Joshua 1

1 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant. He told him,

Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the word of the Lord came to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' helper, saying,

2 “My servant Moses has died. So go and cross the Jordan, you and all the people, and enter the country I am giving to the Israelites.

Moses my servant is dead; so now get up! Go over Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the children of Israel.

3 As I promised Moses, everywhere you set foot will be land I am giving to you,

Every place on which you put your foot I have given to you, as I said to Moses.

4 from the desert to Lebanon, and on up to the River Euphrates; all the land of the Hittites, and to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the west. This will be your territory.

From the waste land and this mountain Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, and all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea, in the west, will be your country.

5 No one will be able to stand against you while you live. Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.

While you are living, all will give way before you: as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not take away my help from you or give you up.

6 Be strong! Be brave! You will be the people's leader as they occupy the land I promised their ancestors that I would give them.

Take heart and be strong; for you will give to this people for their heritage the land which I gave by an oath to their fathers.

7 Just be strong and very brave, and be sure to obey all the law that my servant Moses instructed you to follow. Don't turn aside from it, either to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in everything you do.

Only take heart and be very strong; take care to do all the law which Moses my servant gave you, not turning from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may do well in all your undertakings.

8 Keep on reminding the people about the law. Meditate on it day and night, so you can be sure to do what it requires. Then you will be successful and prosper in what you do.

Let this book of the law be ever on your lips and in your thoughts day and night, so that you may keep with care everything in it; then a blessing will be on all your way, and you will do well.

9 Don't forget what I told you: Be strong! Be brave! Don't be afraid! Don't get discouraged! For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Have I not given you your orders? Take heart and be strong; have no fear and do not be troubled; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,

10 Then Joshua gave an order to those in charge of the people:

Then Joshua gave their orders to those who were in authority over the people, saying,

11 “Go through the whole camp and tell the people, ‘Get everything ready, because in three days time we will cross the Jordan, to go and take the land God is giving to you to possess.’”

Go through the tents and give orders to the people, saying, Get ready a store of food; for in three days you are to go over this river Jordan and take for your heritage the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

12 But to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said,

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

13 “Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, ordered you to do: ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest, and will give you this land.’

Keep in mind what Moses, the servant of the Lord, said to you, The Lord your God is sending you rest and will give you this land.

14 Your wives and children, and your livestock will remain here in the land that Moses allotted you on the east side of the Jordan. But all your armed men, ready for battle, will cross over ahead of your brothers to help them,

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle will be kept here in the land which Moses gave you on this side of Jordan; but you, the fighting-men, are to go over before your brothers, armed, to give them help;

15 until the Lord lets them rest, as he has let you rest, and they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord is giving to you. Then you can return and occupy your own land which Moses allotted to you on the east side of the Jordan.”

Till the Lord has given your brothers rest, as he has given it to you, and they have taken their heritage in the land which the Lord your God is giving them: then you will go back to the land of your heritage which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you on the east side of Jordan.

16 They said to Joshua, “We will do everything you have ordered us to do, and we will go wherever you send us.

Then they said to Joshua in answer, Whatever you say to us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.

17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses in everything. May the Lord God be with you as he was with Moses.

As we gave attention to Moses in all things, so we will give attention to you: and may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.

18 Anyone who rebels against what you say and doesn't follow your orders, who doesn't obey everything you command, will be put to death. So be strong! Be brave!”

Whoever goes against your orders, and does not give attention to all your words, will be put to death: only take heart and be strong.