Episode 78: The invasion begins

(Joshua 1-4)

God gives Joshua the land he steps on

1 ¹ After Moses died, God said to Joshua,

² Moses is dead. Lead the people across the Jordan River to the land I will give to them.

^3-4 I am giving you every place you put your foot. Your land will stretch from the Euphrates River to the westward sea. ⁵ No one will ever defeat you. I'll be with you, like I was with Moses.

¹⁰ Joshua said to the officers,

¹¹ Get ready. Three days from now we will cross the Jordan to possess the land God has given us.

¹⁶ The officers answered Joshua, saying,

Whatever you tell us to do, we'll do. Wherever you tell us to go, we'll go.

¹⁷ We'll obey you like we did Moses.

¹⁸ And we'll kill whoever disobeys you.

Joshua's spies visit Rahab

2 ¹ Joshua sent two men to spy on the city of Jericho, and told them, "Go take a look at Jericho."

So the men went to Jericho and stayed at the house of a harlot named Rahab.

³ When the king of Jericho found out, he sent Rahab a message, saying,

Bring out the men who are staying with you.

⁴ Rahab told the king's men,

The men came to me, but I don't know where they were from.

⁵ They left when it was still dark. Hurry and you can catch them.

⁶ But she had hidden them on the roof of the house.

⁹ Rahab said to the Hebrew spies,

I know that God has given you our land and everyone is terrorized by you.

¹⁰ We heard how God dried up the Red Sea, and what you did to Og and Sihon.

¹² So swear to God that you'll be kind to me since I have been kind to you.

¹³ Don't kill me and my family.

¹⁴ Joshua's men said to her,

Okay, when God gives us the land, we won't kill you or your family.

¹⁵ Rahab lowered them with a rope through the window since her house was on the town wall.

¹⁸ The men said to her,

Put a scarlet thread in your window.

¹⁹ When we come to Jericho, we'll see the thread, and we'll know not to kill anyone in your house.

²³ Then the men went down the mountain, returned to Joshua, and said to him,

²⁴ God has delivered them into our hands. They're all afraid of us.

Crossing the Jordan River (without getting any feet wet)

3 ¹ Joshua and the Israelites rose up early in the morning and came to the Jordan River.

⁷ God said to Joshua,

Today I'm going to make you look good among the Israelites, so that everyone will know that I'm with you, like I was with Moses.

⁹ Joshua called the people and said to them,

¹³ When the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant get to the middle of the river, the water will stop flowing and they will cross on dry land.

¹⁴ And that's what happened.

¹⁵ God stopped the Jordan River so the priests could cross without getting their feet wet.

¹⁷ Then all the people crossed, and they didn't get their feet wet either.

Twelve stones from the Jordan River

4 ¹ After the people had crossed the Jordan, God said to Joshua,

² Take twelve men, one out of every tribe, and say to them,

³ Remove twelve stones from the bottom of the Jordan, where the priests' feet stood.

Carry them to the other side where you will sleep tonight.

⁸ And the Israelites did as Joshua commanded.

⁹ Joshua set up the twelve stones in the place where the priests' feet stood. They’re still there today.

²¹ Joshua said to the Israelites,

Many years from now when children ask their fathers, saying, "Why are these stones here?"

²² You'll say,

The Israelites came over the Jordan on dry land.

²³ Because God dried up the Jordan until they passed over, just as he did the Red Sea until they had gone over.

²⁴ So that all the people on earth will know God's hand and fear him forever.