Study Desk

These should not be unimportant words for you, but rather they mean life for you! By these words you will live a long time in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to take as your own."

"Let the people of Reuben live and not die, but let the people be few."

He said about his father and mother, ‘I don't care about them.' He did not treat his brothers as favorites or give special favors to his children, but he protected your word and guarded your agreement.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said to them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.' I have let you look at it, Moses, but you will not cross over there."

He buried Moses in Moab in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but even today no one knows where his grave is.

Now the Lord has given you this land east of the Jordan River. Your wives, children, and animals may stay here, but your fighting men must dress for war and cross the Jordan River ahead of your brothers to help them.

The Lord has given you a place to rest and will do the same for your brothers. But you must help them until they take the land the Lord their God is giving them. Then you may return to your own land east of the Jordan River, the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord , gave you."

But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, "They did come here, but I didn't know where they came from.

In the evening, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don't know where they went, but if you go quickly, maybe you can catch them."

But if you tell anyone about this, we will be free from the oath you made us swear."

The men left and went into the hills where they stayed for three days. The king's men looked for them all along the road, but after three days, they returned to the city without finding them.

That way you will know which way to go since you have never been here before. But do not follow too closely. Stay about a thousand yards behind the Ark."

The men who had come out of Egypt had been circumcised, but none of those who were born in the desert on the trip from Egypt had been circumcised.

Their sons took their places. But none of the sons born on the trip from Egypt had been circumcised, so Joshua circumcised them.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "As slaves in Egypt you were ashamed, but today I have removed that shame." So Joshua named that place Gilgal, which it is still named today.

But Joshua had told the people not to give a war cry. He said, "Don't shout. Don't say a word until the day I tell you. Then shout."

On the seventh day they got up at dawn and marched around the city, just as they had on the days before. But on that day they marched around the city seven times.

Then Israel burned the whole city and everything in it, but they did not burn the things made from silver, gold, bronze, and iron. These were saved for the Lord .

But the Israelites did not obey the Lord . There was a man from the tribe of Judah named Achan. (He was the son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi, who was the son of Zerah.) Because Achan kept some of the things that were to be given to the Lord , the Lord became very angry at the Israelites.

So about three thousand men went up to Ai, but the people of Ai beat them badly.