Joshua

Joshua opens with a hard succession: replacing Moses. God answers with a command repeated three times in the first chapter — be strong and courageous — and with a promise of presence. The book narrates the crossing of the Jordan, the fall of Jericho, the defeat at Ai because of a hidden sin and the long campaign for the land. The second half is geographical: the division of the territory among the tribes, with lists of cities and borders. The closing is one of the most remembered scenes in the Bible: at Shechem, already old, Joshua gathers the people and sets a choice before them — "choose today whom you will serve" — declaring his own decision: "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".