Joshua Recounts Their History

24 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem; he summoned the elders of Israel, their heads, their judges, and their officials, and they presented themselves before God. ² And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘Long ago^[a] your ancestors^[b]—Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—lived beyond the river,^[c] and they served other gods. ³ I took your ancestor^[d] Abraham from beyond the river^[e] and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I increased his offspring; I gave him Isaac, ⁴ and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. ⁵ And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. ⁶ When I brought out your ancestors^[f] from Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your ancestors^[g] with chariots^[h] and horsemen to the Red Sea.^{[i] 7} They cried out to Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea over them^[j] and covered them; your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for many days. ⁸ And I brought you to the land of the Amorites^[k] who lived beyond the Jordan; they fought you, and I gave them into your hand; you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you.^{[l] 9} Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, set out and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, ¹⁰ but I was not willing to listen to Balaam, and he richly blessed you. So I rescued you from his hand, ¹¹ and you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the citizens of Jericho, the Amorites,^[m] the Perizzites,^[n] the Canaanites,^[o] the Hittites,^[p] the Girgashites,^[q] the Hivites,^[r] and the Jebusites,^[s] fought against you, and I gave them into your hand. ¹² I sent before you the hornet and they drove out before you two kings of the Amorites;^[t] but not by your sword or bow. ¹³ I gave to you a land that you have not labored on, and cities that you have not built, and you live^[u] in them; you eat from vineyards and olive groves that you have not planted.’