12
He said about Benjamin:
The
Lord
's beloved rests securely on Him.
He shields him all day long,
and he rests on His shoulders.
13
He said about Joseph:
May his land be blessed by the
Lord
with the dew of heaven's bounty
and the watery depths that lie beneath;
14
with the bountiful harvest from the sun
and the abundant yield of the seasons;
15
with the best products of the ancient mountains
and the bounty of the eternal hills;
16
with the choice gifts of the land
and everything in it;
and with the favor of Him
who appeared in the burning bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the crown of the prince of his brothers.
17
His firstborn bull has splendor,
and horns like those of a wild ox;
he gores all the peoples with them
to the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and such are the thousands of Manasseh.
18
He said about Zebulun:
Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19
They summon the peoples to a mountain;
there they offer acceptable sacrifices.
For they draw from the wealth of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.
20
He said about Gad:
The one who enlarges Gad's territory
will be blessed.
He lies down like a lion
and tears off an arm or even a head.
21
He chose the best part for himself,
because a ruler's portion was assigned there for him.
He came with the leaders of the people;
he carried out the
Lord
's justice
and His ordinances for Israel.
22
He said about Dan:
Dan is a young lion,
leaping out of Bashan.
23
He said about Naphtali:
Naphtali, enjoying approval,
full of the
Lord
's blessing,
take possession to the west and the south.
24
He said about Asher:
May Asher be the most blessed of the sons;
may he be the most favored among his brothers
and dip his foot in olive oil.
25
May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze,
and your strength last as long as you live.
26
There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides the heavens to your aid,
the clouds in His majesty.
27
The God of old is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He drives out the enemy before you
and commands, “Destroy! ”
28
So Israel dwells securely;
Jacob lives untroubled
in a land of grain and new wine;
even his skies drip with dew.
29
How happy you are, Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the
Lord
?
He is the shield that protects you,
the sword you boast in.
Your enemies will cringe before you,
and you will tread on their backs.
Deuteronomy
Moses' Death
34
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho, and the
Lord
showed him all the land: Gilead as far as Dan,
2
all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,
3
the
•Negev
, and the region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.
4
The
Lord
then said to him, “This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it.”
5
So Moses the servant of the
Lord
died there in the land of Moab, as the
Lord
had said.
6
He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows where his grave is.
7
Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him.
8
The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
9
Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the
Lord
had commanded Moses.
10
No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the
Lord
knew face to face.
11
He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the
Lord
sent him to do against the land of Egypt — to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land,
12
and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
Joshua
Joshua
Encouragement of Joshua
1
After the death of Moses the
Lord
's servant, the
Lord
spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses:
2
“Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites.
3
I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.
4
Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River — all the land of the Hittites — and west to the Mediterranean Sea.
5
No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.
6
“Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance.
7
Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.
8
This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
9
Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the
Lord
your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua Prepares the People
10
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:
11
“Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the
Lord
your God is giving you to inherit.' ”
12
Joshua said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh:
13
“Remember what Moses the
Lord
's servant commanded you when he said, ‘The
Lord
your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.'
14
Your wives, young children, and livestock may remain in the land Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But your fighting men must cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers and help them
15
until the
Lord
gives your brothers rest, as He has given you, and they too possess the land the
Lord
your God is giving them. You may then return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of what Moses the
Lord
's servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan.”
16
They answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go.
17
We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the
Lord
your God be with you, as He was with Moses.
18
Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous! ”
Joshua
Spies Sent to Jericho
2
Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, saying, “Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.” So they left, and they came to the house of a woman, a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there.
2
The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.”
3
Then the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to investigate the entire land.”
4
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn't know where they were from.
5
At nightfall, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don't know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them! ”
6
But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof.
7
The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the gate was shut.
The Promise to Rahab
8
Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof
9
and said to them, “I know that the
Lord
has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.
10
For we have heard how the
Lord
dried up the waters of the
•Red
Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you
•completely
destroyed across the Jordan.
11
When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the
Lord
your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.
12
Now please swear to me by the
Lord
that you will also show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
13
that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death.”
14
The men answered her, “We will give our lives for yours. If you don't report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the
Lord
gives us the land.”
15
Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was built into the wall of the city.
16
“Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won't find you,” she said to them. “Hide yourselves there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way.”
17
The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear,
18
unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father's family into your house.
19
If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his blood will be on our heads.
20
And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.”
21
“Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.
22
So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them.
23
Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them.
24
They told Joshua, “The
Lord
has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”
Joshua
Crossing the Jordan
3
Joshua started early the next morning and left the Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing.
2
After three days the officers went through the camp
3
and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the
Lord
your God carried by the Levitical priests, you must break camp and follow it.
4
But keep a distance of about 1,000 yards between yourselves and the ark. Don't go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven't traveled this way before.”