Joshua 24:16-33

The people responded enthusiastically: “Far be it from us to abandon YAHWEH and serve other gods! Our God, YAHWEH, set us and our fathers free from slavery in the land of Egypt, the house of bondage. He performed these many great signs and wonders before our eyes. YAHWEH supernaturally protected us throughout our entire journey as we passed through the territory of other nations. And as we advanced, YAHWEH powerfully drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who inhabited the country. Yes, Joshua! We, too, will worship and serve YAHWEH, for he alone is our God.” Joshua warned the people, “Don’t be so quick to say, ‘We will worship and serve YAHWEH,’ for he is a holy God. And he will tolerate no rivals. God will not forgive the sin of unfaithfulness to him. If after YAHWEH has been gracious to you, you turn and forsake him to worship other gods, then he will turn and deal harshly with you and totally consume you!” “No, no!” the people responded. “We promise to worship and serve YAHWEH!” Then Joshua said to them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve YAHWEH.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they responded. “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away these foreign gods that are among you, and yield your hearts fully to YAHWEH the God of Israel!” And the people promised Joshua, “We really will worship and serve our God, YAHWEH, and listen to his voice.” On that day when the people were gathered at Shechem, Joshua made a covenant between them and YAHWEH, which contained laws the people were to obey. Joshua recorded all this in a book of divine instruction. Then he set up a large stone memorial at the tent pole near the holy place of YAHWEH. Joshua said to all the people, “Look at this stone! It will serve as a witness, for it heard all the words that YAHWEH spoke to us; it will be a witness against you if you rebel against our God.” Joshua then dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance. Some time later, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of YAHWEH, died at the age of one hundred and ten. They buried him on his own property, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. Israel was faithful to serve YAHWEH during the lifetime of Joshua and the lifetime of the elders who lived on after Joshua, those who had experienced all the miracles that YAHWEH had done for Israel. They buried Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father. So the land became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants. The chief priest Eleazar son of Aaron also died. They buried him on the hill of his son Phineas, which had been assigned to him in Ephraim.