Joshua 24:1-31

Joshua 24:1-31

[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,  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  [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  [10] But I would  not hearken  unto Balaam;  therefore he blessed  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] 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.