Lesson #11Lesson #11

Joshua Says FarewellJoshua Says Farewell

Joshua 23:1–16; 24:14-32Joshua 23:1–16; 24:14-32

Joshua Joshua sayssays

FarewellFarewell

        1a1aAfter a long time had passed After a long time had passed and the LORD had given Israel and the LORD had given Israel

rest from all their enemies rest from all their enemies around them,around them,

    1b1bJoshua, by then a very old man Joshua, by then a very old man 2a2asummoned all Israel—their elders, summoned all Israel—their elders,

leaders, judges and officials—and said leaders, judges and officials—and said to to them: I am very old.them: I am very old.

33You yourselves have seen everything You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these the LORD your God has done to all these

nations for your sake; nations for your sake; it was the LORD your it was the LORD your

God who fought for you.God who fought for you.

4Remember how I have allotted as an

inheritance for your tribes all the

land of the nations that remain—the

nations I conquered—between the

Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea

in the west.

5The LORD your God himself will push* them out for your sake. He will drive

them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the LORD

your God promised you.

 

6Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law

of Moses, without turning aside to the* right or to the left.

77Do not associate with these nations that Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; remain among you;

do not invoke the names of their gods or do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or swear by them. You must not serve them or

bow down to them. bow down to them. 88But you are to hold fast to the LORD your But you are to hold fast to the LORD your

God, as you have until now. God, as you have until now.

99The LORD has driven The LORD has driven out* before you great out* before you great

and powerful nations; to and powerful nations; to this day no one has been this day no one has been able to withstand you. able to withstand you.     

1010One of you routs a thousand, One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for because the LORD your God fights for

you, just as he promised. you, just as he promised.

11So be very careful to love the LORD your God.

 

12But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry

with them and associate with them, 13athen you will be sure that the LORD your

God will no longer drive out these nations before you.   

13b13bInstead, they will Instead, they will become snares become snares

and traps for you, and traps for you, whips on your whips on your

backs and thorns backs and thorns in your eyes, until in your eyes, until you perish from you perish from this good land, this good land, which the LORD which the LORD

your God has given your God has given you. you.

14a14aNow I am about to go Now I am about to go the way of all the earth.the way of all the earth.

JOSHUA

14bYou know with all your heart and soul that not

one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been

fulfilled; not one has failed.  

1515But just as all the But just as all the good things the LORD good things the LORD

your God has your God has promised you have promised you have come to you, so he come to you, so he will bring on you all will bring on you all

the evil things he has the evil things he has threatened, until the threatened, until the

Lord your God has Lord your God has destroyed you* from destroyed you* from this good land he has this good land he has

given you. given you.

1616If you violate the If you violate the covenant of the LORD covenant of the LORD

your God, which he your God, which he commanded you, and go commanded you, and go and serve other gods and and serve other gods and

bow down to them… bow down to them…

the LORD's anger will the LORD's anger will burn against you, and burn against you, and

you will quickly perish* you will quickly perish* from the good land he from the good land he

has given you.has given you.  

ISRAEL

1414Now fear the LORD and Now fear the LORD and serve him with all serve him with all

faithfulness. Throw away the faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors gods your ancestors

worshiped beyond the worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Euphrates River and in

Egypt, and serve the LORD.Egypt, and serve the LORD.

15a15aBut if serving the LORD seems But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose* for undesirable to you, then choose* for yourselves this day whom you will yourselves this day whom you will

serve, whether the gods your serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the ancestors served beyond the

Euphrates, or the gods of Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose the Amorites, in whose

land you are living.land you are living.

15b15bBut as for me and But as for me and my household, my household,

we will serve the LORD.we will serve the LORD.

1616Then the people answered, Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the "Far be it from us to forsake the

LORD to serve other gods! LORD to serve other gods!

17a17aIt was the LORD our God It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our himself who brought us and our

parents up out of Egypt, parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, from that land of slavery, and performed those great and performed those great

signs before our eyes. signs before our eyes.

17b17bHe protected us on our entire He protected us on our entire journey and among all the journey and among all the nations throughout which we nations throughout which we traveled. traveled.

1818And the LORD drove* And the LORD drove* out before us all the out before us all the

nations, nations, including the Amorites, including the Amorites,

who lived in the land. who lived in the land. We too will serve the We too will serve the LORD, because he is LORD, because he is

our God. our God.

You are not able to serve the LORD. You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your will not forgive your rebellion and your

sins. sins.

2020If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you

and make an end of you, after he has and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.been good to you.

1919Then Joshua Then Joshua said to the people,said to the people,

No! We will serve the LORD.No! We will serve the LORD.

2121But the people But the people said to Joshua,said to Joshua,

You are witnesses against You are witnesses against yourselves yourselves

that you have chosen that you have chosen to serve the LORD.to serve the LORD.

2222Then Joshua saidThen Joshua said

Yes, we are witnesses,Yes, we are witnesses,

they replied.they replied.

2323Now then, throw away the Now then, throw away the foreign gods that are among foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.the LORD, the God of Israel.

We will serve the LORD our God We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.and obey him.

    2424And the people said to Joshua,And the people said to Joshua,

2525On that day Joshua made a On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them at Shechem he reaffirmed for them

decrees and laws. decrees and laws. 26a26aAnd Joshua And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of recorded these things in the Book of

the Law of God. the Law of God.

Law of God

26b26bThen he took a large Then he took a large stone and set it up stone and set it up there under the oak there under the oak

near the holy place of near the holy place of the LORD. the LORD.

2727See!" he said to all See!" he said to all the people. "This the people. "This

stone will be a stone will be a witness against us. witness against us. It has heard all the It has heard all the

words the LORD has words the LORD has said to us. It will be a said to us. It will be a

witness against witness against you if you are you if you are

untrue untrue to your God.to your God.

2828Then Joshua Then Joshua dismissed the dismissed the people, each people, each to their own to their own inheritance. inheritance.

JOSHUA110

2929After these things, After these things, Joshua son of Nun, Joshua son of Nun,

the servant of the LORD, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. died at the age of 110.

3030And they buried* him in the land And they buried* him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah

in the hill country of Ephraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.north of Mount Gaash.

3131Israel served the LORD Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of throughout the lifetime of

Joshua and of the elders who Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had outlived him and who had

experienced everything the experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel. LORD had done for Israel.

      

3232And Joseph's bones, And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, brought up from Egypt,

were buried* at were buried* at Shechem in the tract Shechem in the tract

of land that Jacob of land that Jacob bought for a hundred bought for a hundred pieces of silver from pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the sons of Hamor,

the father of Shechem. the father of Shechem. This became the This became the inheritance of inheritance of

Joseph's descendants.Joseph's descendants.

JOSEPH