Joshua, starting at chapter 22
{22:1} Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the
half-tribe of Manasseh, {22:2} and said to them, "You have kept all
that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, and have listened to
my voice in all that I commanded you. {22:3} You have not left your
brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of
the commandment of Yahweh your God. {22:4} Now Yahweh your God has
given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return
and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the
servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan. {22:5} Only take
diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the
servant of Yahweh commanded you, to love Yahweh 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."
{22:6} So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to
their tents. {22:7} Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had
given inheritance in Bashan; but to the other half gave Joshua among
their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent
them away to their tents, he blessed them, {22:8} and spoke to them,
saying, "Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much
livestock, with silver, with gold, with brass, with iron, and with
very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your
brothers."
{22:9} The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the
half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of
Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the
land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned,
according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. {22:10} When they
came to the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan,
the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of
Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.
{22:11} The children of Israel heard this, "Behold, the children of
Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have
built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region
about the Jordan, on the side that pertains to the children of
Israel." {22:12} When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole
congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at
Shiloh, to go up against them to war. {22:13} The children of Israel
sent to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the
half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of
Eleazar the priest, {22:14} and with him ten princes, one prince of a
fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were
everyone of them head of their fathers' houses among the thousands of
Israel. {22:15} They came to the children of Reuben, and to the
children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of
Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, {22:16} "Thus says the whole
congregation of Yahweh, 'What trespass is this that you have committed
against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following
Yahweh, in that you have built you an altar, to rebel this day against
Yahweh? {22:17} Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which
we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a
plague on the congregation of Yahweh, {22:18} that you must turn away
this day from following Yahweh? It will be, seeing that you rebel
today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole
congregation of Israel. {22:19} However, if the land of your
possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of
Yahweh, in which Yahweh's tabernacle dwells, and take possession among
us; but don't rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us, in building
an altar other than the altar of Yahweh our God. {22:20} Didn't Achan
the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath
fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn't perish alone
in his iniquity.'"
{22:21} Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the
half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the
thousands of Israel, {22:22} "The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty
One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in
rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don't save us this day),
{22:23} that we have built us an altar to turn away from following
Yahweh; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer
sacrifices of peace offerings, let Yahweh himself require it.
{22:24} "If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason,
saying, 'In time to come your children might speak to our children,
saying, "What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel? {22:25}
For Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you
children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in
Yahweh."' So your children might make our children cease from fearing
Yahweh.
{22:26} "Therefore we said, 'Let's now prepare to build ourselves an
altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; {22:27} but it will
be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us,
that we may perform the service of Yahweh before him with our burnt
offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;' that
your children may not tell our children in time to come, 'You have no
portion in Yahweh.'
{22:28} "Therefore we said, 'It shall be, when they tell us or our
generations this in time to come, that we shall say, "Behold the
pattern of the altar of Yahweh, which our fathers made, not for burnt
offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you."'
{22:29} "Far be it from us that we should rebel against Yahweh, and
turn away this day from following Yahweh, to build an altar for burnt
offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of
Yahweh our God that is before his tabernacle!"
{22:30} When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the
congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with
him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of
Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well. {22:31}
Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben,
to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, "Today we
know that Yahweh is in the midst of us, because you have not committed
this trespass against Yahweh. Now you have delivered the children of
Israel out of the hand of Yahweh." {22:32} Phinehas the son of Eleazar
the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and
from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of
Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
{22:33} The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of
Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war,
to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children
of Gad lived. {22:34} The children of Reuben and the children of Gad
named the altar "A Witness Between Us that Yahweh is God."
{23:1} It happened after many days, when Yahweh had given rest to
Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well
advanced in years, {23:2} that Joshua called for all Israel, for their
elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their
officers, and said to them, "I am old and well advanced in years.
{23:3} You have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these
nations because of you; for it is Yahweh your God who has fought for
you. {23:4} Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain,
to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the
nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going
down of the sun. {23:5} Yahweh your God will thrust them out from
before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess
their land, as Yahweh your God spoke to you.
{23:6} "Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is
written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn aside from
it to the right hand or to the left; {23:7} that you not come among
these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of
the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve
them, nor bow down yourselves to them; {23:8} but hold fast to Yahweh
your God, as you have done to this day.
{23:9} "For Yahweh has driven great and strong nations out from
before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.
{23:10} One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is Yahweh your
God who fights for you, as he spoke to you. {23:11} Take good heed
therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh your God.
{23:12} "But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant
of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages
with them, and go in to them, and they to you; {23:13} know for a
certainty that Yahweh your God will no longer drive these nations from
out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a
scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from
off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you.
{23:14} "Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know
in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed
of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. All
have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it. {23:15} It shall
happen that as all the good things have come on you of which Yahweh
your God spoke to you, so Yahweh will bring on you all the evil
things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which
Yahweh your God has given you, {23:16} when you disobey the covenant
of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other
gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the anger of Yahweh will
be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good
land which he has given to you."
{24:1} Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and
called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges,
and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
{24:2} Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of
Israel, 'Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah,
the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other
gods. {24:3} I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led
him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and
gave him Isaac. {24:4} I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to
Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into
Egypt.
{24:5} "'I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to
that which I did in its midst: and afterward I brought you out. {24:6}
I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The
Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen
to the [1>]Red Sea[<1]. {24:7} When they cried out to Yahweh, he put
darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them,
and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt: and you lived
in the wilderness many days.
{24:8} "'I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived
beyond the Jordan: and they fought with you; and I gave them into your
hand. You possessed their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
{24:9} Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought
against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse
you; {24:10} but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed
you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.
{24:11} "'You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of
Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite,
the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I
delivered them into your hand. {24:12} I sent the hornet before you,
which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the
Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow. {24:13} I gave you a
land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn't build,
and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you
didn't plant.'
{24:14} "Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve him in sincerity and
in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the
River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh. {24:15} If it seems evil to you to
serve Yahweh, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods
which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we
will serve Yahweh."
{24:16} The people answered, "Far be it from us that we should
forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods; {24:17} for it is Yahweh our God
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the
house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and
preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the
peoples through the midst of whom we passed. {24:18} Yahweh drove out
from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the
land. Therefore we also will serve Yahweh; for he is our God."
{24:19} Joshua said to the people, "You can't serve Yahweh; for he
is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your
disobedience nor your sins. {24:20} If you forsake Yahweh, and serve
foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you,
after he has done you good."
{24:21} The people said to Joshua, "No; but we will serve Yahweh."
{24:22} Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against
yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh yourselves, to serve him."
They said, "We are witnesses."
{24:23} "Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among
you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel."
{24:24} The people said to Joshua, "We will serve Yahweh our God,
and we will listen to his voice."
{24:25} So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made
for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. {24:26} Joshua wrote
these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone,
and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh.
{24:27} Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a
witness against us; for it has heard all the words of Yahweh which he
spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you
deny your God." {24:28} So Joshua sent the people away, every man to
his inheritance.
{24:29} It happened after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun,
the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred and ten years old.
{24:30} They buried him in the border of his inheritance in
Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of
the mountain of Gaash. {24:31} Israel served Yahweh all the days of
Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had
known all the work of Yahweh, that he had worked for Israel. {24:32}
They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought
up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob
bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces
of money. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
{24:33} Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of
Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {24:6} or, Sea of Reeds
________________________________________________________________________
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