You may notice a change in the Hebrew starting with this verse (and continuing until the last verse of 2Chronicles). A symbol resembling a colon now appears at the end of every verse. This is because I changed the source of the Hebrew text, as explained in the Acknowledgment.
וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵ֛י מ֥וֹת מֹשֶׁ֖ה עֶ֣בֶד יְהוָ֑ה וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֔וּן מְשָׁרֵ֥ת מֹשֶׁ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ 1:1
Josh. 1:1 Now it came to pass after the death of Moses, servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, minister of Moses, saying,
מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּ֗ה אַתָּה וְכָל־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן 1:2
לָהֶם לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
Josh. 1:2 “Moses, My servant, has died; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land that I am giving to them, to the children of Israel.”
כָּל־מָק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּדְרֹ֧ךְ כַּֽף־רַגְלְכֶ֛ם בּ֖וֹ לָכֶ֣ם נְתַתִּ֑יו כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ 1:3
Josh. 1:3 “Every place that the sole of your feet shall tread on it, to you have I given it, as I spoke to Moses.”
מֵהַמִּדְבָּר֩ וְהַלְּבָנ֨וֹן הַזֶּ֜ה וְֽעַד־הַנָּהָ֧ר הַגָּד֣וֹל נְהַר־פְּרָ֗ת כֹּ֚ל אֶ֣רֶץ הַֽחִתִּ֔ים וְעַד־הַיָּ֥ם הַגָּד֖וֹל מְב֣וֹא הַשָּׁ֑מֶש 1:4 יִֽהְיֶ֖ה ׁגְּבוּלְכֶֽם׃
Josh. 1:4 “From the wilderness and Lebanon, this and as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and out to the Great Sea of the going down of the sun shall be your territory.”
לֹֽא־יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב אִישׁ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיִ֤יתִי עִם־מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א אַרְפְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א אֶעֶזְבֶֽךָּ׃ 1:5
Josh. 1:5 “No one will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, I shall be with you; I will not fail you and I will not forsake you.”
חֲזַ֖ק וֶאֱמָ֑ץ כִּ֣י אַתָּ֗ה תַּנְחִיל֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֶת־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָ֖ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶֽם׃ 1:6
Josh. 1:6 “Be strong and of good courage, for you will cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give to them.”
רַק֩ חֲזַ֨ק וֶֽאֱמַ֜ץ מְאֹ֗ד לִשְׁמֹ֤ר לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ כְּכָל־הַתּוֹרָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוְּךָ֙ מֹשֶׁ֣ה עַבְדִּ֔י אַל־תָּס֥וּר מִמֶּ֖נּוּ יָמִ֣ין 1:7
וּשְׂמֹ֑אול לְמַ֣עַן תַּשְׂכִּ֔יל בְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֵּלֵֽךְ׃
Josh. 1:7 “Just be strong and very brave, taking heed to do according to all the Torah that Moses, My servant, commanded you; you shall not turn from it right or left so that you may have good success in all that you will pursue.”
לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁ סֵפֶר֩ הַתּוֹרָ֨ה הַזֶּ֜ה מִפִּ֗יךָ וְהָגִ֤יתָ בּוֹ֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה לְמַ֙עַן֙ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּכָל־הַכָּת֖וּב בּ֑וֹ כִּי־אָ֛ז 1:8
תַּצְלִ֥יחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֖ךָ וְאָ֥ז תַּשְׂכִּֽיל׃
Josh. 1:8 “This scroll of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth and you shall meditate on it day and night so that you will take heed to do according to all written on it, for then you shall make your way prosperous and then have good success.”
הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ אַל־תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל־תֵּחָת כִּי עִמְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ׃ 1:9
Josh. 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid and do not be dismayed; for the Lord, your God, is with you in all that you pursue.”
וַיְצַו יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־שֹׁטְרֵי הָעָם לֵאמֹר׃ 1:10
Josh. 1:10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying,
עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת־הָעָם לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵידָה כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים אַתֶּם 1:11
עֹבְרִים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָכֶם לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃
Josh. 1:11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for during three days you will be crossing this Jordan to go in to possess the land that the Lord your God is giving to you to possess it.’”
וְלָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר׃ 1:12
Josh. 1:12 And Joshua spoke to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half tribe of Menassah saying,
זָכוֹר אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהוָה לֵאמֹר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מֵנִיחַ לָכֶם וְנָתַן 1:13
לָכֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת׃
Josh. 1:13 “Remember the word that Moses, servant of the Lord, commanded you saying, “The Lord, your God, will be giving rest to you and He will give this land to you.”
נְשֵׁיכֶם טַפְּכֶם וּמִקְנֵיכֶם יֵשְׁבוּ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְאַתֶּם תַּעַבְרוּ 1:14
חֲמֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם כֹּל גִּבּוֹרֵי הַחַיִל וַעֲזַרְתֶּם אוֹתָם׃
Josh. 1:14 “Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall dwell in the land that Moses gave to you on the other side of the Jordan. Now you shall cross armed before your brethren, all the mighty men of valor, and help them
עַד אֲשֶׁר־יָנִיחַ יְהוָה לַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּכֶם וְיָרְשׁוּ גַם־הֵמָּה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָהֶם 1:15
וְשַׁבְתֶּם לְאֶרֶץ יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אוֹתָהּ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהוָה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
Josh. 1:15 until the time that the Lord will give rest to your brethren like you, and they also possess the land that the Lord your God is giving to them; then you may return to the land of your possession and possess that which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to you on the side of the Jordan of the rising of the sun.”
וַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתָנוּ נַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁלָחֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ׃ 1:16
Josh. 1:16 And they answered Joshua saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and to any place that you send us we will go.”
כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן נִשְׁמַע אֵלֶיךָ רַק יִהְיֶה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם־מֹשֶׁה׃ 1:17
Josh. 1:17 “According to all that we hearkened to Moses, so we will hearken to you; only may the Lord, your God, be with you as He was with Moses.”
Notice that, despite their acquiescent and friendly tone, those speaking for the 21/2 tribes (Reuben, Gad, and Menassah) are still showing some resentment and/or lack of faith, by using the words “your God.”
כָּל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יַמְרֶה אֶת־פִּיךָ וְלֹא־יִשְׁמַע אֶת־דְּבָרֶיךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־תְּצַוֶּנּוּ יוּמָת רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ׃ 1:18
Josh. 1:18 “Any man who will disobey your command and will not hear your words in all that you command us shall be put to death; just be strong and of good courage.”
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