Then Joshua summoned all the people of Israel to Shechem, along with their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God.
Joshua said to the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods.
But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac.
To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the hill country of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
"Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward I brought you out as a free people.
But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and horses.
When you cried out to the LORD, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years.
"Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land.
Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He asked Balaam son of Beor to curse you,
but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak.
"When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you. There were also many others who fought you, including the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them.
And I sent hornets ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory.
I gave you land you had not worked for, and I gave you cities you did not build--the cities in which you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.
"So honor the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone.
But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."
The people replied, "We would never forsake the LORD and worship other gods.
For the LORD our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us.
It was the LORD who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the LORD, for he alone is our God."
Then Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and sins.
If you forsake the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you."
But the people answered Joshua, saying, "No, we are determined to serve the LORD!"
"You are accountable for this decision," Joshua said. "You have chosen to serve the LORD.Yes," they replied, "we are accountable."
"All right then," Joshua said, "destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."
The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him alone."
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to a permanent and binding contract between themselves and the LORD.
Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the oak tree beside the Tabernacle of the LORD.
Joshua said to all the people, "This stone has heard everything the LORD said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God."
Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.
Soon after this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
They buried him in the land he had inherited, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the leaders who outlived him--those who had personally experienced all that the LORD had done for Israel.
The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the parcel of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for one hundred pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph.
Eleazar son of Aaron also died. He was buried in the hill country of Ephraim, in the town of Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas.