Joshua 24:31

24:31 Israel worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel.

Joshua 24:2

24:2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped other gods,

Joshua 12:2

12:2 King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) – including the city in the middle of the valley and half of Gilead – all the way to the Jabbok Valley bordering Ammonite territory.

Joshua 12:2

12:2 King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) – including the city in the middle of the valley 10  and half of Gilead – all the way to the Jabbok Valley bordering Ammonite territory.

Joshua 24:2

24:2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors 11  lived beyond the Euphrates River, 12  including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped 13  other gods,

Joshua 24:14-22

24:14 Now 14  obey 15  the Lord and worship 16  him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors 17  worshiped 18  beyond the Euphrates 19  and in Egypt and worship 20  the Lord. 24:15 If you have no desire 21  to worship 22  the Lord, choose today whom you will worship, 23  whether it be the gods whom your ancestors 24  worshiped 25  beyond the Euphrates, 26  or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family 27  will worship 28  the Lord!”

24:16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can 29  worship 30  other gods! 24:17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery 31  in the land of Egypt 32  and performed these awesome miracles 33  before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. 34  24:18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship 35  the Lord, for he is our God!”

24:19 Joshua warned 36  the people, “You will not keep worshiping 37  the Lord, for 38  he is a holy God. 39  He is a jealous God who will not forgive 40  your rebellion or your sins. 24:20 If 41  you abandon the Lord and worship 42  foreign gods, he will turn against you; 43  he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, 44  though he once treated you well.” 45 

24:21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will 46  worship 47  the Lord!” 24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” 48  They replied, “We are witnesses!” 49 

Philippians 2:12

Lights in the World

2:12 So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, 50 


tn Or “served.”

tn Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived him.”

tn Heb “who knew all the work of the Lord which he had done for Israel.”

tn Heb “your fathers.”

tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn Or “served.”

tn Or perhaps, “reigned.”

tc The MT reads here, “and the middle of the valley,” but the reading “the city in the middle of valley” can be reconstructed on the basis of Josh 13:9, 16.

tn Or perhaps, “reigned.”

10 tc The MT reads here, “and the middle of the valley,” but the reading “the city in the middle of valley” can be reconstructed on the basis of Josh 13:9, 16.

11 tn Heb “your fathers.”

12 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.

13 tn Or “served.”

14 sn Joshua quotes the Lord’s words in vv. 2b-13 (note that the Lord speaks in the first person in these verses); in vv. 14-15 Joshua himself exhorts the people (note the third person references to the Lord).

15 tn Heb “fear.”

16 tn Or “and serve.”

17 tn Heb “your fathers.”

18 tn Or “served.”

19 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.

20 tn Or “and serve.”

21 tn Heb “if it is bad in your eyes.”

22 tn Or “to serve.”

23 tn Or “will serve.”

24 tn Heb “your fathers.”

25 tn Or “served.”

26 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.

27 tn Heb “house.”

28 tn Or “will serve.”

29 tn Heb “to.”

30 tn Or “can serve.”

31 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”

32 tn Heb “for the Lord our God, he is the one who brought up us and our fathers from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.”

33 tn Or “great signs.”

34 tn Heb “and he guarded us in all the way in which we walked and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.”

35 tn Or “will serve.”

36 tn Heb “said to.”

37 tn Heb “you are not able to serve.”

38 sn For an excellent discussion of Joshua’s logical argument here, see T. C. Butler, Joshua (WBC), 274-75.

39 tn In the Hebrew text both the divine name (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) and the adjective (קְדֹשִׁים, qÿdoshim, “holy”) are plural. Normally the divine name, when referring to the one true God, takes singular modifiers, but this is a rare exception where the adjective agrees grammatically with the honorific plural noun. See GKC §124.i and IBHS 122.

40 tn Heb “lift up” or “take away.”

41 tn Or “when.”

42 tn Or “and serve.”

43 tn The words “against you” are added for clarification.

44 tn Heb “bring you to an end.”

45 tn Heb “after he did good for you.”

46 tn The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is emphatic. Another option is to take it as explanatory, “No, for we will….”

47 tn Or “will serve.”

48 tn Heb “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord to serve him.”

49 sn Like witnesses in a court of law, Israel’s solemn vow to worship the Lord will testify against them in the divine court if the nation ever violates its commitment.

50 tn Grk “with fear and trembling.” The Greek words φόβος and τρόμος both imply fear in a negative sense (L&N 25.251 and 16.6 respectively) while the former can also refer to respect and awe for deity (L&N 53.59). Paul’s use of the terms in other contexts refers to “awe and reverence in the presence of God” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 284; see discussion on 282-84). The translation “awe and reverence” was chosen to portray the attitude the believer should have toward God as they consider their behavior in light of God working through Jesus Christ (2:6-11) and in the believer’s life (2:13) to accomplish their salvation.