Joshua 24:22-28

24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” ¹  They replied, “We are witnesses!” ²  24:23 Joshua said, ³  “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to ⁴  the Lord God of Israel.”

24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship ⁵  the Lord our God and obey him.” ⁶ 

24:25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement ⁷  for the people, and he established rules and regulations ⁸  for them in Shechem. 24:26 Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine. 24:27 Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the Lord said to us. ⁹  It will be a witness against you if ¹⁰  you deny your God.” 24:28 When Joshua dismissed the people, they went to their allotted portions of land. ¹¹ 

[24:22]  ¹ tn Heb “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord to serve him.”

[24:22]  ² 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.

[24:23]  ³ tn The words “Joshua said” are supplied for clarification.

[24:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “bend your heart toward.” The term לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) probably here refers to the people’s volition or will.

[24:24]  ⁵ tn Or “will serve.”

[24:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “and listen to his voice.”

[24:25]  ⁷ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[24:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “a statute and a judgment.”

[24:27]  ⁹ tn Heb “all the words of the Lord which he spoke with us.”

[24:27]  ¹⁰ tn Or “lest,” “so that you might not.”

[24:28]  ¹¹ tn Heb “And Joshua sent the people away, each to his inheritance.”