The Book of Joshua

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- Chapter 24 -

And Ioshua assembled againe all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called the Elders of Israel, and their heades, and their iudges, and their officers, and they presented themselues before God.

Then Ioshua said vnto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt beyond the flood in olde time, euen Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and serued other gods.

And I tooke your father Abraham from beyond the flood, and brought him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seede, and gaue him Izhak.

And I gaue vnto Izhak, Iaakob and Esau: and I gaue vnto Esau mount Seir, to possesse it: but Iaakob and his children went downe into Egypt.

I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt: and when I had so done among them, I brought you out.

So I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ye came vnto the Sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with charets and horsemen vnto the red sea.

Then they cryed vnto the Lord, and he put a darkenesse betweene you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea vpon them, and couered them: so your eyes haue seene what I haue done in Egypt also ye dwelt in the wildernesse a long season.

After, I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt beyond Iorden, and they fought with you: but I gaue them into your hand, and ye possessed their countrey, and I destroyed them out of your sight.

Also Balak the sonne of Zippor King of Moab arose and warred against Israel, and sent to call Balaam the sonne of Beor for to curse you,

But I would not heare Balaam: therefore he blessed you, and I deliuered you out of his hand.

And ye went ouer Iorden, and came vnto Iericho, and the men of Iericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hiuites and the Iebusites, and I deliuered them into your hand.

And I sent hornets before you, which cast them out before you, euen the two kings of the Amorites, and not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

And I haue giuen you a land, wherein ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and yee dwell in them, and eate of the vineyards and oliue trees, which yee planted not.

Choose Whom You Will Serve

(Deuteronomy 10:12–22)

Nowe therefore feare the Lord, and serue him in vprightnesse and in trueth, and put away the gods, which your fathers serued beyonde the flood and in Egypt, and serue the Lord.

And if it seeme euill vnto you to serue the Lord, choose you this day whome yee will serue, whether the gods which your fathers serued (that were beyond the flood) or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwel: but I and mine house will serue the Lord.

Then the people answered and saide, God forbid, that we shoulde forsake the Lord, to serue other gods.

For the Lord our God, he brought vs and our fathers out of the lande of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and he did those great miracles in our sight, and preserued vs in all the way that we went, and among all the people through whome we came.

And the Lord did cast out before vs all the people, euen the Amorites which dwelt in the lande: therefore will we also serue the Lord, for he is our God.

And Ioshua saide vnto the people, Ye can not serue the Lord: for he is an holie God: he is a ielous God: hee will not pardon your iniquitie nor your sinnes.

If yee forsake the Lord and serue strange gods, then he will returne and bring euill vpon you, and consume you, after that hee hath done you good.

And the people saide vnto Ioshua, Nay, but we will serue the Lord.

And Ioshua saide vnto the people, Yee are witnesses against your selues, that yee haue chosen you the Lord, to serue him: and they sayd, We are witnesses.

Then put away nowe, saide he, the strange gods which are among you, and bowe your hearts vnto the Lord God of Israel.

And ye people saide vnto Ioshua, The Lord our God wil we serue, and his voyce wil we obey.

So Ioshua made a couenant with the people the same day, and gaue them an ordinance and lawe in Shechem.

And Ioshua wrote these woordes in the booke of the Lawe of God, and tooke a great stone, and pitched it there vnder an oke that was in the Sanctuarie of the Lord.

And Ioshua saide vnto all the people, Beholde, this stone shall be a witnesse vnto vs: for it hath heard all the wordes of the Lord which he spake with vs: it shall be therefore a witnesse against you, lest yee denie your God.

Then Ioshua let the people depart, euery man vnto his inheritance.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

(Judges 2:6–9)

And after these things Ioshua the sonne of Nun, the seruaunt of the Lord died, being an hundreth and ten yeeres olde.

And they buried him in ye border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the Northside of mount Gaash.

And Israel serued the Lord all the daies of Ioshua, and all the daies of the Elders that ouerliued Ioshua, and which had knowen all the workes of the Lord that he had done for Israel.

And the bones of Ioseph, which the children of Israel brought out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem in a parcell of ground which Iaakob bought of the sonnes of Hamor the father of Shechem, for an hundreth pieces of siluer, and the children of Ioseph had them in their inheritance.

Also Eleazar the sonne of Aaron died, whome they buried in the hill of Phinehas his sonne, which was giuen him in mount Ephraim.

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua said to all the people, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor. They served other gods.

I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his offspring,(a) and gave him Isaac.

I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

“‘I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.

I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Red Sea.

When they cried out to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness many days.

“‘I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you,

but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.

“‘You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.

I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow.

I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’

Choose Whom You Will Serve

(Deuteronomy 10:12–22)

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the middle of whom we passed.

The LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD; for he is our God.”

Joshua said to the people, “You can’t serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins.

If you forsake the LORD, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good.”

The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD yourselves, to serve him.” They said, “We are witnesses.”

“Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God, and we will listen to his voice.”

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.

Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the LORD’s words which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God.”

So Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

(Judges 2:6–9)

After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old.

They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the LORD, that he had worked for Israel.

They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver.(b) They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

Footnotes

(a)24:3 or, seed

(b)24:32 Hebrew: kesitahs. A kesitah was a kind of silver coin.