Study Desk

So you must do everything that the Lord your God tells you. You must obey his commands and his laws that I am giving you today."

you will be destroyed. I am warning you today, if you turn away from God, you will not live long in that land across the Jordan River that you are ready to enter and take for your own.

"Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live.

Moses said to them, "I am now 120 years old. I cannot lead you anymore. The Lord said to me, ‘You will not go across the Jordan River.'

"The Lord says, ‘I am saving that punishment. I have it locked up in my storehouse!

I will punish them for the bad things they did. But I am saving that punishment for when they slip and do bad things. Their time of trouble is near. Their punishment will come quickly.'

"‘Now, see that I, and only I, am God! There is no other God! I put people to death, and I let people live. I can hurt people, and I can make them well. No one can save another person from my power!

"Go to the Abarim Mountains. Go up on Mount Nebo in the land of Moab across from the city of Jericho. Then you can look at the land of Canaan that I am giving to the Israelites to live in.

This is because you both sinned against me. You were at the waters of Meribah near Kadesh, in the desert of Zin. There, in front of the Israelites, you did not honor me and show that I am holy.

So now you may see the land that I am giving to the Israelites. But you cannot go into that land."

"My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people must go across the Jordan River. You must go into the land I am giving to the Israelites.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you a great man for all the Israelites to see. Then the people will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

The man answered, "I am not an enemy. I am the commander of the Lord 's army. I have just now come to you." Then Joshua bowed his face to the ground to show respect and said, "I am your servant. Does my master have a command for me?"

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Don't be afraid; don't give up. Lead all your fighting men to Ai. I will help you defeat the king of Ai. I am giving you his people, his city, and his land.

"Now the Lord has kept me alive for 45 more years—as he said he would. During that time we all wandered in the desert. Now, here I am, 85 years old.

I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. I am as ready to fight as I was then.

Then Joshua spoke to all the people. He said, "I am telling you what the Lord , the God of Israel, says to you: ‘A long time ago, your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. I am talking about men like Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor. At that time they worshiped other gods.

Then I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You will live in the land of the Amorites, but you must not worship their false gods.' But you did not obey me."

The Lord turned toward Gideon and said, "Then use your great power and go save the Israelites from the Midianites. I am sending you to save them."

But Gideon answered and said, "Pardon me, sir. How can I save Israel? My family group is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the youngest one in my family."