Joshua 24:19-33

Joshua 24:19-33 MSG

Then Joshua told the people: “You can’t do it; you’re not able to worship GOD. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He won’t put up with your fooling around and sinning. When you leave GOD and take up the worship of foreign gods, he’ll turn right around and come down on you hard. He’ll put an end to you—and after all the good he has done for you!” But the people told Joshua: “No! No! We worship GOD!” And so Joshua addressed the people: “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen GOD for yourselves—to worship him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” Joshua said, “Now get rid of all the foreign gods you have with you. Say an unqualified Yes to GOD, the God of Israel.” The people answered Joshua, “We will worship GOD. What he says, we’ll do.” Joshua completed a Covenant for the people that day there at Shechem. He made it official, spelling it out in detail. Joshua wrote out all the directions and regulations into the Book of The Revelation of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up under the oak that was in the holy place of GOD. Joshua spoke to all the people: “This stone is a witness against us. It has heard every word that GOD has said to us. It is a standing witness against you lest you cheat on your God.” Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own place of inheritance. * * * After all this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of GOD, died. He was 110 years old. They buried him in the land of his inheritance at Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. Israel served GOD through the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had themselves experienced all that GOD had done for Israel. Joseph’s bones, which the People of Israel had brought from Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor (who was the father of Shechem). He paid a hundred silver coins for it. It belongs to the inheritance of the family of Joseph. Eleazar son of Aaron died. They buried him at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the mountains of Ephraim.