He commanded them: “At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the cancellation of debts, at the Feast of Temporary Shelters,

We put all of these under divine judgment just as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon – every occupied city, including women and children.

Commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people over and will enable them to inherit the land you will see.”

However, only to your ancestors did he show his loving favor, and he chose you, their descendants, from all peoples – as is apparent today.

When the Lord your God eliminates the nations from the place where you are headed and you dispossess them, you will settle down in their land.

Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord and because of these detestable things the Lord your God is about to drive them out from before you.

Today the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul.

So when you cross the Jordan you must erect on Mount Ebal these stones about which I am commanding you today, and you must cover them with plaster.

‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Otherwise the people of the land from which you brought us will say, “The Lord was unable to bring them to the land he promised them, and because of his hatred for them he has brought them out to kill them in the desert.”

Those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but the Lord your God has not given you permission to do such things.

Then Moses called out to Joshua in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the Lord promised to give their ancestors, and you will enable them to inherit it.