or to the left], you will be successful in everything you do. ⁸ ·Always remember [^LDo not let depart from your mouth] what is written in the Book of the ·Teachings [Law]. ·Study [Meditate on] it day and night to be ·sure [careful; diligent] to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be ·wise [prudent; successful] and ·successful [prosperous] ·in everything [or along life’s path; along the way]. ⁹ ·Remember that I [^LHave I not…?] commanded you to be strong and ·brave [courageous; resolute]. Don’t be afraid or ·discouraged [dismayed], because the Lord your God will be with you ·everywhere you go [or in all you do].”

Joshua’s Orders to the People

¹⁰ Then Joshua gave orders to the ·officers [leaders] of the people: ¹¹ “Go through the camp and ·tell [command] the people, ‘Get your ·supplies [provisions] ready. ·Three days from now [or Within a few days] you will cross the Jordan River and take the land the Lord your God is ·giving you [^Lgiving you to inherit/possess].’”

¹² Then Joshua said to the people of Reuben, Gad, and ·East [^Lthe half-tribe of] Manasseh, ¹³ “Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, told you [Deut. 3:18–20]. He said the Lord your God would give you ·rest [a place of rest/security] and would give you this land. ¹⁴ Now your wives, children, and animals may stay here in the land Moses has given you east of the Jordan River, but your fighting men must dress for war and cross the Jordan River ahead of your brothers to help them. ¹⁵ The Lord has given you a place ·to rest [of security] and will do the same for your brothers. But you must help them until they take the land the Lord their God is giving them. Then you may return to your own land east of the Jordan River, the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you [Deut. 3:18–20].”

¹⁶ Then the people answered Joshua, “Anything you command us to do, we will do. Any place you send us, we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we fully obeyed Moses, we will obey you. ·We ask only that [or And may] the Lord your God be with you just as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Whoever ·refuses to obey [rebels against] your commands or ·turns against [refuses to obey] you will be put to death. Just be strong and ·brave [courageous; resolute]!”