1 After Moses, the servant of Yahweh, died, Yahweh said this to Nun's son Joshua, who had been Moses' assistant: 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. 3 I will give to you all the land that you walk on, as I promised 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. 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.

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. 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]. 8 Make sure to habitually read to the people part 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 all that you do [DOU]. 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.”

10 Then Joshua commanded the leaders of the people of Israel, 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.’ ”

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

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. 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. 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!”