Joshua 1

1 And it cometh to pass after the death of Moses, servant of Jehovah, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua son of Nun, minister of Moses, saying,

After Moses, who served Yahweh [well], died, Yahweh said to Nun’s son Joshua, who had been Moses’ assistant,

2 'Moses my servant is dead, and now, rise, pass over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.

“[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 'Every place on which the sole of your foot treadeth, to you I have given it, as I have spoken unto Moses.

I will give to you all the land that you walk on, as I promised Moses.

4 From this wilderness and Lebanon, and unto the great river, the river Phrath, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great Sea — the going in of the sun — is your border.

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 man doth station himself before thee all days of thy life; as I have been with Moses, I am with thee, I do not fail thee, nor forsake thee;

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, for thou — thou dost cause this people to inherit the land which I have sworn to their fathers to give to them.

“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 'Only, be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded thee; thou dost not turn aside from it right or left, so that thou dost act wisely in every [place] whither thou goest;

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 the book of this law doth not depart out of thy mouth, and thou hast meditated in it by day and by night, so that thou dost observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then thou dost cause thy way to prosper, and then thou dost act wisely.

Make sure to habitually read [to the people some 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 everything that you do [DOU].

9 'Have not I commanded thee? be strong and courageous; be not terrified nor affrighted, for with thee [is] Jehovah thy God in every [place] whither thou goest.'

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 And Joshua commandeth the authorities of the people, saying,

Then Joshua commanded the leaders of the people of Israel,

11 'Pass over into the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare for yourselves provision, for within three days ye are passing over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which Jehovah your God is giving to you to possess it.'

“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 And to the Reubenite, and to the Gadite, and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, hath Joshua spoken, saying,

But to the [clans that were] descendants of Reuben and Gad, and to the half clan [that were descendants] of Manasseh, Joshua said,

13 'Remember the word which Moses, servant of Jehovah, commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God is giving rest to you, and He hath given to you this land;

“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, your infants, and your substance, abide in the land which Moses hath given to you beyond the Jordan, and ye — ye pass over by fifties, before your brethren, all the mighty ones of valour, and have helped them,

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 till that Jehovah giveth rest to your brethren as to yourselves, and they have possessed, even they, the land which Jehovah your God is giving to them; then ye have turned back to the land of your possession, and have possessed it, which Moses, servant of Jehovah, hath given to you beyond the Jordan, [at] the sun-rising.'

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 And they answer Joshua, saying, 'All that thou hast commanded us we do; and unto every [place] whither thou dost send us, we go;

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 according to all that we hearkened unto Moses [in], so we hearken unto thee; surely Jehovah thy God is with thee as He hath been with Moses.

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 Any man who doth provoke thy mouth, and doth not hear thy words, in all that thou dost command him, is put to death; only, be strong and courageous.'

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!”