Do not think to yourself after the <sc>Lordsc> your God has driven them out before you, &#8220;Because of my own righteousness the <sc>Lordsc> has brought me here to possess this land.&#8221; It is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out ahead of you.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now pay attention to all the commandments<n id="1" /> I am giving<n id="2" /> you today, so that you may be strong enough to enter and possess the land where you are headed,<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to obey as long as you live in the land the <sc>Lordsc>, the God of your ancestors,<n id="1" /> has given you to possess.<n id="2" />

&#8220;Listen, Israel! Today you are moving forward to do battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted. Do not fear and tremble or be terrified because of them,

When you cross the Jordan River<n id="1" /> to the land the <sc>Lordsc> your God is giving you, you must erect great stones and cover<n id="2" /> them with plaster.

<t /><p class="bodytext"><v id="(28:69)" /><n id="1" /> These are the words of the covenant that the <sc>Lordsc> commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Moses proclaimed to all Israel as follows: &#8220;You have seen all that the <sc>Lordsc> did<n id="1" /> in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, all his servants, and his land.

For this is no idle word for you &#8211; it is your life! By this word you will live a long time in the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.&#8221;p>

&#8220;Go through the camp and command the people, &#8216;Prepare your supplies, for within three days you will cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the land the <sc>Lordsc> your God is ready to hand over to you.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s name.<n id="1" /> Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family.<n id="2" /> Give me a solemn pledge<n id="3" />

Then Joshua said to them, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid and don&#8217;t panic!<n id="1" /> Be strong and brave, for the <sc>Lordsc> will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight.

So Joshua said to the Israelites: &#8220;How long do you intend to put off occupying<n id="1" /> the land the <sc>Lordsc> God of your ancestors<n id="2" /> has given you?

I gave you a land in<n id="1" /> which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build and you are eating the produce of<n id="2" /> vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.&#8217;p>

But Joash said to all those who confronted him,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Must you fight Baal&#8217;s battles?<n id="2" /> Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause<n id="3" /> will die by morning!<n id="4" /> If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles!<n id="5" /> After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.&#8221;<n id="6" />

The thornbush said to the trees, &#8216;If you really want to choose<n id="1" /> me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches!<n id="2" /> Otherwise<n id="3" /> may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!&#8217;p>

Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, &#8220;All right!<n id="1" /> If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the <sc>Lordsc> gives them to me,<n id="2" /> I will be your leader.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and they fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites insulted them, saying,<n id="1" /> &#8220;You Gileadites are refugees in Ephraim, living within Ephraim&#8217;s and Manasseh&#8217;s territory.&#8221;<n id="2" />

When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us,<n id="1" /> we&#8217;ll say to them, &#8220;Do us a favor and let them be,<n id="2" /> for we could not get each one a wife through battle.<n id="3" /> Don&#8217;t worry about breaking your oath!<n id="4" /> You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, &#8220;You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.

I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife to raise up a descendant who will inherit his property<n id="1" /> so the name of the deceased might not disappear<n id="2" /> from among his relatives and from his village.<n id="3" /> You are witnesses today.&#8221;