10 And they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, and the descendantsj of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar on the Jordan, ⌊a large and imposing altar⌋.k 11 And the ⌊Israelites⌋l heard it said that the descendantsm of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar next to the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the ⌊Israelites⌋.n 12 When the ⌊Israelites⌋o heard of it, the whole congregation of the ⌊Israelites⌋p gathered at Shiloh to go up against them for battle. 13 And the ⌊Israelites⌋q sent to the descendantsr of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, Phinehas the priest son of Eleazar, 14 and ten leaders with him, ⌊one leader for each⌋s ⌊family⌋t from each of the tribes of Israel; and each one was the head of ⌊his family⌋u among the clans of Israel.v 15 They came to the descendantsw of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 16 “Thus says all the congregation of Yahweh: ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel by turning away today from following Yahweh, by building for yourselves an altar to rebel today against Yahweh? 17 Is not the sin of Peor ⌊enough for us⌋,x from which we have not cleansed ourselves today, and for which a plague came to the congregation of Yahweh, 18 that you must turn today from following Yahweh? If you rebel today against Yahweh, tomorrow he will be angry with all of the congregation of Israel; 19 if, however, the land of your property is unclean, cross over to the land of Yahweh’s property, where Yahweh’s tabernacle resides,y and take possession among us. But you must not rebel against Yahweh or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of Yahweh our God. 20 Did not Achan son of Zerah commit treachery with devoted things,z and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? ⌊And he alone⌋a did not perish because of his iniquity.’ ”

21 And the descendantsb of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh spoke with the heads of the clansc of Israel, 22 “Yahweh, God of gods! Yahweh, God of gods knows. And let Israel itself know, if it was in rebellion or treachery against Yahweh, do not spare us this day 23 for building for ourselves an altar to turn away from Yahweh, or if it was to offer burnt offerings,d grain offerings,e or fellowship offerings on it, may Yahweh himself take vengeance. 24 But in fact, we have done this because of anxiety, because of a reason, saying, ‘In the future your children may say to our children, ‘⌊What is the relationship between you and Yahweh the God of Israel⌋?f 25 Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you, the descendantsg of Reuben and Gad; you have no portion in Yahweh.’ So your children may put an end to our children worshipingh Yahweh. 26 So we said, ‘Let us build immediately for ourselves an altar, not for burnt offeringsi or for sacrifices;j 27 instead, it is a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us for performing the serving of Yahweh in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings; so that your children may not say in the future to our children, “You have no portion in Yahweh.” ’ 28 And we thought, if they say to us and to our children in the future, we can say, ‘Look at this replica of the altar of Yahweh, which our ancestorsk made, not for burnt offeringsl or sacrifices;m rather, it is a witness between us and you.’ 29 Far be it from us to rebel against Yahweh, to turn today from following Yahweh, to build an altar for burnt offerings,n grain offerings,o or sacrifices,p instead of the altar of Yahweh our God that is before his tabernacle.”

30 Phinehas the priest, the leaders of the congregation, and the heads of the clansq of Israel who were with him heard the words that the descendantsr of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh spoke, and ⌊they were satisfied⌋.s 31 Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar, said to the descendantst of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Yahweh. Therefore you have rescued the ⌊Israelites⌋u from the hand of Yahweh.”

32 And Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar, and the leaders returned from the descendantsv of Reuben and Gad, from the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan to the ⌊Israelites⌋,w and ⌊they gave them their report⌋.x 33 ⌊The report satisfied the Israelites⌋;y they blessed God, and they did not speak of going up for battle against them to destroy the land in which the descendantsz of Reuben and Gad were living.a 34 The descendantsb of Reuben and Gad called the altar Witness, “Because,” they said, “it is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.”

Joshua’s Farewell Address

23 And it happened, after ⌊a long time⌋,a after Yahweh had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and after Joshua was old and ⌊well-advanced in years⌋,b 2 Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders, heads, judges, and officials, and he said to them, “I am old and ⌊well-advanced in years⌋,c 3 and you have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations ⌊for your sake⌋,d for Yahweh your God is fighting for you. 4 Look! I have allotted to you these remaining nations as an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, to the Great Seae ⌊in the west⌋.f 5 And Yahweh your God will push them ⌊back before you⌋g and drive them ⌊out of your sight⌋,h and you will possess their land, just as Yahweh your God promised to you. 6 Be very strong to observe carefully all that is written in the scroll of the law of Moses so as not to turn aside from it, to the right or left, 7 so as not to go among these remaining nations with you; ⌊do not profess⌋i the name of their gods, and do not swear by them, serve them, or ⌊bow down to them⌋.j 8 But hold fast to Yahweh your God, just as you have done up to this day. 9 Yahweh has driven out before you great and strong nations; and as for you, ⌊nobody has withstood⌋k you to this day. 10 One of your men put to flight a thousand, for Yahweh your God is fighting for you, just as he promised you. 11 Take utmost care for the sake of your life to love Yahweh your God, 12 for if indeed you turn back and join these remaining nations ⌊among you⌋,l and you intermarry with them, ⌊marrying their women and they yours⌋,m 13 know for certain that Yahweh your God ⌊will not continue to drive out⌋n these nations from before you; they will be for you a snare and a trap, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that Yahweh your God has given to you.

14 Look! ⌊I am about to die⌋,o and you know in all your heartsp and soulsq that not one thing ⌊failed⌋r from all the good things that Yahweh your God promised concerning you; everything ⌊has been fulfilled⌋;s ⌊not one thing failed⌋.t 15 But just as all the good thingsu came to you that Yahweh your God promised, so will Yahweh bring to you all the bad thingsv until he has destroyed you from this good land that Yahweh your God has given to you. 16 If you transgress the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded to you, and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, ⌊Yahweh’s anger will be kindled⌋w against you, and you will perish quickly from the good land that he has given to you.”

Joshua Recounts Their History

24 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem; he summoned the elders of Israel, their heads, their judges, and their officials, and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘⌊Long ago⌋a your ancestorsb—Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—lived beyond the river,c and they served other gods. 3 I took your ancestord Abraham from beyond the rivere and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I increased his offspring; I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. 6 When I brought out your ancestorsf from Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your ancestorsg with chariotsh and horsemen to the ⌊Red Sea⌋.i 7 They cried out to Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea over themj and covered them; your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for many days. 8 And I brought you to the land of the Amoritesk who lived beyond the Jordan; they fought you, and I gave them into your hand; you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them ⌊before you⌋.l 9 Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, set out and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I was not willing to listen to Balaam, and he richly blessed you. So I rescued you from his hand, 11 and you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the citizens of Jericho, the Amorites,m the Perizzites,n the Canaanites,o the Hittites,p the Girgashites,q the Hivites,r and the Jebusites,s fought against you, and I gave them into your hand. 12 I sent before you the hornet and they drove out before you two kings of the Amorites;t but not by your sword or bow. 13 I gave to you a land that you have not labored on, and cities that you have not built, and you liveu in them; you eat from vineyards and olive groves that you have not planted.’

The Israelites Promise to Serve Yahweh

14 “So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestorsv served beyond the riverw and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. 15 But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestorsx served beyond the