And Joshua gathered
all the tribes
of Israel
to Shechem
, and called
for the elders
of Israel
, and for their heads
, and for their judges
, and for their officers
; and they presented
themselves before
God
.
And Joshua said
unto all the people
, Thus saith
the LORD
God
of Israel
, Your fathers
dwelt
on the other side
of the flood
in old time
, even Terah
, the father
of Abraham
, and the father
of Nachor
: and they served
other
gods
.
And I took your father
Abraham
from the other side
of the flood
, and led
him throughout all the land
of Canaan
, and multiplied
his seed
, and gave
him Isaac
.
And I gave unto Isaac
Jacob
and Esau
: and I gave
unto Esau
mount
Seir
, to possess
it; but Jacob
and his children
went down
into Egypt
.
I sent Moses
also and Aaron
, and I plagued
Egypt
, according to that which
I did
among
them: and afterward
I brought you out
.
And I brought your fathers
out of Egypt
: and ye came
unto the sea
; and the Egyptians
pursued
after
your fathers
with chariots
and horsemen
unto the Red
sea
.
And when they cried unto the LORD
, he put
darkness
between you and the Egyptians
, and brought
the sea
upon them, and covered
them; and your eyes
have seen
what I have done
in Egypt
: and ye dwelt
in the wilderness
a long
season
.
And I brought you into the land
of the Amorites
, which dwelt
on the other side
Jordan
; and they fought
with you: and I gave
them into your hand
, that ye might possess
their land
; and I destroyed
them from before
you.
Then Balak the son
of Zippor
, king
of Moab
, arose
and warred
against Israel
, and sent
and called
Balaam
the son
of Beor
to curse
you:
But I would not hearken
unto Balaam
; therefore he blessed
you still
: so I delivered
you out of his hand
.
And ye went over Jordan
, and came
unto Jericho
: and the men
of Jericho
fought
against you, the Amorites
, and the Perizzites
, and the Canaanites
, and the Hittites
, and the Girgashites
, the Hivites
, and the Jebusites
; and I delivered
them into your hand
.
And I sent the hornet
before
you, which drave them out
from before
you, even the two
kings
of the Amorites
; but not with thy sword
, nor with thy bow
.
And I have given you a land
for which ye did not labour
, and cities
which ye built
not, and ye dwell
in them; of the vineyards
and oliveyards
which ye planted
not do ye eat
.
Now therefore fear the LORD
, and serve
him in sincerity
and in truth
: and put away
the gods
which your fathers
served
on the other side
of the flood
, and in Egypt
; and serve
ye the LORD
.
And if it seem evil unto you
to serve
the LORD
, choose
you this day
whom
ye will serve
; whether the gods
which your fathers
served
that were on the other side
of the flood
, or the gods
of the Amorites
, in whose land
ye dwell
: but as for me and my house
, we will serve
the LORD
.
And the people answered
and said
, God forbid
that we should forsake
the LORD
, to serve
other
gods
;
For the LORD our God
, he it is that brought us up
and our fathers
out of the land
of Egypt
, from the house
of bondage
, and which did
those great
signs
in our sight
, and preserved
us in all the way
wherein we went
, and among all the people
through
whom we passed
:
And the LORD drave out
from before
us all the people
, even the Amorites
which dwelt
in the land
: therefore will we also serve
the LORD
; for he is our God
.
And Joshua said
unto the people
, Ye cannot
serve
the LORD
: for he is an holy
God
; he is a jealous
God
; he will not forgive
your transgressions
nor your sins
.
If ye forsake the LORD
, and serve
strange
gods
, then he will turn
and do you hurt
, and consume
you, after
that he hath done you good
.
And the people said
unto Joshua
, Nay; but we will serve
the LORD
.
And Joshua said
unto the people
, Ye are witnesses
against yourselves that ye have chosen
you the LORD
, to serve
him. And they said
, We are witnesses
.
Now therefore put away, said he , the strange
gods
which are among
you, and incline
your heart
unto the LORD
God
of Israel
.
And the people said
unto Joshua
, The LORD
our God
will we serve
, and his voice
will we obey
.
So Joshua made
a covenant
with the people
that day
, and set
them a statute
and an ordinance
in Shechem
.
And Joshua wrote
these words
in the book
of the law
of God
, and took
a great
stone
, and set it up
there under an oak
, that was by the sanctuary
of the LORD
.
And Joshua said
unto all the people
, Behold, this stone
shall be a witness
unto us; for it hath heard
all the words
of the LORD
which he spake
unto us: it shall be therefore a witness
unto you, lest ye deny
your God
.
So Joshua let the people
depart
, every man
unto his inheritance
.
And it came to pass after these things
, that Joshua
the son
of Nun
, the servant
of the LORD
, died
, being an hundred
and ten
years
old
.
And they buried him in the border
of his inheritance
in Timnathserah
, which is in mount
Ephraim
, on the north side
of the hill
of Gaash
.
And Israel served
the LORD
all the days
of Joshua
, and all the days
of the elders
that overlived
Joshua
, and which had known
all the works
of the LORD
, that he had done
for Israel
.
And the bones of Joseph
, which the children
of Israel
brought up
out of Egypt
, buried
they in Shechem
, in a parcel
of ground
which Jacob
bought
of the sons
of Hamor
the father
of Shechem
for an hundred
pieces of silver
: and it became the inheritance
of the children
of Joseph
.
And Eleazar the son
of Aaron
died
; and they buried
him in a hill
that pertained to Phinehas
his son
, which was given
him in mount
Ephraim
.