Joshua Chapter 24

1 And when they came unto 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 upon.

2 And the children of Israel heard say, 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 pertaineth to the children of Israel.

3 And 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.

4 And the children of Israel sent unto 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,

5 and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were every one of them head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel.

6 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,

7 Thus saith the whole congregation of Jehovah, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against Jehovah?

8 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves unto this day, although there came a plague upon the congregation of Jehovah,

9 that ye must turn away this day from following Jehovah? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to-day against Jehovah, that to-morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

10 Howbeit, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of Jehovah, wherein Jehovah’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against Jehovah, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar besides the altar of Jehovah our God.

11 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

12 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spake unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,

13 The Mighty One, God, Jehovah, the Mighty One, God, Jehovah, he knoweth; and Israel he shall know: if it be in rebellion, or if in trespass against Jehovah (save thou us not this day),

14 that we have built us an altar to turn away from following Jehovah; or if to offer thereon burnt-offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let Jehovah himself require it;

15 and if we have not

16 rather out of carefulness done this,

17 and of purpose, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with Jehovah, the God of Israel?

18 for Jehovah hath made the Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no portion in Jehovah: so might your children make our children cease from fearing Jehovah.

19 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice:

20 but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may do the service of Jehovah before him with our burnt-offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no portion in Jehovah.

21 Therefore said we, It shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Jehovah, which our fathers made, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.

22 Far be it from us that we should rebel against Jehovah, and turn away this day from following Jehovah, to build an altar for burnt-offering, for meal-offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of Jehovah our God that is before his tabernacle.

23 And 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 spake, it pleased them well.

24 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we know that Jehovah is in the midst of us, because ye have not committed this trespass against Jehovah: now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Jehovah.

25 And 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, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

26 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spake no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and the children of Gad dwelt.

27 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar

28 Ed: For,

29 said they, it is a witness between us that Jehovah is God.

30 And it came to pass after many days, when Jehovah had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well stricken in years;

31 that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and well stricken in years:

32 and ye have seen all that Jehovah your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for Jehovah your God, he it is that hath fought for you.

33 Behold, I have allotted unto 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 unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves beforeGod.

2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith Jehovah theGod of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old on the other side of the river, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served othergods.

3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river, and led him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac.

4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt.

5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them; and afterwards I brought you out.

6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.

7 Then they cried to Jehovah, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt; and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long time.

8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and ye took possession of their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

9 And Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you;

10 but I would not hearken unto Balaam, and he blessed you expressly, and I delivered you out of his hand.

11 And ye went over the Jordan, and came unto Jericho, and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.

12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, [as] the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

14 And now fear Jehovah and serve him in perfectness and in truth; and put away thegods which your fathers served on the other side of the river, and in Egypt; and serve Jehovah.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether thegods whom your fathers that were on the other side of the river served, or thegods of the Amorite, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.

16 And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve othergods;

17 for Jehovah ourGod, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs before our eyes, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed!

18 And Jehovah drove out from before us all the peoples, and the Amorites the inhabitants of the land: so therefore we will serve Jehovah, for he is ourGod.

19 And Joshua said to the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah, for he is a holyGod; he is a jealousGod; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

20 If ye forsake Jehovah, and serve strangegods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

21 And the people said to Joshua, No; but we will serve Jehovah.

22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses.

23 Now therefore put away the strangegods that are among you, and incline your heart unto Jehovah theGod of Israel.

24 And the people said unto Joshua, Jehovah ourGod will we serve, and to his voice will we hearken.

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law ofGod, and took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah.

27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us, for it hath heard all the words of Jehovah which he spoke unto us; and it shall be a witness against you, lest ye deny yourGod.

28 And Joshua dismissed the people, every man to his inheritance.

29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, a hundred and ten years old.

30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the mountain of Gaash.

31 And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders whose days were prolonged after Joshua, and who had known all the works of Jehovah, which he had done for Israel.

32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem in the portion of the field which Jacob had bought of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs; and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in mount Ephraim.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Selo, and convoked their elders, and their officers, and their judges, and set them before God.

2 And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers at first sojourned beyond the river, [even] Thara, the father of Abraam and the father of Nachor; and they served other gods.

3 And I took your father Abraam from the other side of the river, and I guided him through all the land, and I multiplied his seed;

4 and I gave to him Isaac, and to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau mount Seir for him to inherit: and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt, and became there a great and populous and mighty nation: and the Egyptians afflicted them.

5 And I smote Egypt with the wonders that I wrought among them.

6 And afterwards [God] brought out our fathers from Egypt, and ye entered into the Red Sea; and the Egyptians pursued after our fathers with chariots and horses into the Red Sea.

7 And we cried aloud to the Lord; and he put a cloud and darkness between us and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in the land of Egypt; and ye were in the wilderness many days.

8 And he brought us into the land of the Amorites that dwelt beyond Jordan, and the Lord delivered them into our hands; and ye inherited their land, and utterly destroyed them from before you.

9 And Balac, king of Moab, son of Sepphor, rose up, and made war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam to curse us.

10 But the Lord thy God would not destroy thee; and he greatly blessed us, and rescued us out of their hands, and delivered them [to us].

11 And ye crossed over Jordan, and came to Jericho; and the inhabitants of Jericho fought against us, the Amorite, and the Chananite, and the Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Jebusite, and the Chettite, and the Gergesite, and the Lord delivered them into our hands.

12 And he sent forth the hornet before you; and he drove them out from before you, [even] twelve kings of the Amorites, not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

13 And he gave you a land on which ye did not labour, and cities which ye did not build, and ye were settled in them; and ye eat [of] vineyards and oliveyards which ye did not plant.

14 And now fear the Lord, and serve him in righteousness and justice; and remove the strange gods, which our fathers served beyond the river, and in Egypt; and serve the Lord.

15 But if it seem not good to you to serve the Lord, choose to yourselves this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods of your fathers that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, among whom ye dwell upon their land: but I and my house will serve the Lord, for he is holy.

16 And the people answered and said, Far be it from us to forsake the Lord, so as to serve other gods.

17 The Lord our God, he is God; he brought up us and our fathers from Egypt, and kept us in all the way wherein we walked, and among all the nations through whom we passed.

18 And the Lord cast out the Amorite, and all the nations that inhabited the land from before us: yea, we will serve the Lord, for he is our God.

19 And Joshua said to the people, Indeed ye will not be able to serve the Lord, for God is holy; and he being jealous will not forgive your sins and your transgressions.

20 Whensoever ye shall forsake the Lord and serve other gods, then he shall come upon you and afflict you, and consume you, because he has done you good.

21 And the people said to Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the Lord.

22 And Joshua said to the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him.

23 And now take away the strange gods that are among you, and set your heart right toward the Lord God of Israel.

24 And the people said to Joshua, We will serve the Lord, and we will hearken to his voice.

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day, and gave them a law and an ordinance in Selo before the tabernacle of the God of Israel.

26 And he wrote these words in the book of the laws of God: and Joshua took a great stone, and set it up under the oak before the Lord.

27 And Joshua said to the people, Behold, this stone shall be among you for a witness, for it has heard all the words that have been spoken to it by the Lord; for he has spoken to you this day; and this [stone] shall be among you for a witness in the last days, whenever ye shall deal falsely with the Lord my God.

28 And Joshua dismissed the people, and they went every man to his place.

29 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived as long as Joshua, and all that knew all the works of the Lord which he wrought for Israel.

30 And it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Naue the servant of the Lord died, [at the age] of a hundred and ten years.

31 And they buried him by the borders of his inheritance in Thamnasarach in the mount of Ephraim, northward of the mount of Galaad:

32 And the children of Israel brought up the bones of Joseph out of Egypt, and buried [them] in Sicima, in the portion of the land which Jacob bought of the Amorites who dwelt in Sicima for a hundred ewe-lambs; and he gave it to Joseph for a portion.

33 And it came to pass afterwards that Eleazar the high-priest the son of Aaron died, and was buried in Gabaar of Phinees his son, which he gave him in mount Ephraim.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Congregavitque Iosue omnes tribus Israel in Sichem, et vocavit maiores natu, ac principes, et iudices, et magistros: steteruntque in conspectu Domini:

2 et ad populum sic locutus est: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Trans fluvium habitaverunt patres vestri ab initio, Thare pater Abraham, et Nachor: servieruntque diis alienis.

3 Tuli ergo patrem vestrum Abraham de Mesopotamiæ finibus: et adduxi eum in Terram Chanaan: multiplicavique semen eius,

4 et dedi ei Isaac: illique rursum dedi Iacob et Esau. E quibus, Esau dedi montem Seir ad possidendum: Iacob vero, et filii eius descenderunt in Ægyptum.

5 Misique Moysen et Aaron, et percussi Ægyptum multis signis atque portentis.

6 Eduxique vos et patres vestros de Ægypto, et venistis ad mare: persecutique sunt Ægyptii patres vestros cum curribus et equitatu, usque ad Mare rubrum.

7 Clamaverunt autem ad Dominum filii Israel: qui posuit tenebras inter vos et Ægyptios, et adduxit super eos mare, et operuit eos. Viderunt oculi vestri cuncta quæ in Ægypto fecerim, et habitastis in solitudine multo tempore:

8 et introduxi vos in Terram Amorrhæi, qui habitabat trans Iordanem. Cumque pugnarent contra vos, tradidi eos in manus vestras, et possedistis Terram eorum, atque interfecistis eos.

9 Surrexit autem Balac filius Sephor rex Moab, et pugnavit contra Israelem. Misitque et vocavit Balaam filium Beor, ut malediceret vobis:

10 et ego nolui audire eum, sed econtrario per illum benedixi vobis, et liberavi vos de manu eius.

11 Transistisque Iordanem, et venistis ad Iericho. Pugnaveruntque contra vos viri civitatis eius, Amorrhæus, et Pherezæus, et Chananæus, et Hethæus, et Gergezæus, et Hevæus, et Iebusæus: et tradidi illos in manus vestras.

12 Misique ante vos crabrones: et eieci eos de locis suis, duos reges Amorrhæorum, non in gladio nec in arcu tuo.

13 Dedique vobis Terram, in qua non laborastis, et urbes quas non ædificastis, ut habitaretis in eis: vineas et oliveta, quæ non plantastis.

14 Nunc ergo timete Dominum, et servite ei perfecto corde atque verissimo: et auferte deos, quibus servierunt patres vestri in Mesopotamia et in Ægypto, ac servite Domino.

15 Sin autem malum vobis videtur ut Domino serviatis, optio vobis datur: eligite hodie quod placet, cui servire potissimum debeatis, utrum diis, quibus servierunt patres vestri in Mesopotamia, an diis Amorrhæorum, in quorum Terra habitatis: ego autem et domus mea serviemus Domino.

16 Responditque populus, et ait: Absit a nobis ut relinquamus Dominum, et serviamus diis alienis.

17 Dominus Deus noster ipse eduxit nos, et patres nostros de Terra Ægypti, de domo servitutis: fecitque videntibus nobis signa ingentia, et custodivit nos in omni via, per quam ambulavimus, et in cunctis populis, per quos transivimus.

18 Et eiecit universas gentes, Amorrhæum habitatorem Terræ, quam nos intravimus. Serviemus igitur Domino, quia ipse est Deus noster.

19 Dixitque Iosue ad populum: Non poteritis servire Domino: Deus enim sanctus, et fortis æmulator est, nec ignoscet sceleribus vestris atque peccatis.

20 Si dimiseritis Dominum, et servieritis diis alienis, convertet se, et affliget vos, atque subvertet postquam vobis præstiterit bona.

21 Dixitque populus ad Iosue: Nequaquam ita ut loqueris, erit, sed Domino serviemus.

22 Et Iosue ad populum, Testes, inquit, vos estis, quia ipsi elegeritis vobis Dominum ut serviatis ei. Responderuntque: Testes.

23 Nunc ergo, ait, auferte deos alienos de medio vestri, et inclinate corda vestra ad Dominum Deum Israel.

24 Dixitque populus ad Iosue: Domino Deo nostro serviemus, et obedientes erimus præceptis eius.

25 Percussit ergo Iosue in die illo fœdus, et proposuit populo præcepta atque iudicia in Sichem.

26 Scripsit quoque omnia verba hæc in volumine legis Domini: et tulit lapidem pergrandem, posuitque eum subter quercum, quæ erat in Sanctuario Domini:

27 et dixit ad omnem populum: En lapis iste erit vobis in testimonium quod audierit omnia verba Domini, quæ locutus est vobis: ne forte postea negare velitis, et mentiri Domino Deo vestro.

28 Dimisitque populum, singulos in possessionem suam.

29 Et post hæc mortuus est Iosue filius Nun servus Domini, centum et decem annorum:

30 sepelieruntque eum in finibus possessionis suæ in Thamnathsare, quæ est sita in monte Ephraim, a Septentrionali parte montis Gaas.

31 Servivitque Israel Domino cunctis diebus Iosue et seniorum, qui longo vixerunt tempore post Iosue, et qui noverunt omnia opera Domini quæ fecerat in Israel.

32 Ossa quoque Ioseph, quæ tulerant filii Israel de Ægypto, sepelierunt in Sichem, in parte agri, quem emerat Iacob a filiis Hemor patris Sichem, centum novellis ovibus, et fuit in possessionem filiorum Ioseph.

33 Eleazar quoque filius Aaron mortuus est: et sepelierunt eum in Gabaath Phinees filii eius, quæ data est ei in monte Ephraim.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

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.

2 Joshua said to all the people, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor. They served other gods.

3 I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his offspring, and gave him Isaac.

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.

5 “‘I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.

6 I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Red Sea.

7 When they cried out to the LORD, 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. You lived in the wilderness many days.

8 “‘I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

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,

10 but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.

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.

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.

13 I gave you a land on which 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.’

14 “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

15 If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose today 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 the LORD.”

16 The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

17 for it is the LORD 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 middle of whom we passed.

18 The LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD; for he is our God.”

19 Joshua said to the people, “You can’t serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins.

20 If you forsake the LORD, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good.”

21 The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”

22 Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD yourselves, to serve him.” They said, “We are witnesses.”

23 “Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline 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 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

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 the LORD.

27 Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the LORD’s words which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God.”

28 So Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

29 After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old.

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.

31 Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the LORD, that he had worked for Israel.

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 from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

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.

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 And Joshua gathereth all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and calleth for the elders of Israel, and for its heads, and for its judges, and for its authorities, and they station themselves before God.

2 And Joshua saith unto all the people, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Beyond the River have your fathers dwelt of old--Terah father of Abraham and father of Nachor--and they serve other gods;

3 and I take your father Abraham from beyond the River, and cause him to go through all the land of Canaan, and multiply his seed, and give to him Isaac.

4 And I give to Isaac, Jacob and Esau; and I give to Esau mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his sons have gone down to Egypt.

5 And I send Moses and Aaron, and plague Egypt, as I have done in its midst, and afterwards I have brought you out.

6 And I bring out your fathers from Egypt, and ye go into the sea, and the Egyptians pursue after your fathers, with chariot and with horsemen, to the Red Sea;

7 and they cry unto Jehovah, and He setteth thick darkness between you and the Egyptians, and bringeth on them the sea, and covereth them, and your eyes see that which I have done in Egypt; and ye dwell in a wilderness many days.

8 `And I bring you in unto the land of the Amorite who is dwelling beyond the Jordan, and they fight with you, and I give them into your hand, and ye possess their land, and I destroy them out of your presence.

9 `And Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, riseth and fighteth against Israel, and sendeth and calleth for Balaam son of Beor, to revile you,

10 and I have not been willing to hearken to Balaam, and he doth greatly bless you, and I deliver you out of his hand.

11 `And ye pass over the Jordan, and come in unto Jericho, and fight against you do the possessors of Jericho--the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite--and I give them into your hand.

12 And I send before you the hornet, and it casteth them out from your presence--two kings of the Amorite--not by thy sword, nor by thy bow.

13 `And I give to you a land for which thou hast not laboured, and cities which ye have not built, and ye dwell in them; of vineyards and olive-yards which ye have not planted ye are eating.

14 `And now, fear ye Jehovah, and serve Him, in perfection and in truth, and turn aside the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve ye Jehovah;

15 and if wrong in your eyes to serve Jehovah--choose for you to-day whom ye do serve; --whether the gods whom your fathers served, which <FI>are<Fi> beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling; and I and my house--we serve Jehovah.'

16 And the people answer and say, `Far be it from us to forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;

17 for Jehovah our God <FI>is<Fi> He who is bringing us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants, and who hath done before our eyes these great signs, and doth keep us in all the way in which we have gone, and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed;

18 and Jehovah casteth out the whole of the peoples, even the Amorite inhabiting the land, from our presence; we also do serve Jehovah, for He <FI>is<Fi> our God.'

19 And Joshua saith unto the people, `Ye are not able to serve Jehovah, for a God most holy He <FI>is<Fi> ; a zealous God He <FI>is<Fi> ; He doth not bear with your transgression and with your sins.

20 When ye forsake Jehovah, and have served gods of a stranger, then He hath turned back and done evil to you, and consumed you, after that He hath done good to you.'

21 And the people saith unto Joshua, `No, but Jehovah we do serve.'

22 And Joshua saith unto the people, `Witnesses ye are against yourselves, that ye have chosen for you Jehovah to serve Him (and they say, `Witnesses!')

23 and, now, turn aside the gods of the stranger which <FI>are<Fi> in your midst, and incline your heart unto Jehovah, God of Israel.'

24 And the people say unto Joshua, `Jehovah our God we serve, and to His voice we hearken.'

25 And Joshua maketh a covenant with the people on that day, and layeth on it a statute and an ordinance, in Shechem.

26 And Joshua writeth these words in the Book of the Law of God, and taketh a great stone, and raiseth it up there under the oak which <FI>is<Fi> in the sanctuary of Jehovah.

27 And Joshua saith unto all the people, `Lo, this stone is against us for a witness, for it hath heard all the sayings of Jehovah which He hath spoken with us, and it hath been against you for a witness, lest ye lie against your God.'

28 And Joshua sendeth the people away, each to his inheritance.

29 And it cometh to pass, after these things, that Joshua son of Nun, servant of Jehovah, dieth, a son of a hundred and ten years,

30 and they bury him in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath-Serah, which <FI>is<Fi> in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the hill of Gaash.

31 And Israel serveth Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who prolonged days after Joshua, and who knew all the work of Jehovah which He did to Israel.

32 And the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem, with a hundred kesitah; and they are to the sons of Joseph for an inheritance.

33 And Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they bury him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the hill-country of Ephraim.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).