1 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant. He told him, 2 “My servant Moses has died. So go and cross the Jordan, you and all the people, and enter the country I am giving to the Israelites. 3 As I promised Moses, everywhere you set foot will be land I am giving to you,* 4 from the desert to Lebanon, and on up to the River Euphrates; all the land of the Hittites, and to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the west. This will be your territory. 5 No one will be able to stand against you while you live. Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.

6 Be strong! Be brave! You will be the people's leader as they occupy the land I promised their ancestors that I would give them. 7 Just be strong and very brave, and be sure to obey all the law that my servant Moses instructed you to follow. Don't turn aside from it, either to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in everything you do. 8 Keep on reminding the people about the law.† Meditate on it day and night, so you can be sure to do what it requires. Then you will be successful and prosper in what you do. 9 Don't forget what I told you: Be strong! Be brave! Don't be afraid! Don't get discouraged! For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

10 Then Joshua gave an order to those in charge of the people: 11 “Go through the whole camp and tell the people, ‘Get everything ready, because in three days time we will cross the Jordan, to go and take the land God is giving to you to possess.’ ”

12 But to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, ordered you to do: ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest, and will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives and children, and your livestock will remain here in the land that Moses allotted‡ you on the east side of the Jordan. But all your armed men, ready for battle, will cross over ahead of your brothers to help them, 15 until the Lord lets them rest, as he has let you rest, and they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord is giving to you. Then you can return and occupy your own land which Moses allotted to you on the east side of the Jordan.”

16 They said to Joshua, “We will do everything you have ordered us to do, and we will go wherever you send us. 17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses in everything. May the Lord God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Anyone who rebels against what you say and doesn't follow your orders, who doesn't obey everything you command, will be put to death. So be strong! Be brave!”