17. The Jordan River near the desert is their western border. Lake Galilee is north of this area and the Dead Sea is to the south. It is at the bottom of the cliffs of Pisgah, which are to the east.
18. “At that time I gave those tribes this command: ‘The Lord your God has given you the land on this side of the Jordan River to live in. But now your fighting men must take their weapons and lead the other Israelite tribes across the river.
19. Your wives, your little children, and your cattle (I know you have many cattle) will stay here in the cities I have given you.
20. But you must help your Israelite relatives until they take the land that the Lord is giving them on the other side of the Jordan River. Help them until the Lord gives them peace there, just as he did for you here. Then you may come back to this land that I have given you.’
21. “Then I told Joshua, ‘You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same thing to all the kingdoms you will enter.
22. Don’t fear the kings of these lands, because the Lord your God will fight for you.’
23. “Then I begged the Lord to do something special for me. I said,
24. ‘Lord GOD, I am your servant. I know that you have shown me only a small part of the wonderful and powerful things you will do. There is no god in heaven or earth that can do the great and powerful things you have done.
25. Please let me go across the Jordan River and see the good land on the other side. Let me see the beautiful hill country and Lebanon.’
26. “But the Lord was angry with me because of you and refused to listen to me. The Lord said to me, ‘That’s enough! Don’t say another word about this.