God Instructs Joshua
(Deuteronomy 11:8–17)

1And it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of YHWH, that YHWH spoke to Joshua son of Nun, minister of Moses, saying, 2“Moses My servant is dead. And now arise, pass over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land that I am giving to them, the sons of Israel.

3Every place that the sole of your⁺ foot will tread I have given to you⁺, as I said to Moses. 4From this wilderness and Lebanon and as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea† toward the going down of the sun, shall be your⁺ territory.

5No man shall stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will not leave you and I will not forsake you.†

6Be strong and be of good courage, for you shall divide as an inheritance to this people the land that I swore to their fathers to give to them.

7Only be strong and be very courageous, to be careful to do according to all the law that Moses My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper in every place where you go. 8The Book of this Law shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate in it day and night, so that you will be careful to do according to all written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will succeed.

9Have I not commanded you to be strong and to be of good courage? Do not be afraid nor dismayed, for with you YHWH your God is in every place where you go.”

Joshua Takes Charge

10And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11“Pass over through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare for yourselves provisions, for within three days you⁺ will pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land that YHWH your⁺ God is giving to you⁺ to possess.’”

12And to the Reubenite, and the Gadite, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke, saying, 13“Remember the word that Moses the servant of YHWH commanded you⁺, saying, ‘YHWH your⁺ God is giving rest to you⁺, and He will give to you⁺ this land.’ 14Your⁺ wives, your⁺ little ones, and your⁺ livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave to you⁺ on this side of the Jordan. And you⁺ shall pass over armed for battle before the face of your⁺ brothers, all the mighty ones of valor; and you⁺ shall help them, 15until YHWH has given rest to your⁺ brothers as to you⁺, and they have taken possession, even they, of the land that YHWH your⁺ God is giving to them. And you⁺ shall return to the land of your⁺ possession and take possession of that which Moses, the servant of YHWH, gave to you⁺ on this side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun.”

16And they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us, we will do, and to every place where you send us, we will go. 17As we listened to Moses in all things, so we will listen to you. Only may YHWH your God be with you as He was with Moses. 18Any man who rebels against your command and does not heed your words in all that you command him shall be put to death. Only be strong and be of good courage.”