Joshua to Succeed Moses

31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: “I am now a hundred and twenty years old(A) and I am no longer able to lead you.(B) The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’(C) The Lord your God himself will cross(D) over ahead of you.(E) He will destroy these nations(F) before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross(G) over ahead of you, as the Lord said. And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og,(H) the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. The Lord will deliver(I) them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous.(J) Do not be afraid or terrified(K) because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;(L) he will never leave you(M) nor forsake(N) you.”

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said(O) to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them,(P) and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;(Q) he will never leave you nor forsake you.(R) Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

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Joshua Takes Moses’s Place

31 Then Moses continued to speak these[a] words to all Israel, saying, “I am now 120 years old;(A) I can no longer act as your leader.[b] The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan.’(B) The Lord your God is the one who will cross ahead of you.(C) He will destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them out. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, as the Lord has said.(D) The Lord will deal with them as he did Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and their land when he destroyed them.(E) The Lord will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous;(F) don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you;(G) he will not leave you or abandon you.”(H)

Moses then summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with[c] this people into the land the Lord swore to give to their ancestors.(I) You will enable them to take possession of it. The Lord is the one who will go before you.(J) He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.(K) Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

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Footnotes

  1. 31:1 Some Hb mss, DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg read all these
  2. 31:2 Lit no longer go out or come in
  3. 31:7 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr, Vg read you will bring