Joshua 1

¹ When Moses the servant of Yahweh was dead,[*a] Yahweh spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ adjutant. He said,

² ‘Moses my servant is dead; rise – it is time – and cross the Jordan here, you and all this people with you, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.

³ Every place you tread with the soles of your feet I shall give you as I declared to Moses that I would.

⁴ From the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river Euphrates and to the Great Sea

⁵ As long as you live, no one shall be able to stand in your way; I will be with you as I was with Moses; I will not leave you or desert you.

⁶ ‘Be strong and stand firm, for you are the man to give this people possession of the land that I swore to their fathers I should give to them.

⁷ Only be strong and stand firm and be careful to keep all the Law which my servant Moses laid on you. Never swerve from this to right or left, and then you will be happy in all you do.

⁸ Have the book of this law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may carefully keep everything that is written in it. Then you will prosper in your dealings, then you will have success.

⁹ Have I not told you: Be strong and stand firm? Be fearless then, be confident, for go where you will, Yahweh your God is with you.

¹⁰ Then Joshua gave the officers of the people this order:

¹¹ ‘Go through the camp and say to the people, “Get provisions ready, for in three days you will cross the Jordan here and go on to take possession of the land which Yahweh your God is giving you as your very own”‘.

¹² Then to the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said,

¹³ ‘Remember what Yahweh’s servant Moses told you, “Yahweh your God, granting you a place to find rest, has given you this land”.

¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones and your cattle may remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all you who are fighting men must go over with your weapons in front of your brothers and fight with them

¹⁵ till Yahweh grants rest, to your brothers and you alike, when they too have taken possession of the land that Yahweh your God is giving them. Then you may go back again to the land that is yours to hold, which Yahweh’s servant Moses gave you eastwards beyond the Jordan.’

¹⁶ Then they answered Joshua, ‘We will do all that you have told us, and wherever you send us we will go.

¹⁷ We obeyed Moses in all things, and now we will obey you. Only may Yahweh your God be with you as he was with Moses!

¹⁸ If anyone rebels against your direction and does not obey whatever orders you lay on him, let him be put to death. Only be strong and stand firm.’