“I have commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because Yahweh your Elohim is with you wherever you go.’”

“Go through the camp. Tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River to take possession of the land Yahweh your Elohim is going to give you.’”

“Remember what Yahweh’s servant Moses commanded you. Moses said, ‘Yahweh your Elohim will give you this land—a place to rest.’

take possession of the land Yahweh your Elohim is going to give them. Then they will have a place to rest like you do. After that, you may go back and take possession of the land east of the Jordan River which Yahweh’s servant Moses gave you.”

We will obey you as we obeyed Moses. May Yahweh your Elohim be with you as he was with Moses.

When we heard about it, we lost heart. There was no courage left in any of us because of you. Yahweh your Elohim is the Elohim of heaven and earth.

They told the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the promise of Yahweh your Elohim and the Levitical priests who carry it, break camp and follow them.

So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here, and listen to the words of Yahweh your Elohim.”

He said to them, “Go to the middle of the Jordan River in front of the ark of Yahweh your Elohim. Each man must take a stone on his shoulder, one for each tribe of Israel.

Yahweh your Elohim dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed.

Yahweh did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear Yahweh your Elohim every day of your life.”

“Get up! Tell the people, ‘Get ready for tomorrow by performing the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. This is what Yahweh Elohim of Israel says: You have what I claimed for myself, Israel. You will not be able to defend yourselves against your enemies until you get rid of what I have claimed.

Joshua said to Achan, “Son, give honor and praise to Yahweh Elohim of Israel! Tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”

Then Achan answered Joshua, “It’s true. I have sinned against Yahweh Elohim of Israel. This is what I did:

you come out of hiding and capture the city. Yahweh your Elohim will hand it over to you.

The Lord Renews His Promise with Israel

At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to Yahweh Elohim of Israel.

They answered him, “We came from a country very far away because Yahweh your Elohim has become famous. We heard stories about him and everything he did in Egypt.

The Israelites didn’t destroy these other people, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath about them to Yahweh Elohim of Israel. The whole congregation complained about the leaders.

But all the leaders said to them, “We have sworn an oath about them to Yahweh Elohim of Israel, so we cannot touch them now.

You are under a curse now. You will always be servants. You will be woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my Elohim.”

They answered Joshua, “We were told that Yahweh your Elohim commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and destroy all who live there. We deceived you because we feared for our lives.

But don’t stop. Chase your enemies! Cut off their rear guard. Don’t let them get back into their own cities, because Yahweh your Elohim has handed them over to you.”

So Joshua captured the whole land—the mountains, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes. There were no survivors. He claimed every living creature for the Lord by destroying it, as Yahweh Elohim of Israel had commanded.

Joshua captured all these kings and their territories in one campaign because Yahweh Elohim of Israel fought for Israel.

Moses did not give any land as an inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The sacrifices offered to Yahweh Elohim of Israel are what the Levites inherited, as Yahweh had promised them.