Joshua 24

1 [Many years later], Joshua summoned representatives of all the tribes of Israel. He gathered together the elders, the leaders, the judges, and the other officials at Shechem [city]. He told them to listen to what God wanted to tell them.

And he gathered Joshua all [the] tribes of Israel Shechem towards and he summoned [the] elders of Israel and leaders its and judges its and officials its and they presented themselves before God.

2 Joshua said to all of them, “This is what Yahweh, the God we Israeli people worship, is saying: ‘Long ago, your ancestors, including Abraham’s father Terah and Abraham’s younger brother Nahor, lived on the east side of the Euphrates River.

And he said Joshua to all the people thus he says Yahweh [the] God of Israel on [the] other side of the river they dwelt ancestors your from long ago Terah [the] father of Abraham and [the] father of Nahor and they served gods other.

3 But I took your ancestor Abraham from that land east of the Euphrates River, and I led him as he lived in various places in this land of Canaan, and I enabled him to have many descendants. First, I enabled him to have a son, Isaac.

And I took ancestor your Abraham from [the] other side of the river and I led him in all [the] land of Canaan (and I increased *Q(k)*) offspring his and I gave to him Isaac.

4 When Isaac grew up, I enabled him to have twin sons, Jacob and Esau. I enabled Esau to live in the hilly area in Seir region, but many years later Jacob and his sons and their families went down to live in Egypt.

And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau and I gave to Esau [the] mountain of Seir to take possession of it and Jacob and sons his they went down Egypt.

5 “[Many years later], I sent Moses and his older brother Aaron to help your people, and I caused [the people of] Egypt to suffer very much because of what I did there. Then I enabled your ancestors to leave Egypt.

And I sent Moses and Aaron and I struck Egypt just as I did in midst its and after I brought out you.

6 When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, they came to the Red Sea. The Egyptian army pursued them, some riding in chariots and others on horses, and they also arrived at the Red Sea.

And I brought out fathers your from Egypt and you came the sea towards and they pursued Egypt after fathers your with chariotry and with horsemen [the] sea of reed[s].

7 Then [your ancestors] pleaded with me to help them. So he caused (darkness/a very dark cloud) to come between your ancestors and the Egyptian army, so that the Egyptian army could not see your ancestors. I separated the water in the Red Sea so that your ancestors could cross it, but when the Egyptian army tried to cross in the same way to pursue them, I caused the water to come back and cover them, and the Egyptian soldiers all drowned, as your ancestors watched and were amazed [IDM]. But after that, you lived in the desert for many years.

And they cried out to Yahweh and he put darkness between you - and between the Egyptians and he brought over it the sea and it covered it and they saw eyes your [that] which I did in Egypt and you dwelt in the wilderness days many.

8 “Then I brought your [ancestors] to the area where the groups who were descendants of Amor lived, east of the Jordan River. They fought against you, but I enabled you to defeat them [IDM]. I [enabled you to] destroy them so that you could live in their land [IDM].

(And I brought *Q(K)*) you to [the] land of the Amorite[s] who dwelt on [the] other side of the Jordan and they fought with you and I gave them in hand your and you took possession of land their and I destroyed them from before you.

9 Then, Zippor’s son Balak, the King of Moab, (decided that his army would fight against/opposed) the Israelis. He summoned Beor’s son Balaam and asked him to curse you.

And he arose Balak [the] son of Zippor [the] king of Moab and he fought against Israel and he sent and he summoned Balaam [the] son of Beor to curse you.

10 But I would not do what Balaam asked, so he (blessed/said that I would do great things for) you four times, and I did not enable the army of Moab to defeat you [IDM].

And not I was willing to listen to Balaam and he blessed continuously you and I delivered you from hand his.

11 “Then you all crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho prepared to fight against you, [and the armies of] the descendants of Amor, Periz, Canaan, Heth, Girgash, Hiv, and Jebus [all prepared to do the same thing] but I enabled you to defeat [IDM] them all.

And you passed over the Jordan and you came to Jericho and they fought against you [the] citizens of Jericho the Amorite[s] and the Perizzite[s] and the Canaanite[s] and the Hittite[s] and the Girgashite[s] the Hivite[s] and the Jebusite[s] and I gave them in hand your.

12 I am the one who caused them to panic as you advanced and enabled you to defeat them, as I had enabled you to do earlier to the two kings of the groups who were descendants of Amor. You did not defeat them by using your own bows and arrows and swords; [it was I who defeated them].

And I sent before you the hornet and it drove out them from before you [the] two [the] kings of the Amorite[s] not by sword your and not by bow your.

13 So I gave you a land that you had not tilled/planted, and I gave you cities that you did not build. [Now] you live in those [cities] and you eat the grapes from the grapevines that you did not plant, and you eat olives from trees that you did not plant.’”

And I gave to you a land - which not you had labored for it and cities which not you had built and you dwelt in them vineyards and olive trees which not you had planted you [are] eating.

14 [Then Joshua said to the people], “[Because of all that] Yahweh [has done for you], revere him, and serve/worship him very faithfully. Throw away the idols that your ancestors worshiped on the east/other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve only Yahweh.

And therefore fear Yahweh and serve him in integrity and in faithfulness and remove [the] gods which they served ancestors your on [the] other side of the river and in Egypt and serve Yahweh.

15 But if you do not want to serve/worship Yahweh, you should decide today what [gods] you will serve/worship. You should decide whether you will serve/worship the gods that your ancestors who lived on the other/east side of the Euphrates River served, or whether you will serve/worship the gods that the descendants of Amor, who previously lived in the land where you are now living, [serve/worship]. But as for me and my family [MTY], we will serve/worship Yahweh!”

And if is displeasing in view your to serve Yahweh choose for yourselves this day whom? will you serve! whether [the] gods which they served ancestors your who ([were] from [the] other side of *Q(K)*) the river and or [the] gods of the Amorite[s] whom you [are] dwelling in land their and I and household my we will serve Yahweh.

16 The Israeli people answered, “We will never quit [serving/worshiping] Yahweh! We would never [think of] [IDM] serving/worshiping other gods!

And it answered the people and it said far be it to us from forsaking Yahweh to serve gods other.

17 It was our God, Yahweh, who brought our parents and grandparents up out of Egypt. [He rescued them] from that land where they were slaves. As he rescued them, they saw him perform great miracles. He protected them all the time when they were traveling. He protected them from all the people-groups through whose territory they traveled.

For Yahweh God our he [is] the [one who] brought up us and fathers our from [the] land of Egypt from a house of slaves and [the one] who he did to eyes our the signs great these and he kept us in all the way which we went in it and among all the peoples which we passed in midst their.

18 As our forefathers advanced, Yahweh expelled the descendants of Amor and the other people-groups who lived in this land. Yahweh is our God, so [we are saying that] we also will serve/worship him.”

And he drove out Yahweh all the peoples and the Amorite[s] [who] dwelt of the land from before us also we we will serve Yahweh for he [is] God our.

19 Joshua replied to the people, “[I think that] you are not able to serve/worship Yahweh, because he is a holy God. He will not forgive your sinning and rebelling [against him]. He demands that you serve/worship only him [IDM].

And he said Joshua to the people not you will be able to serve Yahweh for [is] a God holy he [is] a God jealous he not he will forgive to transgression your and sins your.

20 He has been good to you [in the past], but if you turn away from him and serve/worship foreign/other gods, he will turn [against you] and he will cause you to experience disasters. He will punish [IDM] you severely!”

If you will forsake Yahweh and you will serve gods of foreignness and he will turn and he will do harm to you and he will make an end of you after that he has done good to you.

21 But the people replied to Joshua, “No, [we will not turn away from worshiping/serving Yahweh] We will serve/worship Yahweh!”

And it said the people to Joshua In-deed Yahweh we will serve.

22 Then Joshua said, “You yourselves are saying that you have decided to serve/worship Yahweh.” They replied, “Yes, we are saying that.”

And he said Joshua to the people [are] witnesses you on yourselves that you you have chosen for yourselves Yahweh to serve him and they said witnesses.

23 Then Joshua said, “Since [you have decided] that, you must throw away all the other gods/idols that you have among you. You must also promise that you will wholeheartedly give yourselves to Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [serve/worship].”

And therefore remove [the] gods of foreignness which [are] in midst your and turn heart your to Yahweh [the] God of Israel.

24 The people replied, “We will serve/worship Yahweh, our God, and obey him.”

And they said the people to Joshua Yahweh God our we will serve and to voice his we will listen.

25 That day, Joshua established an agreement between the people and Yahweh. He wrote for them all the laws that they were required to obey.

And he made Joshua a covenant to the people on the day that and he established for it a decree and a judgment at Shechem.

26 He wrote all those laws on a scroll. He called it ‘The laws of God’. Then he [told some men to] set up a large stone there at Shechem, under the [large] oak tree near the place where [they worshiped] Yahweh.

And he wrote Joshua the words these in [the] book of [the] law of God and he took a stone large and he set up it there under the oak which [was] at [the] sanctuary of Yahweh.

27 He said to all the people, “Look! [It is as though] this stone has heard everything that Yahweh said to you [and that you promised Yahweh]. It will serve as a witness against you if you rebel against your God!”

And he said Joshua to all the people here! the stone this it will become on us a witness for it it has heard all [the] words of Yahweh which he has spoken with us and it will become on you a witness lest you should deny! God your.

28 Then Joshua sent the people away, and all of them returned to their own areas/homes.

And he sent away Joshua the people everyone to own inheritance his.

29 Some time after that, Nun’s son Joshua, the faithful servant of Yahweh, died. He was 110 years old when he died.

And it was after the things these and he died Joshua [the] son of Nun [the] servant of Yahweh a son of one hundred and ten years.

30 The Israeli people buried his body on his own property in Timnath-Serah [town] town. It is north of Gaash Mountain in the hilly area of the tribe who were descendants of Ephraim.

And people buried him in [the] territory of inheritance his at Timnath Serah which [is] in [the] hill country of Ephraim from [the] north of [the] mountain of Gaash.

31 The Israeli people served/worshiped Yahweh as long as Joshua was alive. After Joshua died, they continued serving/worshiping Yahweh while the elders who had experienced everything that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people were still alive.

And it served Israel Yahweh all [the] days of Joshua and all - [the] days of the old [men] who they made long days after Joshua and who they knew all [the] work of Yahweh which he had done for Israel.

32 Joseph’s bones, which the Israeli people had brought with them from Egypt, were also buried at Shechem. The people buried them in the piece of land that Jacob had bought long ago for 100 pieces of silver from Hamor, the father of Shechem. That piece of land was in the area that was given to the people who were descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons.

And [the] bones of Joseph which they had brought up [the] people of Israel - from Egypt they buried at Shechem in [the] portion of the field which he had bought Jacob from with [the] sons of Hamor [the] father of Shechem for a hundred piece[s] of money and they became of [the] descendants of Joseph an inheritance.

33 Eleazar, the Supreme Priest, the son of Aaron, also died. They buried his body at Gibeah, in the area that had been given to Eleazar’s son Phinehas, in the hilly area that belonged to the people who were descendants of Ephraim.

And Eleazar [the] son of Aaron he died and people buried him at Gibeah of Phinehas son his which it had been given to him in [the] hill country of Ephraim.