Joshua 24

King James Version

Full text for Joshua Chapter 24

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 before God.

2And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, [even] Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

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

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

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

6And 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.

7And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

8And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.

9Then 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:

10But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

11And ye went over 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.

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

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

14Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

15¶ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

16And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

17For the LORD our God, he [it is] that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

18And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: [therefore] will we also serve the LORD; for he [is] our God.

19And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he [is] an holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

20If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

21And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.

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

23Now therefore put away, [said he], the strange gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.

24And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

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

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

27And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

28So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.

29¶ And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, [being] an hundred and ten years old.

30And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which [is] in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.

31And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.

32And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

33And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill [that pertained to] Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Joshua gathers all Israel at Shechem, recounting the LORD's faithful acts from Abraham to their settlement in Canaan. He challenges them to choose whom they will serve, declaring his own house will serve the LORD. The people affirm their commitment, leading Joshua to establish a covenant and erect a stone as a witness. The chapter concludes with the deaths of Joshua and Eleazar, and the burial of Joseph's bones.

Medium Summary

Joshua convenes all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, where he delivers a powerful address recounting the LORD's historical faithfulness from Abraham's call to their deliverance from Egypt and conquest of Canaan. He then presents a solemn choice to the people: to serve the LORD or other gods, declaring, "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Though the people affirm their commitment, Joshua warns them of God's holy and jealous nature and the consequences of forsaking Him. The people reaffirm their choice, prompting Joshua to establish a covenant with them and erect a great stone as a lasting witness. The chapter concludes with the account of Joshua's death and burial, along with the burial of Joseph's bones and the death of Eleazar.

Long Summary

Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, calling together their leaders, judges, and officers to stand before God. He delivers a comprehensive historical review, recounting the LORD's providential guidance from the time of Terah and Abraham, who served other gods, through their journey to Canaan. Joshua details the multiplication of Abraham's seed, the descent into Egypt, and the miraculous deliverance by Moses and Aaron through the plagues and the Red Sea. He reminds them of God's victory over the Amorites and the frustration of Balak's curse through Balaam. Joshua emphasizes that the LORD delivered the inhabitants of Canaan into their hands, even sending the hornet, and gave them a land and cities they did not labor for or build. Based on this history, Joshua exhorts the people to fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away all foreign gods. He then presents a stark choice: to serve the LORD or the gods of their fathers or the Amorites, while firmly declaring his own household's unwavering commitment to the LORD. The people emphatically respond that they will not forsake the LORD, citing His mighty acts of deliverance and preservation. Joshua, however, challenges their resolve, warning that the LORD is a holy and jealous God who will not forgive their transgressions if they forsake Him for strange gods, but will instead bring harm. Despite this stern warning, the people reiterate their determination to serve the LORD. Joshua then makes them witnesses to their own choice and commands them to remove the strange gods among them and incline their hearts to the God of Israel. On that day, Joshua makes a covenant with the people, setting a statute and ordinance, and erects a great stone under an oak by the sanctuary as a lasting witness to their pledge. The chapter concludes with the death and burial of Joshua at 110 years old, noting that Israel served the LORD throughout his lifetime and the days of the elders who outlived him. It also records the burial of Joseph's bones in Shechem and the death and burial of Eleazar.

Core Concepts

  • Covenant RenewalJoshua gathers Israel at Shechem to renew their covenant with the LORD, reminding them of God's past faithfulness and calling them to a renewed commitment. This act solidifies their relationship with God before Joshua's death.
  • Historical RecitationJoshua provides a detailed account of God's actions from Abraham's call to their current settlement in Canaan, highlighting divine intervention in their deliverance and conquest. This recitation serves as a foundation for their choice to serve the LORD.
  • Choice and CommitmentJoshua challenges the people to choose whom they will serve, presenting a clear dichotomy between the LORD and foreign gods. The people repeatedly affirm their decision to serve the LORD, despite Joshua's warnings about God's holiness.
  • Divine Jealousy and HolinessJoshua warns the Israelites that the LORD is a holy and jealous God who will not tolerate unfaithfulness or the worship of other gods. This emphasizes the serious consequences of forsaking their covenant.
  • Witness and MemorialA great stone is erected as a witness to the covenant made at Shechem, serving as a tangible reminder of the people's solemn pledge to serve the LORD. This act ensures the memory of the covenant persists.
  • Leadership TransitionThe chapter marks the end of Joshua's leadership with his death and burial, signifying a transition period for Israel. It also notes that Israel served the LORD during his lifetime and the time of the elders who outlived him.
  • Burial of Joseph's BonesThe burial of Joseph's bones in Shechem fulfills a long-standing promise and symbolizes the complete fulfillment of God's promise to bring Israel into the land of Canaan.