Joshua 1

1 After Moses, who served Yahweh [well], died, Yahweh said to Nun’s son Joshua, who had been Moses’ assistant,

And after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it happened that the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, and he said to him:

2 “[You know that] my servant Moses is [now] dead. So now get ready to lead all these [Israeli] people across the Jordan [River]. Enter the land that I will soon give to you.

“Moses, my servant, has died. Rise up, and cross this Jordan, you and all the people with you, into the land which I will give to the sons of Israel.

3 I will give to you all the land that you walk on, as I promised Moses.

I will deliver to you every place that the step of your foot will tread upon, just as I said to Moses.

4 That land will extend from the desert [in the south], to the Lebanon [Mountains in the northwest], and to the big Euphrates River [in the northeast], and to the Mediterranean Sea on the west. [It will include] all the land where the descendants of Heth [live].

From the desert and from Lebanon, even to the great river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, as far as the great sea opposite the setting of the sun, shall be your border.

5 No group will be able to oppose [and defeat] you during your life. I will help you as I helped Moses. I will always be with [LIT] you; I will never forsake you.

No one will be able to resist you during all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so will I be with you. I will not leave you, nor will I forsake you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, because you are the one who will lead these Israeli people [and enable them] to possess the land that I solemnly promised to their ancestors that I would give them.

Be strengthened and be steadfast. For you shall divide by lot, to this people, the land about which I swore to their fathers that I would deliver it to them.

7 Just be strong and very courageous. Be sure to obey all the laws that my servant Moses gave to you. In order that you may be successful wherever you go, do not stop obeying any of them [IDM].

Therefore, be strengthened and be very steadfast, so that you may observe and accomplish the entire law, which Moses, my servant, instructed to you. You may not turn aside from it to the right, nor to the left. So may you understand all that you should do.

8 Make sure to habitually read [to the people some of] the laws [that God gave Moses]. Meditate on those laws [every] day and [every] night. And be sure to obey all those laws. If you do that, you will be successful in everything that you do [DOU].

The book of this law shall not depart from your mouth. Instead, you shall meditate upon it, day and night, so that you may observe and do all the things that are written in it. Then you shall direct your way and understand it.

9 Do not forget [RHQ] that I have commanded you to be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged, because I, Yahweh, your God, will (be with/help) you wherever you go.”

Behold, I am instructing you. Be strengthened, and be steadfast. Do not dread, and do not fear. For the Lord your God is with you in all things, wherever you may go.”

10 Then Joshua commanded the leaders of the people of Israel,

And Joshua instructed the leaders of the people, saying: “Cross through the midst of the camp, and command the people, and say:

11 “Go throughout the camp and tell the people this: ‘Prepare all the food that you will take with you, because the day after tomorrow you will cross this Jordan [River], in order to possess the land that Yahweh, our God, is about to give you.’”

‘Prepare your food supplies. For after the third day, you shall cross the Jordan, and you shall enter so as to possess the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.’”

12 But to the [clans that were] descendants of Reuben and Gad, and to the half clan [that were descendants] of Manasseh, Joshua said,

Likewise, he said to the Reubenites and to the Gadites, and to the one half tribe of Manasseh:

13 “Do not forget what Moses, the servant of Yahweh, commanded you: ‘Yahweh, your God, has given you this land in order that you can [live here] safely/peacefully.’

“Remember the words, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed to you, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you rest, and has given you all the land.’

14 Your wives and your children and your livestock may stay [here] in this land on the east side of the Jordan [River], but all your soldiers must cross [the river], ahead of the people of the other tribes. They must take all their weapons with them. You must continue to help your fellow Israelis

Your wives and sons, as well as the cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses delivered to you beyond the Jordan. But as for you, pass over with weapons, before your brothers, all you who are strong of hand, and fight on their behalf,

15 until they are able to live there safely/peacefully, as Yahweh has enabled you to do. You must help them until after they have conquered all the people in the land that Yahweh, your God, is giving them. After that, your soldiers may return to live in this land that Moses gave to you here on the east side of the Jordan [River].”

until the Lord gives rest to your brothers, just as he has given to you, and until they also possess the land, which the Lord your God will give to them. And so shall you be returned to the land of your possession. And you shall live in the land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to you beyond the Jordan, opposite the rising of the sun.”

16 The people answered Joshua, “We will do everything that you have commanded us to do, and we will go wherever you tell us to go.

And they responded to Joshua, and they said: “All that you have instructed to us, we shall do. And wherever you will send us, we shall go.

17 As we obeyed all that Moses told us to do, we will obey all that you tell us to do. We pray that Yahweh will (be with/help) you as he (was with/helped) Moses.

Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so shall we obey you also. But may the Lord your God be with you, just as he was with Moses.

18 Anyone who (rejects what you say/opposes you) and does not obey what you command [DOU], we will execute. But we want you to be strong and courageous!”

Whoever will contradict your mouth, and whoever will not obey all of your words, which you will instruct to him, let him die. But may you be strengthened, and may you act manfully.”