Joshua 24

1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.2 Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods.3 I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

4 I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 “‘I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in its midst: and afterward I brought you out.6 I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Red Seat.

7 When they cried out to Yahweh, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt: and you lived in the wilderness many days.
8 “‘I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan: and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land; and I destroyed them from before you.9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you;

10 but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.
11 “‘You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.12 I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow.

13 I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’
14 “Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh.

15 If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, wewill serve Yahweh.”
16 The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods;17 for it is Yahweh our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through themidst of whom we passed.

18 Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve Yahweh; for he is our God.”
19 Joshua said to the people, “You can’t serve Yahweh; for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins.

20 If you forsake Yahweh, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good.”
21 The people said to Joshua, “No; but we will serve Yahweh.”

22 Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh yourselves, to serve him.”
They said, “We are witnesses.”

23 “Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel.”

24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice.”
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.26 Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh.27 Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of Yahweh which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God.”

28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
29 It happened after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred and ten years old.30 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.31 Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Yahweh, that he had worked for Israel.32 They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. They became the inheritance ofthe children of Joseph.

33 Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

Joshua 24

Israel Renews its Commitment to the Lord

1 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God.2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestorst lived beyond the Euphrates River,t including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshipedt other gods,3 but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphratest and brought him intot the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac,4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir,t while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land.t Then I brought you out.6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.7 Your fatherst cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark,t and then drowned them in the sea.t You witnessed with your very own eyest what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time.t8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conqueredt their land and I destroyed them from before you.9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attackt against Israel. He summonedt Balaam son of Beor to call down judgmentt on you.10 I refused to respond to Balaam; he keptt prophesying good things aboutt you, and I rescued you from his power.t11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho.s The leaderst of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you.12 I sent terrort ahead of you to drive out before you the twot Amorite kings. I gave you the victory; it was not by your swords or bows.t

13 I gave you a land int which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build and you are eating the produce oft vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’
14 Nows obeyt the Lord and worshipt him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestorst worshipedt beyond the Euphratest and in Egypt and worshipt the Lord.

15 If you have no desiret to worshipt the Lord, choose today whom you will worship,t whether it be the gods whom your ancestorst worshipedt beyond the Euphrates,t or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my familyt will worshipt the Lord!”
16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we cant worshipt other gods!17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slaveryt in the land of Egyptt and performed these awesome miraclest before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations.t

18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worshipt the Lord, for he is our God!”
19 Joshua warnedt the people, “You will not keep worshipingt the Lord, fors he is a holy God.t He is a jealous God who will not forgivets your rebellion or your sins.

20 Ift you abandon the Lord and worshipt foreign gods, he will turn against you;t he will bring disaster on you and destroy you,t though he once treated you well.”t
21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really willt worshipt the Lord!”22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?”t They replied, “We are witnesses!”s

23 Joshua said,t “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit tot the Lord God of Israel.”

24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worshipt the Lord our God and obey him.”t
25 That day Joshua drew up an agreementt for the people, and he established rules and regulationst for them in Shechem.26 Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine.27 Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the Lord said to us.t It will be a witness against you ift you deny your God.”

28 When Joshua dismissed the people, they went to their allotted portions of land.t

An Era Ends

29 After all thist Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten.30 They buried him in his allotted territoryt in Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

31 Israel worshipedt the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive.t These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel.t

32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the part of the field that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money.t So it became the inheritance of the tribe of Joseph.t

33 Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him in Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, where his son Phinehas had been assigned land.t