1 Nowe after the death of Moses the seruant of the Lord, the Lord spake vnto Ioshua the sonne of Nun, Moses minister, saying, 2 Moses my seruant is dead: nowe therefore arise, go ouer this Iorden, thou, and all this people, vnto the lande which I giue them, that is, to ye children of Israel. 3 Euery place that the sole of your foote shall treade vpon, haue I giuen you, as I said vnto Moses. 4 From the wildernesse and this Lebanon euen vnto the great riuer, the riuer Perath: all the land of the Hittites, euen vnto the great Sea towarde the going downe of the sunne, shalbe your coast. 5 There shall not a man be able to withstande thee all the dayes of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not leaue thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for vnto this people shalt thou deuide the lande for an inheritance, which I sware vnto their fathers to giue them. 7 Onely be thou strong, and of a most valiant courage, that thou mayest obserue and doe according to all the Lawe which Moses my seruant hath commanded thee: thou shalt not turne away from it to the right hande, nor to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoeuer thou goest. 8 Let not this booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth, but meditate therin day and night, that thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein: for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou haue good successe. 9 Haue not I commanded thee, saying, Be strong and of a good courage, feare not, nor be discouraged? for I the Lord thy God will be with thee, whithersoeuer thou goest. 10 Then Ioshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Passe through the hoste, and commande the people, saying, Prepare you vitailes: for after three dayes ye shall passe ouer this Iorden, to goe in to possesse the lande, which the Lord your God giueth you to possesse it. 12 And vnto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to halfe the tribe of Manasseh spake Ioshua, saying, 13 Remember the worde, which Moses the seruant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath giuen you rest, and hath giuen you this land. 14 Your wiues, your children, and your cattell shall remaine in the land which Moses gaue you on this side Iorden: but ye shall goe ouer before your brethren armed, all that be men of warre, and shall helpe them, 15 Vntill the Lord haue giuen your brethren rest, as well as to you, and vntill they also shall possesse the land, which the Lord your God giueth them: then shall ye returne vnto the lande of your possession and shall possesse it, which land Moses the Lordes seruant gaue you on this side Iorden toward the sunne rising. 16 Then they answered Ioshua, saying, Al that thou hast commanded vs, we will doe, and whithersoeuer thou sendest vs, we will goe. 17 As we obeyed Moses in all things, so will we obey thee: onely the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18 Whosoeuer shall rebell against thy commandement, and will not obey thy wordes in all that thou commaundest him, let him bee put to death: onely be strong and of good courage.
God Commands Joshua to Conquer Canaan
1 After the death of the Lord's servant Moses, the Lord spoke to Moses' helper, Joshua son of Nun. 2 He said, “My servant Moses is dead. Get ready now, you and all the people of Israel, and cross the Jordan River into the land that I am giving them. 3 As I told Moses, I have given you and all my people the entire land that you will be marching over. 4 Your borders will reach from the desert in the south to the Lebanon Mountains in the north; from the great Euphrates River in the east, through the Hittite country, to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 Joshua, no one will be able to defeat you as long as you live. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will always be with you; I will never abandon you. 6 Be determined and confident, for you will be the leader of these people as they occupy this land which I promised their ancestors. 7 Just be determined, be confident; and make sure that you obey the whole Law that my servant Moses gave you. Do not neglect any part of it and you will succeed wherever you go. 8 Be sure that the book of the Law is always read in your worship. Study it day and night, and make sure that you obey everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.”
Joshua Gives Orders to the People
10 Then Joshua ordered the leaders to 11 go through the camp and say to the people, “Get some food ready, because in three days you are going to cross the Jordan River to occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
12 Joshua said to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to half the tribe of Manasseh, 13 “Remember how the Lord's servant Moses told you that the Lord your God would give you this land on the east side of the Jordan as your home. 14 Your wives, your children, and your livestock will stay here, but your soldiers, armed for battle, will cross over ahead of the other Israelites in order to help them 15 until they have occupied the land west of the Jordan that the Lord your God has given them. When he has given safety to all the tribes of Israel, then you may come back and settle here in your own land east of the Jordan, which Moses, the Lord's servant, gave to you.”
16 They answered Joshua, “We will do everything you have told us and will go anywhere you send us. 17 We will obey you, just as we always obeyed Moses, and may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever questions your authority or disobeys any of your orders will be put to death. Be determined and confident!”