Then Joshua - - assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders , leaders , Judges - , and officers of Israel , and they presented themselves before God.
And Joshua - said to all the people , “ This is what the LORD , the God of Israel , says : ‘ Long ago your fathers , including Terah the father of Abraham ... and Nahor , lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.
But I took - your father - Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan , and I multiplied - his descendants. I gave - Isaac ,
and to Isaac - I gave Jacob - and Esau. I gave Esau - Mount Seir to possess - , but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
Then I sent - Moses - and Aaron , and I afflicted - the Egyptians by what I did there , and afterward I brought you out -.
When I brought your fathers - out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea , the Egyptians pursued ... (them) with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea ....
So (your fathers) cried out to the LORD , and He put darkness between ... you and the Egyptians , over whom - He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes - saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
Later, I brought - you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought against you , but I delivered them into your hand , that you should possess - their land when I destroyed them before you.
Then Balak son of Zippor , the king of Moab , set out to fight against Israel. He sent ... for Balaam son of Beor to curse you - ,
but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again , - and I delivered you from his hand.
After this, you crossed - the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought as did the Amorites , Perizzites , Canaanites , Hittites , Girgashites , Hivites , and Jebusites , and I delivered them into your hand.
I sent the hornet ahead of you , - and it drove out - the two Amorite kings before you , (but) not by your own sword ... or bow.
So I gave a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build , and now you live - and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant. ’
Now, therefore , fear - the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and tRuth - ; cast aside - the gods - your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt , and serve - the LORD.
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve - the LORD , then choose this day - whom you will serve , whether the - gods - your fathers - served beyond the Euphrates , or - the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house , we will serve - the LORD ! ”
The people ... replied , “ Far be it to forsake - the LORD to serve other gods !
For the LORD our God ... brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of slavery , and performed these great signs before our eyes. - He also protected us throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled ....
And the LORD - drove out before us all the nations , - including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve - the LORD , because He is our God ! ”
But Joshua - said to the people , “ You are not able to serve - the LORD , for He is a holy God ; He is a jealous God ; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.
If you forsake - the LORD and serve foreign gods , He will turn and bring disaster and consume you , even after - He has been good
“ No ! ” ... - replied the people ... -. “ We will serve the LORD ! ”
Then Joshua - ... told (them) , “ You are witnesses that you have chosen - to serve - the LORD. ” “ We are witnesses ! ” they said.
“ Now, therefore,” (he said), “ get rid of - the foreign gods - among you and incline - your hearts to the LORD , the God of Israel. ”
So the people said to Joshua - , - “ We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice. ”
On that day Joshua - made a covenant for the people , and there at Shechem he established a statute and ordinance.
Joshua - - recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that (was) near the sanctuary of the LORD.
And Joshua - said to all the people , “ You see this stone. It will be a witness for it has heard - all the words the LORD - has spoken to us , and it will be a witness if you ever deny your God. ”
Then Joshua - - sent the people away , each to his own inheritance.
- Some time later ... ... , Joshua - son of Nun , the servant of the LORD , died at the age ... of 110 .
And they buried him in the land of his inheritance , at Timnath-serah - in the hill country of Ephraim , north of Mount Gaash.
Israel - had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua - (and) ... of the elders who outlived ... ... (him) and who had experienced - all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.
And the bones of Joseph , which the Israelites ... had brought up out of Egypt , were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob ... had purchased from the sons of Hamor , Shechem’s father , for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.
Eleazar son of Aaron also died , and they buried him at Gibeah , which had been given son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.