Joshua 8:30-35
New English Translation
Covenant Renewal
30 Then Joshua built an altar for the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. As described in the law scroll of Moses, it was made with uncut stones untouched by an iron tool.[a] On it they offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord and sacrificed tokens of peace.[b] 32 There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a duplicate of the law written by Moses.[c] 33 All the people,[d] rulers,[e] leaders, and judges were standing on either side of the ark, in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Both resident foreigners and native Israelites were there.[f] Half the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord’s servant had previously instructed them to do for the formal blessing ceremony.[g] 34 Then[h] Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the law scroll. 35 Joshua read aloud every commandment Moses had given[i] before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, children, and resident foreigners who lived among them.[j]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 8:31 tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones on which no one had wielded iron.” The expression “whole stones” refers to stones in their natural condition, i.e., not carved or shaped artificially with tools (“wielded iron”).
- Joshua 8:31 tn Or “peace offerings.”
- Joshua 8:32 tn Heb “and he wrote there on the stones a duplicate of the law of Moses which he wrote before the sons of Israel.”
- Joshua 8:33 tn Heb “All Israel.”
- Joshua 8:33 tn Or “elders.”
- Joshua 8:33 tn Heb “like the resident foreigner, like the citizen.” The language is idiomatic, meaning that both groups were treated the same, at least in this instance.
- Joshua 8:33 tn Heb “as Moses, the Lord’s servant, commanded to bless the people, Israel, formerly.”sn Moses’ earlier instructions are found in Deut 11:29.
- Joshua 8:34 tn Or “afterward.”
- Joshua 8:35 tn Heb “There was not a word from all which Moses commanded that Joshua did not read aloud.”
- Joshua 8:35 tn Heb “walked in their midst.”
Joshua 8:30-35
Christian Standard Bible
Renewed Commitment to the Law
30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal(A) to the Lord, the God of Israel, 31 just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.(B) Then they offered burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it. 32 There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites.(C) 33 All Israel—resident alien and citizen alike—with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of the Lord’s covenant facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal,(D) as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded earlier concerning blessing the people of Israel.(E) 34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings as well as the curses—according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the dependents, and the resident aliens who lived among them.(F)
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