Whenever the Israelites were strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.

The manna stopped appearing the day they ate some of the produce of the land; the Israelites never ate manna again.

Now you are condemned to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods!

There has not been a day like it before or since. The Lord obeyed a man, for the Lord fought for Israel!

But stay about three thousand feet behind it. Keep your distance so you can see which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before.”

No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone.

Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated, O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.”

but as a reminder to us and you, and to our descendants who follow us, that we will honor the Lord in his very presence with burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no right to worship the Lord.’

Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord by turning back today from following after the Lord by building an altar for burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace aside from the altar of the Lord our God located in front of his dwelling place!”