Joshua 24
24
1Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem. He called the elders, heads of families, judges, and officers of Israel to stand before God.
2Then Joshua said to all the people, “Here’s what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you: ‘A long time ago your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, worshiped other gods. 3But I, the Lord, took your ancestor Abraham from the other side of the river and led him through the land of Canaan. And I gave him many children, including his son Isaac. 4I gave Isaac two sons named Jacob and Esau. I gave the land around the mountains of Edom to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5Then I sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt, where I brought many disasters on the Egyptians. Afterwards I brought you out. 6When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, they came to the Red Sea, and the Egyptians chased them with chariots and men on horses. 7So the people called out to the Lord. And I brought darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea to cover them. You yourselves saw what I did to the army of Egypt. After that, you lived in the desert for a long time.
8“ ‘Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, east of the Jordan River. They fought against you, but I handed them over to you. I destroyed them before you, and you took control of that land. 9But the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, prepared to fight against the Israelites. The king sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10but I refused to listen to Balaam. So he asked for good things to happen to you! I saved you and brought you out of his power.
11“ ‘Then you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, where the people of Jericho fought against you. Also, the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites fought against you. But I handed them over to you. 12I sent terror ahead of you to force out two Amorite kings. You took the land without using swords and bows. 13I gave you that land where you did not have to work. I gave you cities that you did not have to build. And now you live in that land and in those cities, and you eat from vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant.’ ”
14Then Joshua said to the people, “Now respect the Lord and serve him fully and sincerely. Throw away the gods that your ancestors worshiped on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord. 15But if you don’t want to serve the Lord, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
16Then the people answered, “We will never stop following the Lord to serve other gods! 17It was the Lord our God who brought our ancestors out of Egypt. We were slaves in that land, but the Lord did great things for us there. He brought us out and protected us while we traveled through other lands. 18Then he forced out all the people living in these lands, even the Amorites. So we will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”
19Then Joshua said, “You are not able to serve the Lord, because he is a holy God and a jealous God. If you turn against him and sin, he will not forgive you. 20If you leave the Lord and serve other gods, he will send you great trouble. The Lord may have been good to you, but if you turn against him, he will destroy you.”
21But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
22Then Joshua said, “You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”
The people said, “Yes, we are.”
23Then Joshua said, “Now throw away the gods that you have. Love the Lord, the God of Israel, with all your heart.”
24Then the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God, and we will obey him.”
25On that day at Shechem Joshua made an agreement for the people. He made rules and laws for them to follow. 26Joshua wrote these things in the Book of the Teachings of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up under the oak tree near the Lord’s Holy Tent.
27Joshua said to all the people, “See this stone! It will remind you of what we did today. It was here the Lord spoke to us today. It will remind you of what happened so you will not turn against your God.”
Joshua Dies
28Then Joshua sent the people back to their land.
29After that, Joshua son of Nun died at the age of one hundred ten. 30They buried him in his own land at Timnath Serah, in the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31The Israelites served the Lord during the lifetime of Joshua and during the lifetimes of the elders who lived after Joshua who had seen what the Lord had done for Israel.
Joseph Comes Home
32When the Israelites left Egypt, they carried the bones of Joseph with them. They buried them at Shechem, in the land Jacob had bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor (Hamor was the father of Shechem). This land now belonged to Joseph’s children.
33And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah in the mountains of Ephraim, which had been given to Eleazar’s son Phinehas.
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Joshua 24: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Joshua 24
24
Joshua Recounts Their History
1And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem; he summoned the elders of Israel, their heads, their judges, and their officials, and they presented themselves before God. 2And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘Long ago#Literally “from ancient” your ancestors#Or “fathers”—Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—lived beyond the river,#That is, the Euphrates and they served other gods. 3I took your ancestor#Or “father” Abraham from beyond the river#That is, the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I increased his offspring; I gave him Isaac, 4and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. 6When I brought out your ancestors#Or “fathers” from Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your ancestors#Or “fathers” with chariots#Hebrew “chariot” and horsemen to the Red Sea.#Literally “sea of reed” 7They cried out to Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea over them#That is, the Egyptians and covered them; your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for many days. 8And I brought you to the land of the Amorites#Hebrew “Amorite” who lived beyond the Jordan; they fought you, and I gave them into your hand; you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you.#Literally “in your presence” 9Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, set out and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10but I was not willing to listen to Balaam, and he richly blessed you. So I rescued you from his hand, 11and you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the citizens of Jericho, the Amorites,#Hebrew “Amorite” the Perizzites,#Hebrew “Perizzite” the Canaanites,#Hebrew “Canaanite” the Hittites,#Hebrew “Hittite” the Girgashites,#Hebrew “Girgashite” the Hivites,#Hebrew “Hivite” and the Jebusites,#Hebrew “Jebusite” fought against you, and I gave them into your hand. 12I sent before you the hornet and they drove out before you two kings of the Amorites;#Hebrew “Amorite” but not by your sword or bow. 13I gave to you a land that you have not labored on, and cities that you have not built, and you live#Or “dwell” in them; you eat from vineyards and olive groves that you have not planted.’
The Israelites Promise to Serve Yahweh
14“So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors#Or “fathers” served beyond the river#That is, the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. 15But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors#Or “fathers” served beyond the river,#That is, the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites#Hebrew “Amorite” in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.” 16And the people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we would forsake Yahweh to serve other gods, 17for Yahweh our God brought us and our ancestors#Or “fathers” from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, and did these great signs before our eyes. He protected us along the entire way that we went, and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. 18And Yahweh drove out all the people before us, the Amorites#“Hebrew “Amorite” who live#Or “dwell” in the land. We will serve Yahweh, for he is our God.”
19But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve Yahweh, for he is a holy and jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster to you; he will destroy you after he has done good to you.” 21And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve Yahweh.” 22And Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves to serve Yahweh.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23He said, “Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and incline your hearts to Yahweh the God of Israel.” 24And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice.” 25So Joshua made a covenant#Literally “cut a covenant” with the people on that day, and he established for them a statute and a judgment at Shechem. 26Then Joshua wrote these words in a scroll of the law of God, and he took a large stone and set it up there under a large tree, which is at the shrine of Yahweh. 27And Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of Yahweh that he spoke with us. It will be as a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God.” 28Then Joshua sent the people away to their inheritance.
29After these things Joshua son of Nun servant of Yahweh died; he was one hundred and ten years old.#Literally “a son of one hundred and ten years” 30They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, at Timnath-Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 31Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who lived long after Joshua, and who had known all the work that Yahweh did for Israel.#Joshua 24:28–31 is repeated in Judges 2:6–10 32The bones of Jacob, which the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” had brought out from Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in a piece of land that Jacob had bought from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money;#Hebrew kesitah it became an inheritance for the descendants#Or “sons” of Joseph. 33And Eleazar son of Aaron died; and they buried him in Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, which had been given to his son Phinehas.
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