²¹ Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; ^(A)do not fear or be discouraged.’

Israel’s Rebellions Reviewed^(A)

9 “Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, ² a people great and tall, the ^(B)descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’ ³ Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who ^(C)goes over before you as a ^(D)consuming fire. ^(E)He will destroy them and bring them down before you; ^(F)so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.

^4 (G)“Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is ^(H)because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you.

Principles Governing Warfare

20 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see ^(A)horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be ^(B)afraid of them; for the Lord your God is ^(C)with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. ² So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. ³ And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; ⁴ for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, ^(D)to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

⁸ And the Lord, ^(A)He is the One who goes before you. ^(B)He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”