REVIEW OF ISRAEL’S HISTORY

24 Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shecheme and summoned Israel’s elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God.f 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah,g the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the region beyond the Euphrates River, led him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants.h I gave him Isaac,i 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.j I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession.k

“ ‘Jacob and his sons, however, went down to Egypt.l 5 I sent Moses and Aaron,m and I defeated Egypt by what I did within it, and afterward I brought you out. 6 When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea,n the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen as far as the sea. 7 Your ancestors cried out to the Lord, so he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea over them, engulfing them. Your own eyes saw what I did to Egypt. After that, you lived in the wilderness a long time.

8 “ ‘Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan.o They fought against you, but I handed them over to you. You possessed their land, and I annihilated them before you. 9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab,p set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam. Instead, he repeatedly blessed you, and I rescued you from him.

11 “ ‘You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho.q Jericho’s citizens—as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hethites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites—fought against you, but I handed them over to you. 12 I sent hornetsB,r ahead of you, and they drove out the two Amorite kingss before you. It was not by your sword or bow. 13 I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build,t though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’