Joshua 24:19-29

19 Then Joshua said, "You are not able to serve the Lord, because he is a holy God and a jealous God. If you turn against him and sin, he will not forgive you.

20 If you leave the Lord and serve other gods, he will send you great trouble. The Lord may have been good to you, but if you turn against him, he will destroy you."

21 But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the Lord."

22 Then Joshua said, "You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the Lord." The people said, "Yes, we are."

23 Then Joshua said, "Now throw away the gods that you have. Love the Lord, the God of Israel, with all your heart."

24 Then the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God, and we will obey him."

25 On that day at Shechem Joshua made an agreement for the people. He made rules and laws for them to follow.

26 Joshua wrote these things in the Book of the Teachings of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up under the oak tree near the Lord's Holy Tent.

27 Joshua said to all the people, "See this stone! It will remind you of what we did today. It was here the Lord spoke to us today. It will remind you of what happened so you will not turn against your God."

28 Then Joshua sent the people back to their land.

29 After that, Joshua son of Nun died at the age of one hundred ten.

Joshua 24:19-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 24

This chapter gives us an account of another summons of the tribes of Israel by Joshua, who obeyed it, and presented themselves before the Lord at Shechem, Jos 24:1; when Joshua in the name of the Lord rehearsed to them the many great and good things the Lord had done for them, from the time of their ancestor Abraham to that day, Jos 24:2-13; and then exhorted them to fear and serve the Lord, and reject idols, Jos 24:14; and put them upon making their choice, whether they would serve the true God, or the gods of the Canaanites; and they choosing the former, he advised them to abide by their choice, Jos 24:15-24; and made a covenant with them to that purpose, and then dismissed them, Jos 24:25-28; and the chapter is concluded with an account of the death and burial of Joshua and Eleazar, and of the interment of the bones of Joseph, Jos 24:29-33.