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The Israelites contend together. CHAP. XXIII. The exhortation of Joshua. in building you an altar besides the altar and to the children of Gad, and to the chilof the LORD our God. dren of Manasseh, This day we perceive 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah that the LORD is among us, because ye commit a trespass in the accursed thing, have not committed this trespass against and wrath fell on all the congregation of the LORD: now ye have delivered the Israel? and that man perished not alone children of Israel out of the hand of the in his iniquity. LORD.

21 ¶ Then the children of Reuben, 32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe the priest, and the princes, returned from of Manasseh answered, and said unto the the children of Reuben, and from the chilheads of the thousands of Israel, dren of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, 22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD unto the land of Canaan, to the children God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he of Israel, and brought them word again. shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in 33 And the thing pleased the children transgression against the LORD, (save us of Israel; and the children of Israel blessnot this day,) ed God, and did not intend to go up 23 That we have built us an altar to against them in battle, to destroy the land turn from following the LORD, or if to offer wherein the children of Reuben and Gad thereon burnt-offering, or meat-offering, or if to offer peace-offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;

dwelt.

34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for 24 And if we have not rather done it it shall be a witness between us that the for fear of this thing, saying, In time to LORD is God. come your children might speak unto our

the LORD God of Israel?

CHAP. XXIII.

children, saying, What have ye to do with AND it came to pass, a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto 25 For the LORD hath made Jordan a Israel from all their enemies round about, border between us and you, ye children of that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age, Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no 2 And Joshua called for all Israel, and part in the LORD. So shall your children for their elders, and for their heads, and make our children cease from fearing the for their judges, and for their officers, and LORD. said unto them, I am old and stricken in 26 Therefore we said, Let us now pre-age: pare to build us an altar, not for burnt- 3 And ye have seen all that the LORD offering, nor for sacrifice: your God hath done unto all these nations 27 But that it may be a witness between because of you; for the LORD your God us, and you, and our generations after us, is he that hath fought for you. that we might do the service of the LORD 4 Behold, I have divided unto you by before him with our burnt-offerings, and lot these nations that remain, to be an inwith our sacrifices, and with our peace- heritance for your tribes, from Jordan, offerings; that your children may not say with all the nations that I have cut off, to our children in time to come, Ye have even unto the great sea westward. no part in the Lord.

5 And the LORD your God, he shall ex28 Therefore said we, that it shall be, pel them from before you, and drive them when they should so say to us or to our from out of your sight; and ye shall posgenerations in time to come, that we may sess their land, as the LORD your God hath say again, Behold the pattern of the altar promised unto you. of the LORD, which our fathers made, not 6 Be ye therefore very courageous to for burnt-offerings, nor for sacrifices; but keep and to do all that is written in the it is a witness between us and you. book of the law of Moses, that ye turn 29 God forbid that we should rebel not aside therefrom to the right hand or against the LORD, and turn this day from to the left;

following the LORD, to build an altar for 7 That ye come not among these na burnt-offerings, for meat-offerings, or for tions, these that remain among you; neisacrifices, besides the altar of the LORD ther make mention of the name of their our God that is before his tabernacle. gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither 30 And when Phinehas the priest, serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: and the princes of the congregation, and 8 But cleave unto the LORD your God, heads of the thousands of Israel which as ye have done unto this day.

ere with him, heard the words that the 9 for the LORD math driven out from children of Reuben, and the children of before you great nations and strong: but Gad, and the children of Manasseh spake, as for you, no man hath been able to stand it pleased them. before you unto this day.

31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the 10 One man of you shall chase a thoupriest said unto the children of Reuben, sand: for the LORD your God, he it is

Joshua relates God's benefits.

JOSHUA.

Covenant renewed with God. that fighteth for you, as he hath promised Egypt and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers 11 Take good heed therefore unto with chariots and horsemen unto the Red yourselves, that ye love the LORD your sea. God.

you.

7 And when they cried unto the LORD, 12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, he put darkness between you and the and cleave unto the remnant of these na- Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, tions, even these that remain among you, and covered them; and your eyes have and shall make marriages with them, and seen what I have done in Egypt and ye go in unto them, and they to you: dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

13 Know for a certainty that the LORD 8 And I brought you into the land of your God will no more drive out any of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other these nations from before you: but they side Jordan; and they fought with you: shall be snares and traps unto you, and and I gave them into your hand, that ye scouges in your sides, and thorns in your might possess their land; and I destroyed eyes, until ye perish from off this good them from before you.

land which the LORD your God hath 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king given you. of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, 14 And behold, this day I am going and sent and called Balaam the son of the way of all the earth; and ye know in Beor to curse you:

all your hearts and in all your souls, that 10 But I would not hearken unto Banot one thing hath failed of all the good laam; therefore he blessed you still: so I things which the LORD your God spake delivered you out of his hand. concerning you; all are come to pass unto 11 And ye went over Jordan, and came you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho 15 Therefore it shall come to pass, fought against you, the Amorites, and the that as all good things are come upon you, Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the which the LORD your God promised you; Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil and the Jebusites, and I delivered them things, until he have destroyed you from into your hand. off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites: but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and serv- 13 And I have given you a land for ed other gods, and bowed yourselves to which ye did not labour, and cities which them; then shall the anger of the LORD ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the be kindled against you, and ye shall pe- vineyards and olive-yards which ye plantrish quickly from off the good land which ed not do ye eat. he hath given unto you.

14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and CHAP. XXIV. serve him in sincerity and in truth; and ND Joshua gathered all the tribes of put away the gods which your fathers side of the elders of Israel, and for their heads in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. and for their judges, and for their officers; 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve and they presented themselves before God. the LORD, choose you this day whom ye 2 And Joshua said unto all the people, will serve, whether the gods which your Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers served that were on the other side fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in in old time, even Terah, the father of whose land ye dwell: but as for me and Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and my house, we will serve the LORD. they served other gods.

3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. 4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

16 And the people answered, and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up, and our fathers, out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peo5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and Iple through whom we passed: plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them and afterward I brought us all the people, even the Amorites which you out. dwelt in the land: therefore will we also 6 And I brought your fathers out of serve the LORD; for he is our God.

18 And the LORD drave out from before

1

Death of Joshua.

CHAP. I. The acts of Judah and Semoon.

19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye unto us; for it hath heard all the words of cannot serve the LORD: for he is a holy the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall God: he is a jealous God; he will not for- be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye give your transgressions, nor your sins. deny your God.

20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.

22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

23 Now therefore put away (said he) the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.

24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey..

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.

29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun the servant of the LORD died, being a hundred and ten years old.

30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.

31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD that he had done for Israel.

32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hun26 And Joshua wrote these words in dred pieces of silver; and it became the the book of the law of God, and took a inheritance of the children of Joseph. great stone, and set it up there under an 33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. and they buried him in a hill that pertained 27 And Joshua said unto all the peo- to Phinehas his son, which was given him ple, Behold, this stone shall be a witness in mount Ephraim.

¶ The Book of JUDGES.

CHAP. I.

8 (Now the children of Judah had TOW after the death of Joshua it came fought against Jerusalem, and had taken

of

asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first to fight against them?

sword, and set the city on fire.)

9 T And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Ca2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go naanites that dwelt in the mountain, and up: behold, I have delivered the land into in the south, and in the valley. his hand.

10 And Judah went against the Ca

3 And Judah said unto Simeon his bro-naanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the ther, Come up with me into my lot, that name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) we may fight against the Canaanites; and and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. Talmai. So Simeon went with him.

11 And from thence he went against 4 And Judah went up, and the LORD the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of delivered the Canaanites and the Periz- Debir before was Kirjath-sepher: zites into their hand: and they slew of 12 And Caleb said, He that smiteth them in Bezek ten thousand men. Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will 5 And they found Adoni-bezek in Be-I give Achsah my daughter to wife. zek: and they fought against him, and 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Cathey slew the Canaanites and the Periz-leb's younger brother, took it: and he zites. gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. 6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pur- 14 And it came to pass, when she came sued after him, and caught him, and cut to him, that she moved him to ask of her faoff his thumbs and his great toes. ther a field: and she lighted from off her ass 7 And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? and ten kings, having their thumbs and 15 And she said unto him, Give me a their great toes cut off, gathered their blessing: for thou hast given me a south meat under my table; as I have done, so land; give me also springs of water. And God hath requited me. And they brought Caleb gave her the upper springs, and him to Jerusalem, and there he died. the nether springs.

Jerusalem and Hebron taken.

JUDGES. The people of Bochim rebuked.

16 And the children of the Kenite, of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: city of palm-trees with the children of Ju- 32 But the Asherites dwelt among the dah into the wilderness of Judah, which Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: lieth in the south of Arad; and they went for they did not drive them out.

and dwelt among the people.

33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the

17 And Judah went with Simeon his inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inbrother, and they slew the Canaanites that habitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of it. And the name of the city was called the land: nevertheless, the inhabitants of Hormah. Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them.

18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would 19 And the LORD was with Judah; and not suffer them to come down to the valley: he drave out the inhabitants of the moun- 35 But the Amorites would dwell in tain; but could not drive out the inhabit-mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim : ants of the valley, because they had cha- yet the hand of the house of Joseph preriots of iron. vailed, so that they became tributaries.

20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

36 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to. Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

CHAP. II.

No Gilgal to Bochim, and said,
ND an angel of the LORD came up

21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem made you to go up out of Egypt, and have unto this day. brought you unto the land which I sware 22 And the house of Joseph, they unto your fathers; and I said, I will never also went up against Beth-el: and the break my covenant with you. LORD was with them.

23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Beth-el. Now the name of the city before was Luz.

24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

25 And when he shewed them the en- 4 And it came to pass, when the angel trance into the city, they smote the city of the LORD spake these words unto all with the edge of the sword: but they let the children of Israel, that the people go the man and all his family. lifted up their voice, and wept.

26 And the man went into the land of 5 And they called the name of that the Hittites, and built a city, and called place Bochim: and they sacrificed there the name thereof Luz: which is the name unto the LORD. thereof unto this day. 6¶ And when Joshua had let the people 27 Neither did Manasseh drive out go, the children of Israel went every man the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her unto his inheritance to possess the land. towns,nor Taanach and her towns, nor the 7 And the people served the LORD all inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the the days of Joshua, and all the days of the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns; all the great works of the LORD, that he but the Canaanites would dwell in that did for Israel.

land.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the ser28 And it came to pass when Israel was vant of the LORD, died, being a hundred strong, that they put the Canaanites to and ten years old.

tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. 9 And they buried him in the border of 29 Neither did Ephraim drive out his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. the hill Gaash.

30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the 10 And also all that generation were inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants gathered unto their fathers and there of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt arose another generation after them, which among them, and became tributaries. knew not the LORD, nor yet the works 31 Neither did Asher drive out the which he had done for Israel. inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants 11 And the children of Israel did evil

Wickedness of the Israelites.

CHAP. III.

Their obstinate idolatry. in the sight of the LORD, and served (even as many of Israel as had not known Baalim: all the wars of Canaan;

12 And they forsook the LORD God of 2 Only that the generations of the chiltheir fathers, which brought them out of dren of Israel might know to teach them the land of Egypt, and followed other war, at the least such as before knew gods, of the gods of the people that were nothing thereof;)

round about them, and bowed themselves 3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, 13 And they forsook the LORD, and and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebaserved Baal and Ashtaroth. non, from mount Baal-hermon unto the

14 And the anger of the LORD was entering in of Hamath. hot against Israel, and he delivered them 4 And they were to prove Israel by into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, to know whether they would hearkthem, and he sold them into the hands of en unto the commandments of the LORD, their enemies round about, so that they which he commanded their fathers by the could not any longer stand before their hand of Moses.

5 And the children of Israel dwelt

enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amohand of the LORD was against them for rites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, andJeevil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

busites:

6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the 17 And yet they would not hearken LORD their God, and served Baalim, and anto their judges, but they went a whoring the groves.

after other gods, and bowed themselves 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD unto them: they turned quickly out of the was hot against Israel, and he sold them way which their fathers walked in, obey-into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king ing the commandments of the LORD; but of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel they did not so. served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

18 And when the LORD raised them up 9 And when the children of Israel cried judges, then the LORD was with the judge, unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deand delivered them out of the hand of liverer to the children of Israel, who detheir enemies all the days of the judge: livered them, even Othniel the son of Ke(for it repented the LORD because of their naz, Caleb's younger brother. groanings by reason of them that oppress- 10 And the Spirit of the LORD came ed them and vexed them.) upon him, and he judged Israel, and went

19 And it came to pass, when the judge out to war: and the LORD delivered Chuwas dead, that they returned, and corrupt- shan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into ed themselves more than their fathers, in his hand; and his hand prevailed against following other gods to serve them, and Chushan-rishathaim.

to bow down unto them; they ceased not 11 And the land had rest forty years: from their own doings, nor from their and Othniel the son of Kenaz died. stubborn way. 12 And the children of Israel did evil

20 And the anger of the LORD was again in the sight of the LORD: and the hot against Israel; and he said, Because LORD strengthened Eglon the king of that this people hath transgressed my co- Moab against Israel, because they had venant which I commanded their fathers, done evil in the sight of the LORD. and have not hearkened unto my voice; 13 And he gathered unto him the chil21 I also will not henceforth drive out dren of Ammon and Amalek, and went any from before them of the nations which and smote Israel, and possessed the city Joshua left when he died: of palm-trees.

22 That through them I may prove Is- 14 So the children of Israel served Egrael, whether they will keep the way of lon the king of Moab eighteen years. the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers 15 But when the children of Israel cried did keep it, or not. unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up 23 Therefore the LORD left those na-a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Ben tions, without driving them out hastily, jamite, a man left-handed: and by him neither delivered he them into the hand of the children of Israel sent a present unto Joshua. Eglon the king of Moab. 16 But Ehud made him a dagger which TOW these are the nations which the had two edges, of a cubit length: and he did

CHAP. III.

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