Joshua 22-24
New King James Version
Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands
22 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them: “You have kept (A)all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, (B)and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. 3 You have not [a]left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. 4 And now the Lord your God has given (C)rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, (D)which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 But (E)take[b] careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, (F)to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua (G)blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.
7 Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, (H)but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, 8 and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. (I)Divide the [c]spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”
9 So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to (J)the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
An Altar by the Jordan
10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar. 11 Now the children of Israel (K)heard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the [d]frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.” 12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, (L)the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13 Then the children of Israel (M)sent (N)Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, 14 and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and (O)each one was the head of the house of his father among the [e]divisions of Israel. 15 Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord: ‘What (P)treachery[f] is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, (Q)that you might rebel this day against the Lord? 17 Is the iniquity (R)of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, 18 but that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow (S)He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 [g]Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the Lord, (T)where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the Lord, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. 20 (U)Did not Achan the son of Zerah [h]commit a trespass in the [i]accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”
21 Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the [j]divisions of Israel: 22 “The Lord (V)God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He (W)knows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the Lord, do not save us this day. 23 If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the Lord Himself (X)require an account. 24 But in fact we have done it [k]for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the Lord.” So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the Lord.’ 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, 27 but that it may be (Y)a [l]witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may (Z)perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the Lord.” ’ 28 Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’ 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day, (AA)to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His tabernacle.”
30 Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the [m]divisions of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. 31 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the Lord is (AB)among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.”
32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel (AC)blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34 The children of Reuben and the children of [n]Gad called the altar, Witness, “For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”
Joshua’s Farewell Address
23 Now it came to pass, a long time after the Lord (AD)had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua (AE)was old, advanced in age. 2 And Joshua (AF)called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them:
“I am old, advanced in age. 3 You have seen all that the (AG)Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the (AH)Lord your God is He who has fought for you. 4 See, (AI)I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward. 5 And the Lord your God (AJ)will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, (AK)as the Lord your God promised you. 6 (AL)Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, (AM)lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, 7 and lest you (AN)go[o] among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not (AO)make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to (AP)swear by them; you shall not (AQ)serve them nor bow down to them, 8 but you shall (AR)hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. 9 (AS)For the Lord has [p]driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. 10 (AT)One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, (AU)as He promised you. 11 (AV)Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. 12 Or else, if indeed you do (AW)go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and (AX)make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you, 13 know for certain that (AY)the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. (AZ)But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
14 “Behold, this day (BA)I[q] am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that (BB)not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. 15 (BC)Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the Lord your God promised you, so the Lord will bring upon you (BD)all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. 16 [r]When you have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the (BE)anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”
The Covenant at Shechem(BF)
24 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to (BG)Shechem and (BH)called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they (BI)presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: (BJ)‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of [s]the River in old times; and (BK)they served other gods. 3 (BL)Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of [t]the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his [u]descendants and (BM)gave him Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave (BN)Jacob and Esau. To (BO)Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, (BP)but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 (BQ)Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and (BR)I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out.
6 ‘Then I (BS)brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 So they cried out to the Lord; and He put (BT)darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And (BU)your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness (BV)a long time. 8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, (BW)and they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you. 9 Then (BX)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and (BY)sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 (BZ)But I would not listen to Balaam; (CA)therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11 Then (CB)you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And (CC)the men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. 12 (CD)I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but (CE)not with your sword or with your bow. 13 I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and (CF)cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
14 (CG)“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in (CH)sincerity and in truth, and (CI)put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of [v]the River and (CJ)in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, (CK)choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether (CL)the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of [w]the River, or (CM)the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. (CN)But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
16 So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17 for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. (CO)We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”
19 But Joshua said to the people, (CP)“You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a (CQ)holy God. He is (CR)a jealous God; (CS)He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 (CT)If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, (CU)then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”
21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!”
22 So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that (CV)you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.”
And they said, “We are witnesses!”
23 “Now therefore,” he said, (CW)“put away the foreign gods which are among you, and (CX)incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.”
24 And the people (CY)said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”
25 So Joshua (CZ)made[x] a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance (DA)in Shechem.
26 Then Joshua (DB)wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took (DC)a large stone, and (DD)set it up there (DE)under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be (DF)a witness to us, for (DG)it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.” 28 So (DH)Joshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance.
Death of Joshua and Eleazar
29 (DI)Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at (DJ)Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.
31 (DK)Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had (DL)known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.
32 (DM)The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground (DN)which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred [y]pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33 And (DO)Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to (DP)Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim.
Footnotes
- Joshua 22:3 forsaken
- Joshua 22:5 be very careful to do
- Joshua 22:8 plunder
- Joshua 22:11 Lit. front
- Joshua 22:14 Lit. thousands
- Joshua 22:16 unfaithful act
- Joshua 22:19 However
- Joshua 22:20 act unfaithfully
- Joshua 22:20 devoted thing
- Joshua 22:21 Lit. thousands
- Joshua 22:24 Lit. from fear
- Joshua 22:27 testimony
- Joshua 22:30 Lit. thousands
- Joshua 22:34 LXX adds and half the tribe of Manasseh
- Joshua 23:7 associate with
- Joshua 23:9 dispossessed
- Joshua 23:14 I am going to die.
- Joshua 23:16 Or if ever
- Joshua 24:2 The Euphrates
- Joshua 24:3 The Euphrates
- Joshua 24:3 Lit. seed
- Joshua 24:14 The Euphrates
- Joshua 24:15 The Euphrates
- Joshua 24:25 Lit. cut a covenant
- Joshua 24:32 Heb. qesitah, an unknown ancient measure of weight
Joshua 22-24
English Standard Version
The Eastern Tribes Return Home
22 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept (A)all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you (B)and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. 4 (C)And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, (D)which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 (E)Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, (F)to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua (G)blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.
7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, (H)but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, 8 he said to them, “Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. (I)Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” 9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go (J)to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.
The Eastern Tribes' Altar of Witness
10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel (K)heard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.” 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, (L)the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.
13 Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, (M)Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, (N)every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15 And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day (O)in rebellion against the Lord? 17 Have we not had enough of (P)the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if (Q)you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow (R)he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land (S)where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. (T)Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 (U)Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and (V)wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’”
21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, (W)God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! (X)He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself (Y)take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that (Z)in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be (AA)a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we (AB)do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ 28 And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be (AC)a witness between us and you.”’ 29 Far be it from us that we should (AD)rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord (AE)by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”
30 When (AF)Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, (AG)it was good in their eyes. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that (AH)the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”
32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad (AI)in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the report (AJ)was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel (AK)blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. 34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, (AL)“it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”
Joshua's Charge to Israel's Leaders
23 A long time afterward, when the Lord had given (AM)rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua (AN)was old and well advanced in years, 2 Joshua (AO)summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. 3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, (AP)for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. 4 Behold, (AQ)I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. 5 The Lord your God (AR)will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, (AS)just as the Lord your God promised you. 6 Therefore, (AT)be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, (AU)turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 (AV)that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you (AW)or make mention of the names of their gods (AX)or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 (AY)but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. 9 (AZ)For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, (BA)no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 (BB)One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God (BC)who fights for you, just as he promised you. 11 (BD)Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you (BE)and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that (BF)the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, (BG)but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.
14 “And now (BH)I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that (BI)not one word has failed of all the good things[a] that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you (BJ)all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”
The Covenant Renewal at Shechem
24 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel (BK)to Shechem and (BL)summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And (BM)they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, (BN)your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates,[b] Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and (BO)they served other gods. 3 (BP)Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River[c] and (BQ)led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. (BR)I gave him Isaac. 4 And to Isaac I gave (BS)Jacob and Esau. (BT)And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, (BU)but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 (BV)And I sent Moses and Aaron, (BW)and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and (BX)afterward I brought you out.
6 “‘Then (BY)I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and (BZ)you came to the sea. (CA)And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 (CB)And when they cried to the Lord, (CC)he put darkness between you and the Egyptians (CD)and made the sea come upon them and cover them; (CE)and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. (CF)And you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. (CG)They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. 9 (CH)Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. (CI)And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10 (CJ)but I would not listen to Balaam. (CK)Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11 (CL)And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, (CM)and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also (CN)the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. 12 And I sent (CO)the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was (CP)not by your sword or by your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored (CQ)and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’
Choose Whom You Will Serve
14 (CR)“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. (CS)Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 (CT)And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, (CU)choose this day whom you will serve, whether (CV)the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or (CW)the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. (CX)But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
19 But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is (CY)a holy God. He is (CZ)a jealous God; (DA)he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 (DB)If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then (DC)he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” 22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that (DD)you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 He said, “Then (DE)put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 25 So Joshua (DF)made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place (DG)statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And Joshua (DH)wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And (DI)he took a large stone and set it up there (DJ)under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, (DK)this stone shall be a witness against us, for (DL)it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” 28 So Joshua (DM)sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
Joshua's Death and Burial
29 (DN)After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. 30 And they buried him in his own inheritance at (DO)Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.
31 (DP)Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua (DQ)and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.
32 (DR)As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land (DS)that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money.[d] It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of (DT)Phinehas his son, which had been given him in (DU)the hill country of Ephraim.
Footnotes
- Joshua 23:14 Or words; also twice in verse 15
- Joshua 24:2 Hebrew the River
- Joshua 24:3 That is, the Euphrates; also verses 14, 15
- Joshua 24:32 Hebrew for a hundred qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value
Psalm 69
New King James Version
An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble
To the Chief Musician. Set to [a]“The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.
69 Save me, O God!
For (A)the waters have come up to my [b]neck.
2 (B)I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
3 (C)I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
(D)My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 Those who (E)hate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.
5 O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
6 Let not those who [c]wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be [d]confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.
8 (F)I have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother’s children;
9 (G)Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
(H)And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
11 I also [e]made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
12 Those who [f]sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the (I)drunkards.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
15 Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.
19 You know (J)my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.
20 Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of [g]heaviness;
(K)I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for (L)comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for my food,
(M)And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 (N)Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
23 (O)Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
24 (P)Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
25 (Q)Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.
26 For they persecute the ones (R)You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
27 (S)Add iniquity to their iniquity,
(T)And let them not come into Your righteousness.
28 Let them (U)be blotted out of the book of the living,
(V)And not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30 (W)I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31 (X)This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
32 (Y)The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, (Z)your hearts shall live.
33 For the Lord hears the poor,
And does not despise (AA)His prisoners.
34 (AB)Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas (AC)and everything that moves in them.
35 (AD)For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
36 Also, (AE)the [h]descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.
Footnotes
- Psalm 69:1 Heb. Shoshannim
- Psalm 69:1 Lit. soul
- Psalm 69:6 Wait in faith
- Psalm 69:6 dishonored
- Psalm 69:11 Symbolic of sorrow
- Psalm 69:12 Sit as judges
- Psalm 69:20 Lit. sickness
- Psalm 69:36 Lit. seed
Psalm 69
English Standard Version
Save Me, O God
To the choirmaster: according to (A)Lilies. Of David.
69 Save me, O God!
For (B)the waters have come up to my neck.[a]
2 I sink in deep (C)mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood (D)sweeps over me.
3 (E)I am weary with my crying out;
(F)my throat is parched.
(G)My eyes grow dim
with (H)waiting for my God.
4 (I)More in number than the hairs of my head
are (J)those who hate me (K)without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
(L)those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly;
the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
6 Let not those who hope in you (M)be put to shame through me,
O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
O God of Israel.
7 For it is (N)for your sake that I have borne reproach,
that dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become (O)a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my mother's sons.
9 For (P)zeal for your house has consumed me,
and (Q)the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and humbled[b] my soul with fasting,
it became my reproach.
11 When I made (R)sackcloth my clothing,
I became (S)a byword to them.
12 I am the talk of those who (T)sit in the gate,
and the drunkards make (U)songs about me.
13 But as for me, my (V)prayer is to you, O Lord.
At (W)an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
14 Deliver me
from sinking in (X)the mire;
(Y)let me be delivered from my enemies
and from (Z)the deep waters.
15 Let not the flood sweep over me,
or the deep swallow me up,
or (AA)the pit close (AB)its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for your (AC)steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant (AD)mercy, (AE)turn to me.
17 (AF)Hide not your face from your servant,
(AG)for I am in distress; (AH)make haste to answer me.
18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my (AI)reproach,
and my shame and my dishonor;
my foes are all known to you.
20 (AJ)Reproaches have broken my heart,
so that I am in (AK)despair.
I (AL)looked for (AM)pity, but there was none,
and for (AN)comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me (AO)poison for food,
and for my thirst they gave me (AP)sour wine to drink.
22 (AQ)Let their own (AR)table before them become a snare;
(AS)and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.[c]
23 (AT)Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
(AU)and make their loins tremble continually.
24 Pour out your indignation upon them,
and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 (AV)May their camp be a desolation;
let no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they (AW)persecute him whom (AX)you have struck down,
and they recount the pain of (AY)those you have wounded.
27 (AZ)Add to them punishment upon punishment;
may they have no acquittal from you.[d]
28 Let them be (BA)blotted out of the book of the living;
let them not be (BB)enrolled among the righteous.
29 But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your salvation, O God, (BC)set me on high!
30 I will (BD)praise the name of God with a song;
I will (BE)magnify him with (BF)thanksgiving.
31 This will (BG)please the Lord more than an ox
or a bull (BH)with horns and hoofs.
32 When (BI)the humble see it they will be glad;
you who seek God, (BJ)let your hearts revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy
and (BK)does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
34 Let (BL)heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For (BM)God will save Zion
and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
36 (BN)the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Footnotes
- Psalm 69:1 Or waters threaten my life
- Psalm 69:10 Hebrew lacks and humbled
- Psalm 69:22 Hebrew; a slight revocalization yields (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome) a snare, and retribution and a trap
- Psalm 69:27 Hebrew may they not come into your righteousness
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
