Joshua’s Passing |
Joshua 24:1-33 The Book of Joshua [in Smaller Chunks] |
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem & called for the elders, their [leaders,] judges & officers of Israel & they presented themselves before God. |
Joshua said to all the people, The Lord God of Israel [says this,] Your [forefathers lived] on the other side of The [Euphrates River a long time ago, including] Terah, the father of Abraham & Nahor & they served other gods. |
I took your [forefather,] Abraham, from the other side of [The Euphrates] & led him throughout all the land of Canaan & multiplied his [descendants] & gave him Issac. |
I gave to Isaac: Jacob & Esau & I gave to Esau, Mount Seir, to possess it. But Jacob & his children went down into Egypt. I also sent Moses & Aaron & I plagued Egypt, according to [the 10 plagues] I did among them & afterward, I brought you out. |
I brought your [forefathers] out of Egypt & you came to the [Red Sea] & the Egyptians pursued after your [forefathers] with chariots & horsemen to the Red Sea. |
When [the Israelites] cried [out] to the Lord, He put darkness between you & the Egyptians & brought [back] the sea upon [the Egyptians] & covered them. |
Your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt & you stayed in the wilderness a long [time.] I brought you out & into the land of the Amorites, [who lived] on the other side [of the] Jordan [River] & they fought with you. |
I [delivered] them into your [hands, so] you might possess their land & I destroyed them before you. Then, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose & warred against Israel & [sent for] Balaam, [Beor’s] son, to curse you. |
But I [wouldn't listen] to Balaam; therefore he [continued to bless] you. So I delivered you out of his hand. |
You went over [the] Jordan [River] & came to Jericho & the men of Jericho fought against you, the: Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites & the Jebusites & I delivered them into your hand. |
I sent [hornets] before you, which [drove the other nations] out from before you, [including the] 2 kings of the Amorites, but not with a sword, nor your bow. |
I have given you a land [that] you didn’t have to [work for] & cities that you [haven’t] built & you [live] in them & [have] vineyards & [olive groves that] you [haven’t] planted, [but you eat from them.] |
Now, fear [respect] the Lord & serve Him in sincerity & truth & put away the gods [that] your [forefathers] served on the other side of the [Euphrates River] & in Egypt & you serve the Lord. |
If it [seems undesirable] to you to serve the Lord, choose whom you will serve: whether gods [that your forefathers] served on the other side of the [Euphrates,] or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you [live.] |
But for me & my house, we will serve the Lord. The people [of Israel] answered & said, God forbid that we should [abandon] the Lord, to serve other gods. |
For the Lord our God, is He, [Who] brought us & our [forefathers] up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage & did those great signs in our sight. [The Lord God] preserved us in all the [path] we went & among all the people, whom we passed through. |
And the Lord [drove] out from before us all the people, even the Amorites, [who lived] in the land. Therefore, we will also serve the Lord; for He is our God. |
Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord: for He is an holy God. He is a jealous God & He won’t forgive your transgressions nor sins. If you [abandon] the Lord & serve [foreign] gods. |
Then, He will turn [against you & destroy] you, after He has done [all this] good [for] you. And the people said to Joshua, [No,] we will serve the Lord. |
Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen [to serve] the Lord & [only] Him. They said, We are witnesses. [Joshua said,] Therefore, now put away the [foreign] gods [that] are among you & [lean] your [hearts] to the Lord God of Israel. |
And the people said to Joshua, We will serve the Lord our God & we will obey His voice. So, Joshua made a covenant [contract] with the people that day & [put in place a mandate] & [rules for them] in Shechem. |
Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God & took a [large rock] & set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, [Look,] this [rock] shall be a witness to us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord [that] He [spoke] to us. |
Therefore, it shall be a witness to us, lest you deny your God. So, Joshua let the people [leave,] every man to his inheritance. It [happened] after these things, that Joshua, [Nun’s] son, died [at] 110 years old. |
They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Serah, which is in Mount Ephraim, on the north side of the Hill of Gaash. Israel served the Lord all of [Joshua’s] days & all the days of the elders [who outlived] Joshua & [who] had known all the [Lord’s deeds,] that He had done for Israel. |
The bones of Joseph [that] the children [people] of Israel brought up out of Egypt, [they] buried in Shechem, in a parcel of [land that] Jacob bought [from] the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a 100 pieces of silver & it became the inheritance of the children [people] of Joseph. |
Eleazar, [Aaron’s] son, died & they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas, his son, [that] was given [to] him in Mount Ephraim. |