“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,

because the slayer should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions.

In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred from tribe to tribe. But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage.

No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe. But every one of the tribes of the Israelites must retain its inheritance.”

However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land.

But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’”

But your wives, children, and livestock (of which I know you have many) may remain in the cities I have given you.

Go up to the top of Pisgah and take a good look to the west, north, south, and east, for you will not be allowed to cross the Jordan.

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.”

In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him?

Be very careful, then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire.

So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that good land.

After you have produced children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, if you become corrupt and make an image of any kind and do other evil things before the Lord your God that enrage him,

(for he is a merciful God), he will not let you down or destroy you, for he cannot forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.

Moreover, because he loved your ancestors, he chose their descendants who followed them and personally brought you out of Egypt with his great power

Today realize and carefully consider that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below – there is no other!

He did not make this covenant with our ancestors but with us, we who are here today, all of us living now.

You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes, for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way.

But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us! If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die!

Who is there from the entire human race who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived?