1 Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, the LORD spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,

² “Moses, My servant, is dead. Therefore, arise now, go over the Jordan— you and all this people—to the land which I give them; to the children of Israel.

³ “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon I have given you (as I said to Moses),

⁴ “from the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river (the river Perath). All the land of the Hittites, even to the Great Sea, toward the going down of the Sun, shall be your territory.

⁵ “There shall not be a man able to withstand you, all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will neither leave you nor forsake you.

⁶ “Be strong and of a good courage. For to this people you shall divide the land, for an inheritance, which I swore to their fathers to give them.

⁷ “Only, be strong and of a most valiant courage, so that you may observe and do according to all the Law which Moses, My servant, has commanded you. You shall not turn away from it — to the right hand or to the left — so that you may be wise, wherever you go.

⁸ “Let not this Book of the Torah depart out of your mouth, but meditate on it day and night, so that you may observe and do according to all that is written therein. For then you shall make your way prosperous; and then you shall have good success.

⁹ “Have I not commanded you, saying, ‘Be strong and of a good courage; do not fear or be discouraged’? For I, the LORD your God, will be with you wherever you go.”

¹⁰ Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

¹¹ “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves. For after three days you shall pass over the Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess.’”

¹² And Joshua spoke to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh, saying,

¹³ “Remember the Word which Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you rest; and has given you this land.’

¹⁴ “Your wives, your children, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall go over before your brothers, armed (all that are men of war), and shall help them

¹⁵ “until the LORD has given your brothers rest (as well as to you) and until they shall also possess the land which the LORD your God gives them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession (which Moses, the LORD’s servant, gave you on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising Sun). And you shall possess it.”

¹⁶ Then they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us, we will do. And wherever you send us, we will go.

¹⁷ “As we obeyed Moses in all things, so will we obey you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses.

¹⁸ “Whoever shall rebel against your commandment, and will not obey your words in all that you command him, let him be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”