CALEB’S INHERITANCE

6 The descendants of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord promised Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me.b 7 I was forty years old when Moses the Lord’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report.c 8 My brothers who went with me caused the people to lose heart, but I followed the Lord my God completely.d 9 On that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land where you have set foot will be an inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have followed the Lord my God completely.’e

10 “As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised,f since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasksB is now as it was then.g 12 Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there,h as well as large fortified cities.i Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.”