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The Meeting at Shechem
24 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and he summoned the elders of Israel, its heads, its judges, and its officers, and they presented themselves before God.
2 Then Joshua told all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said.”
God’s Message
From ancient times your ancestors, including Terah, who was the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they served other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from across the River, and I caused him to walk through the whole land of Canaan. I multiplied his seed,[a] and I gave Isaac to him, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
5 Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted Egypt with the plagues I sent there. Afterward I brought you out. 6 I brought your fathers out from Egypt, and you came to the sea. With chariots and charioteers the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea. 7 They cried out to the Lord, and he set darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea upon them so that it covered them. Your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for many days.[b]
8 I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan, and they fought against you. But I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land after I had destroyed them before you.
9 Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he blessed you time after time. In this way I rescued you from his power.
11 Then you crossed over the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho and the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites fought against you, but I gave them into your hand. 12 I sent the hornet before you, and it drove them out before you, as it drove out the two kings of the Amorites.
It was not by your sword and not by your bow!
13 So I have given you a land for which you did not labor. I gave you cities that you did not build, but you have been living in them. I gave you vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant, but you are eating from them.
Joshua’s Admonition
14 Joshua said, “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly and faithfully. Remove the gods that your fathers served in the region across the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if you see no benefit in serving the Lord,[c] then choose for yourselves today whomever you will serve—whether the gods that your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household—we will serve the Lord!”
16 The people responded by saying, “Far be it from us[d] to forsake the Lord in order to serve other gods! 17 For the Lord our God, he is the one who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, where we were slaves. He is the one who performed these great signs right before our eyes and protected us on the whole journey that we made and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 The Lord drove out of our presence all the peoples and the Amorites who were living in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God!”
19 But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God.[e] He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and you serve foreign gods, then he will turn and cause disaster for you, and he will put an end to you after he has done good for you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will most certainly serve the Lord!”
22 So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves in order to serve him.”
The people said, “We are witnesses!”
23 Joshua said, “Now, therefore, remove the foreign gods that are among you, and turn your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God, and we will listen to his voice.”
25 That day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and he affirmed for them a statute and ordinance there at Shechem. 26 Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was at the holy place of the Lord.
27 Joshua said to all the people, “See, this stone will be a witness among us and against us, because it has heard all the words that the Lord spoke with us. So it will be a witness among you and against you, so that you do not act deceptively against your God.”
28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each one to his own inheritance.
The End of an Era
29 After these events Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 30 They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Ga’ash.
31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had experienced every deed that the Lord had done for Israel.
32 The bones of Joseph, which the descendants of Israel had brought up from Egypt, were buried in Shechem in the portion of the field that Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of silver,[f] and they[g] became a heritage for the sons of Joseph.
33 Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him on the hill that belonged to his son Phinehas, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.
The Poor Widow Gave More
21 Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the offering box. 2 He saw a poor widow there putting in two small coins.[a] 3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than everyone, 4 for all these put in some of their leftovers as gifts to God,[b] but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
The Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World
5 As some were talking about the temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said, 6 “These things that you see here—the days will come when there will not be one stone left on another—every one will be thrown down.”
7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what is the sign that these things are about to happen?”
8 He said, “Watch out so that you are not deceived! For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 Whenever you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end will not be right then.”
10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be horrifying sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 It will turn out to be your opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand how to defend yourselves, 15 for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers,[c] relatives, and friends. They will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all people for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By patient endurance you will gain your lives.
20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are inside the city get out. Let those who are in the country not enter the city. 22 For these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that has been written. 23 How terrible it will be for those who are pregnant and nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken captive to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, 26 people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.[d] 28 But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
The Covenant Abandoned?
38 But you have rejected, you have cast off,
you have been very angry with your anointed one,
39 and you have renounced the covenant with your servant,
and you have thrown his crown on the ground.
40 You have broken down all his walls
and reduced his fortresses to rubble.
41 All who pass by on the road have plundered him.
He is despised by his neighbors.
42 You have raised up the right hand of his foes.
You have made all his enemies happy.
43 Indeed, you have deflected the edge of his sword,
and you have not let him stand up in battle.
44 You have put an end to his majesty,
and you have hurled his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth. Interlude
You have clothed him with shame.
46 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
Will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember me! What is my life!
For you have created such futility for all the children of Adam!
48 Can anyone live and not see death, Interlude
or save his life from the power of the grave?
49 Where are your former mercies, O Lord,
which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the scorn your servants have[a] endured.
(I carry on my heart all the many peoples!)[b]
51 Remember the scorn
with which your enemies have been scornful, O Lord,
with which they have scorned the steps of your Anointed One.
Closing Doxology
52 Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.
21 Trouble pursues sinners,
but goodness repays the righteous.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
23 The farmland of the poor may produce much food,
but it may be swept away by injustice.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.