1 Now after the death of Moses, the slave of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, 2 Moses, my slave, is dead; now, therefore, arise, pass this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I give to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your borders. 5 No one shall be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage; for thou shalt cause this people to inherit the land as an inheritance, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest keep and do according to all the law, which Moses my slave commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou may be prospered in all the things that thou doest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou may keep and do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way to prosper, and then thou shalt understand everything. 9 See that I command thee to be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for I, the LORD thy God, am with thee wherever thou goest.
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, Prepare food; for within three days ye shall pass this Jordan, to enter in to inherit the land, which the LORD your God gives you to inherit.
12 Also to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke, saying, 13 Remember the word which Moses, the slave of the LORD, commanded you, saying, The LORD your God has given you rest and has given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your beasts shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan; but ye, all the mighty men of valour, shall pass before your brethren armed and help them 15 until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as he has given you and they also inherit the land which the LORD your God gives them; then ye shall return unto the land of your inheritance and inherit it, which Moses the LORD’s slave has given you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising.
16 Then they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou hast commanded us we will do, and wherever thou dost send us, we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee; only let the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against thy commandment and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou doest command him, let him die; only be strong and of a good courage.