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Israel Renews its Commitment to the Lord

24:1 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God. 24:2 Joshua told all the people: “Here is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors1 lived beyond the river,2 including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped3 other gods, 24:3 but I took your father Abraham from beyond the river and brought him into4 the entire land of Canaan. I made his offspring numerous; I gave him Isaac, 24:4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir,5 while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 24:5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land.6 Then I brought you out. 24:6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 24:7 Your fathers7 cried out for help to the LORD; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark,8 and then drowned them in the sea.9 You witnessed with your very own eyes10 what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time.11 24:8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered12 their land and I destroyed them from before you. 24:9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack13 against Israel. He summoned14 Balaam son of Beor to call judgment down15 on you. 24:10 I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept16 prophesying good things about17 you, and I rescued you from his power.18 24:11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The leaders19 of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you. 24:12 I sent terror20 ahead of you to drive out from before you the two21 Amorite kings. I gave you the victory, not your swords or bows.22 24:13 I gave you a land in23 which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build and you are eating the produce of24 vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’

24:14 Now25 obey26 the LORD and worship27 him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors28 worshiped29 beyond the river30 and in Egypt and worship31 the LORD. 24:15 If you have no desire32 to worship33 the LORD, choose today whom you will worship,34 whether it be the gods whom your ancestors35 worshiped36 beyond the river,37 or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family38 will worship39 the LORD!”

24:16 The people responded: “Far be it from us to abandon the LORD so we can40 worship41 other gods! 24:17 For the LORD our God took us and our fathers out of the slave house in the land of Egypt42 and performed these awesome miracles43 before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations.44 24:18 The LORD drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship45 the LORD, for he is our God!”

24:19 Joshua warned46 the people: “You won’t keep worshiping the LORD,47 for48 he is a holy God.49 He is a jealous God who will not forgive50 your rebellion or your sins. 24:20 If51 you abandon the LORD and worship52 foreign gods, he will turn against you;53 he will bring disaster on you and destroy you,54 though he once treated you well.”55

24:21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will56 worship57 the LORD!” 24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the LORD?”58 They replied, “We are witnesses.”59 24:23 Joshua said,60 “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to61 the LORD God of Israel.”

24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship62 the LORD our God and obey him.”63

24:25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement64 for the people, and he established rules and regulations65 for them in Shechem. 24:26 Joshua wrote these words in the law scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the LORD’s shrine. 24:27 Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the LORD said to us.66 It will be a witness against you if67 you deny your God.” 24:28 When Joshua dismissed the people, they went to their allotted portions of property.68

An Era Ends

24:29 After all this69 Joshua son of Nun, the LORD’s servant, died at the age of 110. 24:30 They buried him in his allotted territory70 in Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 24:31 Israel worshiped71 the LORD throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive.72 These men had experienced firsthand everything the LORD had done for Israel.73

24:32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the part of the field that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 units.74

24:33 Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him in Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, where his son Phinehas had been assigned land.75

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