Day 65: Joshua 22-24

The Altar by the Jordan, Joshua’s Farewell, and the Renewal of the Covenant

Joshua 22

1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 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. 3 You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the instructions of the commandment of Yahweh your God. 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.

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, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cling to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents.

7 Now to one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given an 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, 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 plunder of your enemies with your brothers.”

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, of which they were given possession according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.

10 They came to the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, and the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar to look at.

11 The children of Israel heard, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the border of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, at the side that belongs to the children of Israel.”

12 When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.

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, 14 and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ household for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were each one head of their fathers’ households among the thousands of Israel.

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 spoke with them, saying, 16 “The whole congregation of Yahweh says, ‘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 yourselves an altar, to rebel this day against Yahweh? 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, 18 that you must turn away this day from following Yahweh? It will be, since you rebel today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 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 yourselves an altar besides the altar of Yahweh our God.

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.’”

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 “The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel he shall know. If it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh, don’t save us this day; 23 that we have built ourselves an altar to turn away from following Yahweh, or to offer burnt offering or meal offering on it, or to sacrifice peace offerings on it, let Yahweh himself require it. 24 No; but we did this thing for fear that in the future your children might speak to our children, saying, ‘What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel? 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.

26 “Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; 27 but it shall 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 the future, ‘You have no portion in Yahweh.’ 28 Therefore we said, ‘It shall be, when they tell us or our generations in the future, 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.”’

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 Tent.”

30 When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel who 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.

31 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against Yahweh. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of Yahweh’s hand.”

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.

33 The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and didn’t talk any more about going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived.

34 The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “Ed,” saying, “For it is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.”

Joshua 23

1 After many days, when Yahweh had given rest to Israel from all their enemies around them, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, 2 Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads, and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old and well advanced in years. 3 You have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations because of you; for Yahweh your God himself has fought for you. 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 westward. 5 Yahweh your God himself will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from your sight. He will possess their land, as Yahweh your God spoke to you.

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 away from it to the right hand or to the left, 7 that you not mingle with these nations, these that remain among you. Don’t mention the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves down to them; 8 but cling to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day.

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. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand; for Yahweh your God himself fights for you, as he spoke to you. 11 Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh your God.

12 “But if you turn away, and cling to the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and intermarry with them, and go in to them, and they to you, 13 know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; 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.

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.

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, 16 when you disobey the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow yourselves down to them. Then Yahweh’s anger will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”

Joshua 24

1 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. They presented themselves before God.

2 Joshua said to all the people, “Yahweh, 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 seed, and gave him Isaac. 4 I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau. 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 Yahweh, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them. 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, who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought with you. 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 wouldn’t 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, as did the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and 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 dwell in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’

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

16 The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, that we should serve other gods; 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 whom we passed. 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.”

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

21 The people said to Joshua, “No; but we will serve Yahweh.”

22 Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh, 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel.”

24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh 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 Yahweh. 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 therefore be a witness against you, lest you deny your God.”

28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

29 After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. 30 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of Mount Gaash.

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

32 They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, at Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the children of Hamor the father of Shechem for one 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.

Scripture: World English Bible (WEB), public domain.