Then aJoshua gathered
all
the tribes
of Israel
to Shechem
, and called
for the elders
of Israel
and for their heads
and their judges
and their officers
; and they presented
themselves before
God
.
Joshua said
to all
the people
, "Thus
says
the LORD
, the God
of Israel
, `From ancient
times
your fathers
lived
beyond
the 1River
, namely, aTerah
, the father
of Abraham
and the father
of Nahor
, and they served
other
gods
.
`Then aI took your father
Abraham
from beyond
the 1River
, and led
him through all
the land
of Canaan
, and bmultiplied
his 2descendants
and gave
him cIsaac
.
`To Isaac I gave
aJacob
and Esau
, and bto Esau
I gave
Mount
Seir
to possess
it; but cJacob
and his sons
went
down
to Egypt
.
`Then aI sent Moses
and Aaron
, and I plagued
Egypt
1by what
I did
in its midst
; and afterward
I brought
you out.
`I brought your fathers
out of Egypt
, and ayou came
to the sea
; and Egypt
pursued
your fathers
with chariots
and horsemen
to the 1Red
Sea
.
`But when they cried out to the LORD
, He put
darkness
between
you and the Egyptians
, and brought
the sea
upon them and covered
them; and your own eyes
saw
what
I did
in Egypt
. And ayou lived
in the wilderness
for a long
time
.
`Then aI brought you into the land
of the Amorites
who lived
beyond
the Jordan
, and they fought
with you; and I gave
them into your hand
, and you took
possession
of their land
when I destroyed
them before
you.
`Then aBalak the son
of Zippor
, king
of Moab
, arose
and fought
against Israel
, and he sent
and summoned
Balaam
the son
of Beor
to curse
you.
`But I awas not willing to listen
to Balaam
. So he had
to bless
you, and I delivered
you from his hand
.
` aYou crossed the Jordan
and came
to Jericho
; and the citizens
of Jericho
fought
against you, and bthe Amorite
and the Perizzite
and the Canaanite
and the Hittite
and the Girgashite
, the Hivite
and the Jebusite
. Thus cI gave
them into your hand
.
`Then I asent the hornet
before
you and it 1drove
out the two
kings
of the Amorites
from before
you, but bnot by your sword
or your bow
.
` aI gave you a land
on which
you had not labored
, and cities
which
you had not built
, and you have lived
in them; you are eating
of vineyards
and olive
groves
which
you did not plant
.'
"Now, therefore, 1 afear
the LORD
and serve
Him in sincerity
and 2truth
; and put
away
the gods
which
your fathers
served
beyond
the 3River
and in Egypt
, and serve
the LORD
.
"If it is disagreeable
in your sight
to serve
the LORD
, choose
for yourselves today
whom
you will serve
: whether
the gods
which
your fathers
served
which
were beyond
the River
, or athe gods
of the Amorites
in whose
land
you are living
; but as for me and my house
, we will serve
the LORD
."
The people answered
and said
, "Far
be it from us that we should forsake
the LORD
to serve
other
gods
;
for the LORD our God
is He who brought
us and our fathers
up out of the land
of Egypt
, from the house
of 1bondage
, and who
did
these
great
signs
in our sight
and preserved
us through all
the way
in which
we went
and among all
the peoples
through whose
midst
we passed
.
"The LORD drove
out from before
us all
the peoples
, even the Amorites
who lived
in the land
. We also
will serve
the LORD
, for He is our God
."
Then Joshua said
to the people
, "You will not be able
to serve
the LORD
, afor He is a holy
God
. He is ba jealous
God
; cHe will not forgive
your transgression
or your sins
.
" aIf you forsake
the LORD
and serve
foreign
gods
, then He will turn
and do
you harm
and consume
you after
He has done
good
to you."
The people said
to Joshua
, "No
, but we will serve
the LORD
."
Joshua said
to the people
, "You are witnesses
against yourselves that ayou have chosen
for yourselves the LORD
, to serve
Him." And they said
, "We are witnesses
."
"Now therefore, put
away
the foreign
gods
which
are in your midst
, and aincline
your hearts
to the LORD
, the God
of Israel
."
aThe people said
to Joshua
, "We will serve
the LORD
our God
and we will 1obey
His voice
."
aSo Joshua made
a covenant
with the people
that day
, and made
for them a statute
and an ordinance
in Shechem
.
And Joshua awrote
these
words
in the book
of the law
of God
; and he took
a large
stone
and set
it up there
under
the oak
that was by the sanctuary
of the LORD
.
Joshua said
to all
the people
, "Behold
, athis
stone
shall be for a witness
against us, for it has heard
all
the words
of the LORD
which
He spoke
1to us; thus it shall be for a witness
against you, so
that you do not deny
your God
."
Then Joshua dismissed
the people
, each
to his inheritance
.
It came about after
these
things
that Joshua
the son
of Nun
, the servant
of the LORD
, died
, being one hundred
and ten
years
old
.
And they buried him in the territory
of his inheritance
in aTimnath-serah
, which
is in the hill
country
of Ephraim
, on the north
of Mount
Gaash
.
aIsrael served
the LORD
all
the days
of Joshua
and all
the days
of the elders
who
1survived
Joshua
, and had known
all
the deeds
of the LORD
which
He had done
for Israel
.
Now athey buried the bones
of Joseph
, which
the sons
of Israel
brought
up from Egypt
, at Shechem
, in the piece
of ground
bwhich
Jacob
had bought
from the sons
of Hamor
the father
of Shechem
for one hundred
1pieces
of money
; and they became
the inheritance
of Joseph's
sons
.
And Eleazar the son
of Aaron
died
; and they buried
him 1at Gibeah
of aPhinehas
his son
, which
was given
him in the hill
country
of Ephraim
.