Joshua 24:1-11

Israel Renews its Commitment to the Lord

24:1 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God. 24:2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors ¹  lived beyond the Euphrates River, ²  including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped ³  other gods, 24:3 but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates ⁴  and brought him into ⁵  the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac, 24:4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir, ⁶  while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 24:5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. ⁷  Then I brought you out. 24:6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 24:7 Your fathers ⁸  cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark, ⁹  and then drowned them in the sea. ¹⁰  You witnessed with your very own eyes ¹¹  what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time. ¹²  24:8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered ¹³  their land and I destroyed them from before you. 24:9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack ¹⁴  against Israel. He summoned ¹⁵  Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment ¹⁶  on you. 24:10 I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept ¹⁷  prophesying good things about ¹⁸  you, and I rescued you from his power. ¹⁹  24:11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. ²⁰  The leaders ²¹  of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you.

[24:2]  ¹ tn Heb “your fathers.”

[24:2]  ² tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:2]  ³ tn Or “served.”

[24:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:3]  ⁵ tn Or “through.”

[24:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “I gave to Esau Mount Seir to possess it.”

[24:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “by that which I did in its midst.”

[24:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the fathers) has been specified in the translation for clarity (see the previous verse).

[24:7]  ⁹ tn Or “put darkness between you and the Egyptians.”

[24:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and he brought over them the sea and covered them.”

[24:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your eyes saw.”

[24:7]  ¹² tn Heb “many days.”

[24:8]  ¹³ tn Or “took possession of.”

[24:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “arose and fought.”

[24:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “sent and called.”

[24:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “to curse.”

[24:10]  ¹⁷ tn The infinitive absolute follows the finite verb in the Hebrew text and indicates continuation or repetition of the action. Balaam pronounced several oracles of blessing over Israel (see Num 23-24).

[24:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “blessing.” Balaam’s “blessings” were actually prophecies of how God would prosper Israel.

[24:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “hand.”

[24:11]  ²⁰ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[24:11]  ²¹ tn Or perhaps, “citizens.”