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The Lord Instructs Joshua

After the death of the Lord’s servant Moses, the Lord said to Moses’ assistant Joshua, son of Nun, “My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people must cross the Jordan River into the land that I am going to give the people of Israel. I will give you every place on which you set foot, as I promised Moses. Your borders will be the desert ⌞on the south⌟, nearby Lebanon to the Euphrates River (the country of the Hittites) ⌞on the north⌟, and the Mediterranean Sea on the west. No one will be able to oppose you successfully as long as you live. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will never neglect you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, because you will help these people take possession of the land I swore to give their ancestors.

“Only be strong and very courageous, faithfully doing everything in the teachings that my servant Moses commanded you. Don’t turn away from them. Then you will succeed wherever you go. Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed.

“I have commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ ”

The People Promise to Obey Joshua

10 Then Joshua ordered the officers of the people, 11 “Go through the camp. Tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River to take possession of the land the Lord your God is going to give you.’ ”

12 Next, Joshua said to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh, 13 “Remember what the Lord’s servant Moses commanded you. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will give you this land—a place to rest.’ 14 Your wives, children, and livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan River. However, all your best soldiers must march in battle formation ahead of your relatives. You must help your relatives 15 take possession of the land the Lord your God is going to give them. Then they will have a place to rest like you do. After that, you may go back and take possession of the land east of the Jordan River which the Lord’s servant Moses gave you.”

16 The people responded to Joshua, “We’ll do everything you tell us and go wherever you send us. 17 We will obey you as we obeyed Moses. May the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your authority or does not obey your orders will be put to death. Just be strong and courageous!”

Joshua Sends Spies to Jericho

From Shittim Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two men as spies. He told them, “Go, look at that country, especially the city of Jericho.” So they went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab to spend the night there.

The king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have entered the city tonight. They came to gather information about our land.” So the king of Jericho sent messengers to Rahab, who told her, “Bring out the men who came to your house. They came here to gather information about the entire land.”

But the woman had already taken the two men inside and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come here. But I didn’t know where they had come from. When it was dark and the gate was just about to close, they left. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you’ll catch up with them.” (She had taken them up to the roof and covered them with the flax which she had laid up there.)

The king’s men pursued them on the road leading to a shallow place to cross the Jordan River. As soon as the king’s men had left, the gate was closed.

Before the spies fell asleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof. She said to them, “I know the Lord will give you this land. Your presence terrifies us. All the people in this country are deathly afraid of you. 10 We’ve heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea in front of you when you left Egypt. We’ve also heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites, who ruled east of the Jordan River. We’ve heard how you destroyed them for the Lord. 11 When we heard about it, we lost heart. There was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is the God of heaven and earth. 12 Please swear by the Lord that you’ll be as kind to my father’s family as I’ve been to you. Also give me some proof 13 that you’ll protect my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and their households, and that you’ll save us from death.”

14 The men promised her, “We pledge our lives for your lives. If you don’t tell anyone what we’re doing here, we’ll treat you kindly and honestly when the Lord gives us this land.”

15 So she let them down by a rope from her window since her house was built into the city wall. (She lived in the city wall.) 16 She told them, “Go to the mountains so that the men who are pursuing you will not find you. Hide there for three days until they return to Jericho. Then you can go on your way.”

17 The men told her, “We will be free from the oath which you made us swear, ⌞if you tell anyone what we’re doing here⌟. 18 When we invade your land, tie this red cord in the window through which you let us down. Also, gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. 19 Whoever leaves your house will be responsible for his own life. We will be free from that responsibility. But we will take responsibility if anyone inside your house is harmed. 20 If you tell anyone what we’re doing here, we will be free from the oath which you made us swear.”

21 “I agree,” she said. So she let them go and tied the red cord in the window.

22 The men went to the mountains and stayed there for three days until the king’s men returned to Jericho. The king’s men had searched for them all along the road but had not found them. 23 Then the two spies came down out of the mountains, crossed the Jordan River, and returned to Joshua, son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They told Joshua, “The Lord has given us the whole country. The people who live there are deathly afraid of us.”

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