Joshua 24
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. I sent * Moses also and Aaron,and I plagued * Egypt, according to that which I did * among them: and afterward I brought you out * .
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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:
10. But I would * not hearken * unto Balaam; therefore he blessed * you still * : so I delivered * you out of his hand.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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 * .
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. And the people answered * and said * , God forbid that we should forsake * the LORD, to serve * other gods;
17. 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 * :
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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 * .
21. And the people said * unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve * the LORD.
22. 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.
23. Now therefore put away * , said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline * your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
24. And the people said * unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve * , and his voice will we obey * .
25. So Joshua made * a covenant with the people that day, and set * them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. So Joshua let the people depart * , every man unto his inheritance.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. 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.
