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APRIL 17
the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor,
dwelt on the other side of the River in old
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times; and they served other gods. Then I
took your father Abraham from the other side 24:15 choose...this day whom you will serve.
of the River, led him throughout all the land of Joshua’s fatherly model (reminiscent of
Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and Abraham’s, Gen. 18:19) was for himself and his
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gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and family to serve the Lord,not false gods.He called
Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to others in Israel to this, and they committed
possess, but Jacob and his children went down themselves to serve the Lord also (vv.21,24).
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to Egypt. Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and I
plagued Egypt, according to what I did among who brought us and our fathers up out of the
them. Afterward I brought you out. land of Egypt, from the house of bondage,
6 ‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, who did those great signs in our sight, and
and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians preserved us in all the way that we went and
pursued your fathers with chariots and horse- among all the people through whom we
men to the Red Sea. So they cried out to the passed. And the LORD drove out from before
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LORD; and He put darkness between you and us all the people, including the Amorites who
the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, dwelt in the land. We also will serve the LORD,
and covered them. And your eyes saw what I for He is our God.”
did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness 19 But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot
a long time. And I brought you into the land serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a
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of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side jealous God; He will not forgive your trans-
of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gressions nor your sins. If you forsake the
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gave them into your hand, that you might pos- LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will
sess their land, and I destroyed them from turn and do you harm and consume you, after
before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king He has done you good.”
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of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we
sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to will serve the LORD!”
curse you. But I would not listen to Balaam; 22 So Joshua said to the people, “You are wit-
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therefore he continued to bless you. So I deliv- nesses against yourselves that you have cho-
ered you out of his hand. Then you went over sen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him.”
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the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men And they said, “We are witnesses!”
of Jericho fought against you—also the 23 “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the for-
Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the eign gods which are among you, and incline
Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”
Jebusites. But I delivered them into your 24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD
hand. I sent the hornet before you which our God we will serve, and His voice we will
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drove them out from before you, also the two obey!”
kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the peo-
or with your bow. I have given you a land for ple that day, and made for them a statute and
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which you did not labor, and cities which you an ordinance in Shechem.
did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat 26 Then Joshua wrote these words in the
of the vineyards and olive groves which you Book of the Law of God. And he took a large
did not plant.’ stone, and set it up there under the oak that
14 “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him was by the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua
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in sincerity and in truth, and put away the said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall
gods which your fathers served on the other be a witness to us, for it has heard all the
side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you
choose for yourselves this day whom you will deny your God.” So Joshua let the people
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serve, whether the gods which your fathers depart, each to his own inheritance.
served that were on the other side of the River, 29 Now it came to pass after these things that
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the
dwell. But as for me and my house, we will LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years
serve the LORD.” old. And they buried him within the border of
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16 So the people answered and said: “Far be it his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in
from us that we should forsake the LORD to the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side
serve other gods; for the LORD our God is He of Mount Gaash.
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