Joshua 24

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God,	1 Joshua gathered al the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; he then summoned al the elders ofIsrael, its leaders, judges and officials, and they presented themselves in God's presence.
2 Joshua addressed all the people: "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: In times past your fathers, down to Terah, father of Abraham and Nahor, dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.	2 Joshua then said to al the people: 'Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this, "From time immemorial, yourancestors, Terah, father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River, and served other gods.
3 But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac.	3 I then brought your ancestor Abraham from beyond the River and led him through the length andbreadth of Canaan. I increased his descendants and I gave him Isaac.
4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle, while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.	4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave possession of the mountainous country of Seir.Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt.
5 "Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies which I wrought in her midst.	5 I then sent Moses and Aaron, and plagued Egypt with the wonders that I worked there; final y I broughtyou out.
6 Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea, the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea with chariots and horsemen.	6 I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, and you came to the Sea; the Egyptians pursued your ancestorswith chariots and horsemen, to the Sea of Reeds.
7 Because they cried out to the LORD, he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them. After you witnessed what I did to Egypt, and dwelt a long time in the desert,	7 They then called to Yahweh, and he spread a thick fog between you and the Egyptians, and made thesea go back on them and cover them. You saw with your own eyes what I did in Egypt. Then, for a long while,you lived in the desert.
8 I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them (the two kings of the Amorites) before you.	8 I then brought you into the country of the Amorites, who used to live on the further side of the Jordan;they made war on you and I put them at your mercy; after which, you took possession of their country, since Idestroyed them before you.
9 Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, prepared to war against Israel. He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you;	9 Next, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, rose to make war on Israel, and sent for Balaam son of Beorto come and curse you.
10 but I would not listen to Balaam. On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him.	10 But I would not listen to Balaam; instead, he had to bless you, and I saved you from his power.
11 Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power.	11 "You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, but the inhabitants of Jericho made war on you:Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I put them al at your mercy.
12 And I sent the hornets ahead of you which drove them (the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites) out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.	12 I sent hornets ahead of you, which drove out the two Amorite kings before you; this was not the workof your sword or of your bow.
13 "I gave you a land which you had not tilled and cities which you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.	13 And now I have given you a country for which you have not toiled, towns you have not built, althoughyou live in them, vineyards and olive groves you have not planted, although you eat their fruit."
14 "Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.	14 'So now, fear Yahweh and serve him truly and sincerely; banish the gods whom your ancestorsserved beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.
15 If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."	15 But if serving Yahweh seems a bad thing to you, today you must make up your minds whom you domean to serve, whether the gods whom your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites inwhose country you are now living. As regards my family and me, we shal serve Yahweh.'
16 But the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods.	16 The people replied, 'Far be it from us to desert Yahweh and to serve other gods!
17 For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed.	17 Yahweh our God was the one who brought us and our ancestors here from Egypt, from the place ofslave-labour, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and who kept us safe all along the way wetravel ed and among all the peoples through whom we passed.
18 At our approach the LORD drove out (all the peoples, including) the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."	18 And Yahweh has driven all the nations out for us, including the Amorites who used to live in thecountry. We too shal serve Yahweh, for he is our God.'
19 Joshua in turn said to the people, "You may not be able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.	19 Joshua then said to the people, 'You will not be able to serve Yahweh, since he is a holy God, he is ajealous God who wil not tolerate either your misdeeds or your sins.
20 If, after the good he has done for you, you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, he will do evil to you and destroy you."	20 If you desert Yahweh and serve the foreigners' gods, he will turn and maltreat you anew and, in spiteof having been good to you in the past, wil destroy you.'
21 But the people answered Joshua, "We will still serve the LORD."	21 The people replied to Joshua, 'No! Yahweh is the one we mean to serve.'
22 Joshua therefore said to the people, "You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the LORD." They replied, "We are, indeed!"	22 Joshua then said to the people, 'You are witnesses to yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh, toserve him.' They replied, 'Witnesses we are!'
23 "Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."	23 'Then banish the foreign gods which you have with you and give your al egiance to Yahweh, God ofIsrael!'
24 Then the people promised Joshua, "We will serve the LORD, our God, and obey his voice."	24 The people replied to Joshua, 'Yahweh our God is the one whom we shall serve; his voice we shalobey!'
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem,	25 That day Joshua made a covenant for the people; he laid down a statute and ordinance for them atShechem.
26 which he recorded in the book of the law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was in the sanctuary of the LORD.	26 Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. He then took a large stone and set it upthere, under the oak tree in Yahweh's sanctuary.
27 And Joshua said to all the people, "This stone shall be our witness, for it has heard all the words which the LORD spoke to us. It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God."	27 Joshua then said to all the people, 'Look, this stone will be a witness to us, since it has heard al thewords that Yahweh has spoken to us: it wil be a witness against you, in case you should deny your God.'
28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own heritage.	28 Joshua then dismissed the people, every one to his own heritage.
29 After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten.	29 After this, Joshua son of Nun, servant of Yahweh, died; he was a hundred and ten years old.
30 He was buried within the limits of his heritage at Timnath-serah in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.	30 He was buried on the estate which he had received as his heritage, at Timnath-Serah which lies inthe highlands of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31 Israel served the LORD during the entire lifetime of Joshua and that of the elders who outlived Joshua and knew all that the LORD had done for Israel.	31 Israel served Yahweh throughout the lifetime of Joshua and throughout the lifetime of those elderswho outlived Joshua and had known al the deeds which Yahweh had done for the sake of Israel.
32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried in Shechem in the plot of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of money. This was a heritage of the descendants of Joseph.	32 As regards the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought from Egypt, these were buried atShechem in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamorfather of Shechem, and which had become the heritage of the sons of Joseph.
33 When Eleazar, son of Aaron, also died, he was buried on the hill which had been given to his son Phinehas in the mountain region of Ephraim.	33 Eleazar son of Aaron then died and was buried at Gibeah, the town of his son Phinehas, which hadbeen given to him in the highlands of Ephraim.