TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 1
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1After the death of Moshe the servant of Hashem, Hashem said to Yehoshua son of Nun, Moshe's attendant:
vai-HEE a-kha-RAY MOT mo-SHEH E-ved a-do-NAI va-YO-mer a-do-NAI el y'-ho-SHU-a bin NUN m'-sha-RAYT mo-SHEH lay-MOR
אוַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן מְשָׁרֵת מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר׃
1:1 Hashem said to Yehoshua son of Nun
The Talmud (Nedarim 22b) teaches that Sefer Yehoshua has a unique quality which sets it apart from all of the other books of the Prophets. Books like Sefer Yeshayahu, Sefer Yirmiyahu, Sefer Melachim and Sefer Shoftim were necessary only to rebuke the people as a response to their behavior. Had they not sinned, they would have needed only the five books of the Torah and Sefer Yehoshua, for it describes the borders and boundaries of Israel. May our study of Sefer Yehoshua increase our love for, and appreciation of, the Land of Israel.
2“My servant Moshe is dead. Prepare to cross the Yarden, together with all this people, into the land that I am giving to the Israelites.
mo-SHEH av-DEE MAYT v'-a-TAH KUM a-VOR et ha-yar-DAYN ha-ZEH a-TAH v'-khol ha-AM ha-ZEH el ha-A-retz a-SHER a-no-KHEE no-TAYN la-HEM liv-NAY yis-ra-AYL
במֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה אַתָּה וְכָל־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לָהֶם לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
1:2 Prepare to cross the Yarden
Jordan River
Hashem instructs Yehoshua, the new leader of the Nation of Israel, to rise up and lead them across the Yarden, and to inhabit the land that Hashem is giving them. Taking possession of Eretz Yisrael will require human actions, which will be supported by God’s miracles. At the very beginning of Yehoshua’s leadership, the nation is reminded that the entire Eretz Yisrael belongs to the Jewish people, and that they must do their part to take possession of this special gift from Hashem.
3Every spot on which your foot treads I give to you, as I promised Moshe.
גכָּל־מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף־רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ לָכֶם נְתַתִּיו כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֶל־מֹשֶׁה׃
4Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and the Lebanon to the Great River, the River Euphrates [on the east]—the whole Hittite country—and up to the Mediterranean Sea on the west.
דמֵהַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן הַזֶּה וְעַד־הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל נְהַר־פְּרָת כֹּל אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים וְעַד־הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ יִהְיֶה גְּבוּלְכֶם׃
5No one shall be able to resist you as long as you live. As I was with Moshe, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
הלֹא־יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ לְפָנֶיךָ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי עִם־מֹשֶׁה אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ לֹא אַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ׃
6“Be strong and resolute, for you shall apportion to this people the land that I swore to their fathers to assign to them.
וחֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ כִּי אַתָּה תַּנְחִיל אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם׃
7But you must be very strong and resolute to observe faithfully all the Teaching that My servant Moshe enjoined upon you. Do not deviate from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
זרַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ מְאֹד לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל־הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי אַל־תָּסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּיל בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ׃
8Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips, but recite it day and night, so that you may observe faithfully all that is written in it. Only then will you prosper in your undertakings and only then will you be successful.
חלֹא־יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל־הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ כִּי־אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶךָ וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל׃
9“I charge you: Be strong and resolute; do not be terrified or dismayed, for Hashem your God is with you wherever you go.”
טהֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ אַל־תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל־תֵּחָת כִּי עִמְּךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ׃
10Yehoshua thereupon gave orders to the officials of the people:
יוַיְצַו יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־שֹׁטְרֵי הָעָם לֵאמֹר׃
11“Go through the camp and charge the people thus: Get provisions ready, for in three days' time you are to cross the Yarden, in order to enter and possess the land that Hashem your God is giving you as a possession.”
יאעִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת־הָעָם לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵידָה כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָכֶם לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃
12Then Yehoshua said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Menashe,
יבוְלָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר׃
13“Remember what Moshe the servant of Hashem enjoined upon you, when he said: ‘Hashem your God is granting you a haven; He has assigned this territory to you.'
יגזָכוֹר אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מֵנִיחַ לָכֶם וְנָתַן לָכֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת׃
14Let your wives, children, and livestock remain in the land that Moshe assigned to you on this side of the Yarden; but every one of your fighting men shall go across armed in the van of your kinsmen. And you shall assist them
ידנְשֵׁיכֶם טַפְּכֶם וּמִקְנֵיכֶם יֵשְׁבוּ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְאַתֶּם תַּעַבְרוּ חֲמֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם כֹּל גִּבּוֹרֵי הַחַיִל וַעֲזַרְתֶּם אוֹתָם׃
15until Hashem has given your kinsmen a haven, such as you have, and they too have gained possession of the land that Hashem your God has assigned to them. Then you may return to the land on the east side of the Yarden, which Moshe the servant of Hashem assigned to you as your possession, and you may possess it.”
טועַד אֲשֶׁר־יָנִיחַ יְהֹוָה לַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּכֶם וְיָרְשׁוּ גַם־הֵמָּה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָהֶם וְשַׁבְתֶּם לְאֶרֶץ יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אוֹתָהּ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהֹוָה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
16They answered Yehoshua, “We will do everything you have commanded us and we will go wherever you send us.
טזוַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתָנוּ נַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁלָחֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ׃
17We will obey you just as we obeyed Moshe; let but Hashem your God be with you as He was with Moshe!
יזכְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן נִשְׁמַע אֵלֶיךָ רַק יִהְיֶה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם־מֹשֶׁה׃
18Any man who flouts your commands and does not obey every order you give him shall be put to death. Only be strong and resolute!”
kol EESH a-sher yam-REH et PEE-kha v'-lo yish-MA et d'-va-RE-kha l'-KHOL a-sher t'-tza-VE-nu yu-MAT RAK kha-ZAK ve-e-MATZ
יחכָּל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יַמְרֶה אֶת־פִּיךָ וְלֹא־יִשְׁמַע אֶת־דְּבָרֶיךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־תְּצַוֶּנּוּ יוּמָת רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ׃
