for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you. 29Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn away this day from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt-offering, for meal-offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before His tabernacle.'
30And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well. 31And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh: 'This day we know that the Lord is in the midst of us, because ye have not committed this treachery against the Lord; now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.' 32And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them back word. 33And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and the children of Gad dwelt. 34And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar—: 'for it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.'
23And it came to pass after many days, when the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well stricken in years; 2that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said unto them: 'I am old and well stricken in years. 3And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God, He it is that hath fought for you. 4Behold, I have allotted unto you for an inheritance, according to your tribes, these nations that remain, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun. 5And the Lord your God, He shall thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God spoke unto you. 6Therefore be ye very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; 7that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor worship them; 8but cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day; 9wherefore the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and mighty; but as for you, no man hath stood against you unto this day. 10One man of you hath chased a thousand; for the Lord your God, He it is that fought for you, as He spoke unto you. 11Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. 12Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you; 13know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap unto you, and a scourge in your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. 14And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth; consider ye therefore in all your heart and in all your soul, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, not one thing hath failed thereof. 15And it shall come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon you of which the Lord your God spoke unto you, so shall the Lord bring upon you all the evil things, until He have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. 16When ye transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which He hath given unto you.'
24And 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. 2And Joshua said unto all the people: 'Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3And I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. 4And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 5And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in the midst thereof; and afterward I brought you out. 6And I brought your fathers out of Egypt; and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen unto the Red Sea. 7And when they cried out unto the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt; and ye dwelt in the wilderness many days. 8And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that dwelt beyond the Jordan; and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and ye possessed their land; and I destroyed them from before you. 9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he even blessed you; so I delivered you out of his hand. 11And ye went over the Jordan, and came unto Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand. 12And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. 13And I gave you a land whereon thou hadst not laboured, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell therein; of vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. 14Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. 15And 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 beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'
16And the people answered and said: 'Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; 17for the Lord our God, He it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed; 18and the Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land; therefore we also will serve the Lord; for He is our God.'
19And Joshua said unto the people: 'Ye cannot serve the Lord; for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression nor your sins. 20If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after that He hath done you good.'
21And the people said unto Joshua: 'Nay; but we will serve the Lord.' 22And 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.'—23Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord, the God of Israel.' 24And the people said unto Joshua: 'The Lord our God will we serve, and unto His voice will we hearken.'
25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26And 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. 27And Joshua said unto all the people: 'Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke unto us; it shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.' 28So Joshua sent the people away, every man unto his inheritance.
29And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a