Yahusha Ba'Nun (Joshua) — 24
YAHUAH’s Covenant Renewed
1 Then Yahusha Ba'Nun summoned all the tribes of Yashar'AL to Shacham, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.
2 Yahusha said to the people, “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Tarah, the father of Abraham and Nahur, lived beyond the Auphrates River, and they worshiped idols.
3 But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Auphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Yachaq.
4 To Yachaq I gave Ya'aqub and Asau. To Asau I gave the mountains of Sair, while Ya'aqub and his children went down into Mitzraym.
5 “Then I sent Musha and Aarun, and I brought terrible plagues on Mitzraym; and afterward I brought you out as a free people.
6 But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea, the Mitzraym chased after you with chariots and charioteers.
7 When your ancestors cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, I put darkness between you and the Mitzraym. I brought the sea crashing down on the Mitzraym, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years.
8 “Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amurites on the east side of the Yurdan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land.
9 Then Balak son of Zippur, king of Muab, started a war against Yashar'AL, he summoned Balaam son of Baur to curse you,
10 but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam barak you, and so I rescued you from Balak.
11 “When you crossed the Yurdan River and came to Yarichu, the men of Yarichu fought against you, same way the Amurites, the Parizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hibites, and the Yabusites. But I gave you victory over them.
12 And I sent terror ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amurites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory.
13 I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build, the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.
14 “So fear 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and serve Him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Auphrates River and in Mitzraym. Serve only 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
15 But if you refuse to serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the idols your ancestors served beyond the Auphrates? Or will it be the idols of the Amurites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”
16 The people replied, “We would never abandon 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and serve other nations pagan idols.
17 For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Mitzraym. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH preserved us.
18 It was 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH who drove out the Amurites and the other nations living here in the land. So we will only serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH alone is our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.”
19 Then Yahusha warned the people, “You are not able to serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is Qadash and jealous 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
20 If you abandon 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and serve other nations idols, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will turn against you and destroy you, even though He has been so good to you.”
21 But the people answered Yahusha, “No, we will serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH!”
22 “You are a witness to your own decision,” Yahusha said. “You have chosen to serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. “Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.”
23 “All right then,” Yahusha said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL.”
24 The people said to Yahusha, “We will serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. We will obey 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH alone.”
25 So Yahusha made a covenant with the people that day at Shacham, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
26 Yahusha wrote these things in the Book of the law of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
27 Yahusha said to all the people, “This stone has heard everything 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.”
28 Then Yahusha sent all the people away to their own homelands.
Leaders Buried in the Promised Land
29 After this, Yahusha Ba'Nun (son of Nun), the servant of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, died at the age of one hundred and ten years.
30 They buried Yahusha in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-sarah in the hill country of Aphraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31 The people of Yashar'AL served 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH throughout the lifetime of Yahusha and of the elders who outlived him, those who had personally experienced all that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had done for Yashar'AL.
32 The bones of Ya'asaf, which the Yasharalym had brought along with them when they left Mitzraym, were buried at Shacham, in the parcel of ground Ya'aqub had bought from the sons of Hamur for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Ya'asaf.
33 Alaazar son of Aarun also died. He was buried in the hill country of Aphraim, in the town of Gibaah, which had been given to his son Phinahas.