Joshua 1

New International Version

Joshua Installed as Leader

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord,^(A) the Lord said to Joshua^(B) son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ²“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River^(C) into the land^(D) I am about to give to them^(E)—to the Israelites. ³I will give you every place where you set your foot,^(F) as I promised Moses.^(G) ⁴Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon,^(H) and from the great river, the Euphrates^(I)—all the Hittite^(J) country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.^(K) ⁵No one will be able to stand against you^(L) all the days of your life. As I was with^(M) Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake^(N) you. ⁶Be strong^(O) and courageous,^(P) because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors^(Q) to give them.

⁷“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey^(R) all the law^(S) my servant Moses^(T) gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left,^(U) that you may be successful wherever you go.^(V) ⁸Keep this Book of the Law^(W) always on your lips;^(X) meditate^(Y) on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.^(Z) ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;^(AA) do not be discouraged,^(AB) for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”^(AC)

¹⁰So Joshua ordered the officers of the people:^(AD) ¹¹“Go through the camp^(AE) and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions^(AF) ready. Three days^(AG) from now you will cross the Jordan^(AH) here to go in and take possession^(AI) of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

¹²But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh,^(AJ) Joshua said, ¹³“Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest^(AK) by giving you this land.’ ¹⁴Your wives,^(AL) your children and your livestock may stay in the land^(AM) that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle,^(AN) must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites.^(AO) You are to help them ¹⁵until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”^(AP)

¹⁶Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.^(AQ) ¹⁷Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.^(AR) Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. ¹⁸Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey^(AS) it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!^(AT)”

Joshua 23

New International Version

Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders

23 After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest^(A) from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man,^(B) ²summoned all Israel—their elders,^(C) leaders, judges and officials^(D)—and said to them: “I am very old.^(E) ³You 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.^(F) ⁴Remember how I have allotted^(G) as an inheritance^(H) for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea^(I) in the west. ⁵The Lord your God himself will push them out^(J) for your sake. He will drive them out^(K) before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.^(L)

⁶“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law^(M) of Moses, without turning aside^(N) to the right or to the left.^(O) ⁷Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear^(P) by them. You must not serve them or bow down^(Q) to them. ⁸But you are to hold fast to the Lord^(R) your God, as you have until now.

⁹“The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations;^(S) to this day no one has been able to withstand you.^(T) ¹⁰One of you routs a thousand,^(U) because the Lord your God fights for you,^(V) just as he promised. ¹¹So be very careful^(W) to love the Lord^(X) your God.

¹²“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them^(Y) and associate with them,^(Z) ¹³then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out^(AA) these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares^(AB) and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes,^(AC) until you perish from this good land,^(AD) which the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth.^(AE) You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise^(AF) has been fulfilled; not one has failed.^(AG) ¹⁵But just as all the good things^(AH) the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things^(AI) he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you^(AJ) from this good land he has given you.^(AK) ¹⁶If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.^(AL)”