After the death of Moses the Lord speaks to Joshua, who has been closer to Moses than any other man, and commands him to cross the Jordan: Thou, and all this people. . . .
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.1:2–3
As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.1:5
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.1:9
Joshua sends two men across the river into Jericho, to spy out the land. They lodge in the house of a harlot named Rahab, who hides them when the king’s men come to seize them. She then says to the two men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land.2:9 They learn from her that all Jericho is in terror of the Israelites, for whom the Lord fights.
When it is safe to do so, Rahab lets the two men down by a cord from a window. In return for her kindness, they swear that the lives of all under her roof will he spared when Jericho falls. When we come into the land, they tell her, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by. . . .2:18
Joshua, when he hears the two men’s report, gives the command for the people to move forward, across the Jordan.
Before them go the priests, bearing the Ark of the Covenant. As the feet of the priests touch the water, the river dries up: And the priests stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground. . . .3:17
About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.4:13–14
THE WALL OF JERICHO
Their first encampment in the Promised Land is at Gilgal, in the plains of Jericho. Here they keep the Passover. The next day, the manna ceases. From this time they eat the produce of the land of Canaan.
The Lord says to Joshua, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.6:2 And He gives Joshua explicit directions for the capture of the city.
Each day, for six days, the army marches once around the city. In its midst goes the Ark of the Covenant, led by seven priests bearing seven trumpets. On the seventh day the city is encompassed seven times. Then the priests blow a blast on their trumpets: And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city . . . and they took the city.6:20
Every living thing in the city is destroyed—men, women, children, and cattle. But Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had . . . because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.6:25
So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.6:27
THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN
Five kings of the Amorites, fearing Joshua, now gather to make war on Israel. The Lord says to Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand. . . .10:8
And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon. . . .10:10
Then spake Joshua to the Lord . . . and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. . . .
And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.10:12–14
So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same.11:16
But there is still much land to be taken: and Joshua is now growing old. The Lord tells him to divide by lot among the tribes of Israel all the countries in the land of Canaan, so each tribe may go and claim its inheritance.
When the land has been allotted, Joshua chooses for his own inheritance the city of Timnath-serah, in the region of mount Ephraim. He builds up this city and lives in it.
And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers. . . .21:43
There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.21:45
Israel is now at peace. Joshua calls together the people and says, Therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt. . . .24:14
And the people say, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.24:24
They solemnly renew the covenant with God: as witness to which they set up a great stone near the tabernacle of the Lord.
So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.
And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a hundred and ten years old.24:28–29