Ang Paghahanda sa Pag-agaw ng Canaan
1Nang mamatay na si Moises na lingkod ng Panginoon, sinabi ng Panginoon sa kanang-kamay ni Moises na si Josue na anak ni Nun, 2“Patay na ang lingkod kong si Moises. Kaya ngayon, maghanda kayo, ikaw at ang lahat ng Israelita, sa pagtawid sa Ilog ng Jordan papunta sa lupaing ibibigay ko sa inyo. 3Ayon sa ipinangako ko kay Moises, ibibigay ko sa inyo ang lahat ng lupaing mararating ninyo. 4Ito ang magiging teritoryo nʼyo: mula sa disyerto sa timog hanggang sa kabundukan ng Lebanon sa hilaga, at mula sa malaking Ilog ng Eufrates sa silangan, hanggang sa Dagat ng Mediteraneo sa kanluran, at ang lupain ng mga Heteo.
5“Walang makakatalo sa iyo habang ikaw ay nabubuhay. Sasamahan kita gaya ng pagsama ko kay Moises. Hindi kita iiwan o kayaʼy pababayaan. 6Magpakatatag ka at magpakatapang, dahil ikaw ang mamumuno sa mga taong ito para angkinin ang lupaing ipinangako ko sa mga ninuno nila. 7Bastaʼt magpakatatag ka lang at magpakatapang. Sundin mong mabuti ang lahat ng kautusan na ibinigay sa iyo ng lingkod kong si Moises. Huwag mo itong kalilimutan para magtagumpay ka sa lahat ng ginagawa mo. 8Huwag mong kalimutang basahin ang Aklat ng Kautusan. Pagbulay-bulayan mo ito araw at gabi para malaman mo kung paano mo matutupad nang mabuti ang lahat ng nakasulat dito. Kung gagawin mo ito, uunlad ka at magtatagumpay. 9Alalahanin mo palagi ang bilin ko sa iyo: Magpakatatag ka at magpakatapang. Huwag kang matakot o kayaʼy manghina, dahil ako, ang Panginoon na iyong Dios, ay sasaiyo kahit saan ka pumaroon.”
10Kaya, inutusan ni Josue ang mga pinuno ng Israel, 11“Libutin ninyo ang kampo at sabihin ninyo sa mga tao na maghanda sila ng mga pagkain nila dahil sa ikatlong araw mula ngayon, tatawid tayo sa Ilog ng Jordan para angkinin ang lupaing ibinigay sa atin ng Panginoon na ating Dios.”
12At sinabi ni Josue sa mga lahi nina Reuben, Gad at sa kalahating lahi ni Manase, 13“Alalahanin nʼyo ang sinabi sa inyo ni Moises na lingkod ng Panginoon. Sinabi niya na bibigyan kayo ng Panginoon na inyong Dios ng lugar na matitirhan na may kapahingahan. At ito na nga ang lupaing ibinigay niya sa inyo: 14Ang silangang bahagi ng Ilog ng Jordan. Mananatili rito ang mga asawa, mga anak at mga hayop ninyo. Pero dapat mauna ang mga sundalo sa pagtawid sa Jordan para tulungan ang mga kapatid ninyo, 15hanggang sa masakop nila ang lupaing ibinigay sa kanila ng Panginoon na ating Dios. Pagkatapos, maaari na kayong bumalik dito sa silangang bahagi ng Jordan, para angkinin ang lupaing ito na ibinigay sa inyo ni Moises na lingkod niya.”
16Sumagot sila kay Josue, “Gagawin namin ang lahat ng sinabi nʼyo, at pupunta kami kahit saan nʼyo kami ipadala. 17Susunod kami sa inyo gaya ng pagsunod namin kay Moises. Samahan nawa kayo ng Panginoon na inyong Dios gaya ng pagsama niya kay Moises. 18Papatayin ang sinumang lalabag sa pamumuno at utos ninyo. Kaya magpakatatag po kayo at magpakatapang!”
Joshua Becomes Israel’s Leader
1Moses, the servant of the Lord, died. After that, the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun. Joshua was Moses’ helper. The Lord said to Joshua, 2“My servant Moses is dead. Now then, I want you and all these people to get ready to go across the Jordan River. I want all of you to go into the land I am about to give to the Israelites. 3I will give all of you every place you walk on, just as I promised Moses. 4Your territory will reach from the Negev Desert all the way to Lebanon. The great Euphrates River will be to the east. The Mediterranean Sea will be to the west. Your territory will include all the Hittite country. 5Joshua, no one will be able to oppose you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will never leave you. I will never desert you. 6Be strong and brave. You will lead these people. They will take the land as their very own. It is the land I promised to give their people of long ago.
7“Be strong and very brave. Make sure you obey the whole law my servant Moses gave you. Do not turn away from it to the right or the left. Then you will have success everywhere you go. 8Never stop reading this Book of the Law. Day and night you must think about what it says. Make sure you do everything written in it. Then things will go well with you. And you will have great success. 9Here is what I am commanding you to do. Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go.”
10So Joshua gave orders to the officers of the people. He said, 11“Go through the camp. Tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will go across the Jordan River right here. You will go in and take over the land. The Lord your God is giving it to you as your very own.’ ”
12Joshua also spoke to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. He said to them, 13“Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you. He said, ‘The Lord your God is giving you this land. It’s a place where you can make your homes and live in peace and rest.’ 14Your wives, children and livestock can stay here east of the Jordan River. Moses gave you this land. But all your fighting men must get ready for battle. They must go across ahead of the other tribes. You must help them 15until the Lord gives them rest. In the same way, he has already given you rest. You must help them until they also have taken over their land. It’s the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you can come back here. Then you can live in your own land. It’s the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you east of the Jordan River. It’s toward the sunrise.”
16Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh answered Joshua. They said, “We’ll do what you have commanded us to do. We’ll go where you send us. 17We obeyed Moses completely. And we’ll obey you just as completely. But may the Lord your God be with you, just as he was with Moses. 18Suppose people question your authority. And suppose they refuse to obey anything you command them to do. Then they will be put to death. Just be strong and brave!”
