to serve other gods; 17 for the LORD our God, He it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD; for He is our God.' 19 And Joshua said unto the people: 'Ye cannot serve the LORD; for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression nor your sins. 20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you evil, 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 the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD, the God of Israel.' 24 And the people said unto Joshua: 'The LORD our God will we serve, and unto His voice will we hearken.' 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people: 'Be hold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke unto us; it shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.' 28 So Joshua sent the people away, 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 the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the LORD, that He had wrought for Israel. 32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. 33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in the Hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim. 5 JUDGES Defeat of the Tyrant Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of 2 When men let grow their hair in Israel, When the people offer themselves willingly, Bless ye the LORD. 3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, unto the LORD will I sing; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of 4 LORD, when Thou didst go forth out of Seir, When Thou didst march out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water. 5 The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, Even yon Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel. 6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways ceased, And the travellers walked through byways. 7 The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that thou didst arise, Deborah, That thou didst arise a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates; Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 Ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich cloths, And ye that walk by the way, tell of it; 11 Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs! There shall they rehearse the righteous acts Even the righteous acts of His rulers in Then the people of the LORD went down to 12 Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. 13 Then made He a remnant to have dominion over the nobles and the people; The LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. 14 Out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; And out of Zebulun they that handle the 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. There were great resolves of heart. 16 Why sattest thou among the sheep-folds, There were great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead abode beyond the Jordan; And Dan, why doth he sojourn by the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, 18 Zebulun is a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field. 19 The kings came, they fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan, 20 They fought from heaven, The stars in their courses fought against 21 The brook Kishon swept them away, By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones. 23 'Curse ye Meroz', said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of the To the help of the LORD against the mighty.' 24 Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent shall she be 25 Water he asked, milk she gave him; And her right hand to the workmen's And with the hammer she smote Sisera, |