Y'hoshua (Jos) 24
24
1Y’hoshua gathered all the tribes of Isra’el to Sh’khem; he summoned the leaders, heads, judges and officials of Isra’el; and they presented themselves before God. 2Y’hoshua said to all the people, “This is what Adonai the God of Isra’el says: ‘In antiquity your ancestors lived on the other side of the [Euphrates] River — Terach the father of Avraham and Nachor — and they served other gods. 3I took your ancestor Avraham from beyond the River, led him through all the land of Kena‘an, increased his descendants and gave him Yitz’chak. 4I gave to Yitz’chak Ya‘akov and ‘Esav. To ‘Esav I gave Mount Se‘ir as his possession, but Ya‘akov and his children went down into Egypt. 5I sent Moshe and Aharon, I inflicted plagues on Egypt in accordance with what I did among them, and afterwards I brought you out. 6Yes, I brought your fathers out of Egypt: you arrived at the sea, and the Egyptians were pursuing your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Sea of Suf. 7But when they cried out to Adonai, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, overwhelmed them with the sea and drowned them. Your eyes saw what I did in Egypt, and then you lived in the desert for a long time. 8I brought you into the land of the Emori living beyond the Yarden; they fought against you, but I handed them over to you. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them ahead of you. 9Then Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo’av, rose up and fought against Isra’el. He sent and summoned Bil‘am the son of B‘or to put a curse on you. 10But I refused to listen to Bil‘am, and he actually blessed you. In this way I rescued you from him. 11Next you crossed the Yarden and came to Yericho. The men of Yericho fought against you — the Emori, P’rizi, Kena‘ani, Hitti, Girgashi, Hivi and Y’vusi — and I handed them over to you. 12I sent the hornet ahead of you, driving them out from ahead of you, the two kings of the Emori — it wasn’t by your sword or your bow. 13Then I gave you a land where you had not worked and cities you had not built, and you live there. You eat fruit from vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
14“Therefore fear Adonai, and serve him truly and sincerely. Put away the gods your ancestors served beyond the [Euphrates]River and in Egypt, and serve Adonai! 15If it seems bad to you to serve Adonai, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living? As for me and my household, we will serve Adonai!”
16The people answered, “Far be it from us that we would abandon Adonai to serve other gods; 17because it is Adonai our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from a life of slavery, and did those great signs before our eyes, and preserved us all along the way we traveled and among all the peoples we passed through; 18and it was Adonai who drove out from ahead of us all the peoples, the Emori living in the land. Therefore we too will serve Adonai, for he is our God.”
19Y’hoshua said to the people, “You can’t serve Adonai; because he is a holy God, a jealous God, and he will not forgive your crimes and sins. 20If you abandon Adonai and serve foreign gods, he will turn, doing you harm and destroying you after he has done you good.”
21But the people said to Y’hoshua, “No, but we will serve Adonai.”
22Y’hoshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Adonai, to serve him.”
They answered, “We are witnesses.”
23“Now,” Y’hoshua urged, “put away the foreign gods you have among you, and turn your hearts to Adonai, the God of Isra’el.”
24The people answered Y’hoshua, “We will serve Adonai our God; we will pay attention to what he says.”
25So Y’hoshua made a covenant with the people that day, laying down for them laws and rulings there in Sh’khem. 26Y’hoshua wrote these words in the book of the Torah of God. Then he took a big stone and set it up there under the oak next to the sanctuary of Adonai. 27Y’hoshua said to all the people, “See, this stone will be a witness against us; because it has heard all the words of Adonai which he said to us; therefore it will be a witness against you, in case you deny your God.” 28Then Y’hoshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
29After this, Y’hoshua the son of Nun, the servant of Adonai, died; he was 110 years old. 30They buried him on his property in Timnat-Serach, which is in the hills of Efrayim, north of Mount Ga‘ash.
31Isra’el served Adonai throughout Y’hoshua’s lifetime and throughout the lifetimes of the leaders who outlived Y’hoshua and had known all the deeds that Adonai had done on behalf of Isra’el.
32The bones of Yosef, which the people of Isra’el had brought up from Egypt, they buried in Sh’khem, in the parcel of ground which Ya‘akov had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Sh’khem for a hundred pieces of silver; and they became a possession of the descendants of Yosef.
33Finally, El‘azar the son of Aharon died; and they buried him on the hill belonging to Pinchas his son, which had been given to him in the hills of Efrayim.
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleJoshua 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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