Joshua 24:1-15

Modern English Version

Covenant Renewed at Shechem

24 Joshua called for all the Israelite tribes at Shechem and summoned the elders, clan heads, judges, and officials of Israel. They presented themselves before God.

² Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Long ago your fathers—Terah father of Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates^[a] and served other gods. ³ I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates,^[b] brought him through all the land of Canaan, and gave him many descendants. To him I gave Isaac. ⁴ To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir for his inheritance, but Jacob and his descendants went down into Egypt.

⁵ “I sent Moses and Aaron, I struck Egypt down with all I did in their midst, and afterward I brought you out. ⁶ I brought your fathers out of Egypt, then you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. ⁷ Your fathers cried out to the Lord, and He placed darkness between you and the Egyptians. He made the sea come upon them and cover them. Your own eyes saw what I did to Egypt, and you lived in the wilderness a long time.

⁸ “I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They waged war against you, but I gave them into your hand so that you might inherit their land, and I destroyed them before you. ⁹ Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and waged war against Israel. He called for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, ¹⁰ but I refused to listen to Balaam. Therefore he blessed you still, and I delivered you out of his hand.

¹¹ “You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The leaders of Jericho, along with the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, waged war against you, but I gave them into your hand. ¹² I sent the hornet and drove out the two Amorite kings from before you, but not with your sword or your bow. ¹³ I gave you a land for which you did not work, and cities that you did not build. You live in them, and you are eating from the produce of vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.

¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord, and serve Him with sincerity and faithfulness. Put away the gods your fathers served beyond the River^[c] and in Egypt. Serve the Lord. ¹⁵ If it is displeasing to you to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve, if it should be the gods your fathers served beyond the River^[d] or the gods of the Amorites’ land where you are now living. Yet as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”