The descendants of Levi are to declare in a loud voice to every Israeli:

""Cursed is the one who makes a sculptured or cast image a detestable thing to the LORD, the work of a craftsman and sets it up secretly.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who treats his father and mother with dishonor.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor's boundary stone.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who perverts justice due the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

"Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his father's wife, because he has disgraced his father.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with any animal.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of his father or mother.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is one who strikes his neighbor secretly.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is one who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who doesn't uphold the words of this Law and observe them.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'"

"The LORD will send the curse among you, will confuse you, and will rebuke you in everything you undertake until you are destroyed and perish quickly because of your evil deeds, since you will have forsaken him.

The LORD will cause you to be ill with long-lasting diseases until you are wiped out from the land that you are entering to possess.

The LORD will afflict you with tuberculosis, fever, inflammation, high fever, drought, blight, and mildew. These will attack you until you are completely destroyed.

The LORD will change the rain on your land to powder and dust. It will come down from the sky until you are exterminated."

until you are driven insane from what your eyes will see.

The foreigner in your midst will be elevated higher and higher over you, while you are brought low little by little.

All these curses will come upon you and will overwhelm you until you are exterminated, because you didn't obey the LORD your God to keep his commands and statutes, which he had commanded you.

Its army will consume the offspring of your animals and the produce of your soil until you are exterminated. They will leave you without your grain, wine, oil, the increase of your cattle, and the lamb of your flock, until you are completely destroyed.

"If you aren't careful to observe all the words of this Law that have been written in this book, instructing you to fear this glorious and awesome name of the LORD your God,

Moreover, the LORD will inflict you with illnesses and plagues that were not written in this Book of the Law, until you are exterminated.

Just as the LORD delighted to prosper and increase you, so now the LORD will delight to destroy, exterminate, and banish you from the land that you are about to enter to possess."

These are the terms of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelis in the land of Moab in addition to the covenant that he made with them in Horeb.

Those great feats that you saw with your own eyes are signs and great wonders.

"All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God the heads of your tribes, your elders, your magistrates, all the men of Israel,

but with whoever is here with us standing in the presence of the LORD our God today, as well as with those who aren't here with us today."

The LORD uprooted them from the land in his anger, wrath, and great fury, deporting them to another land, and that's the way things are today.'

if you obey him and keep his commands and statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, and if you return to him with all your heart and soul.

Indeed, these commands that I'm giving you today are neither confusing nor unattainable for you.

They aren't in the heavens, so you have to ask, "Who'll go up to the heavens for us and get it for us so we can hear it and act on it?'

And they aren't beyond the seas either, so you have to ask, "Who'll cross the sea and get it for us so we can hear it and act on it?'

That's why I'm commanding you today to love the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by observing his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live long, increase, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in the land that you are about to enter to possess.

I'm declaring to you today that you will surely be destroyed. You won't live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan River to enter and possess.

Their children who don't know will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan River to possess."

Then the LORD told Moses, "Look! You are about to join your ancestors. Afterwards, this people will rebel and commit prostitution with the foreign gods of the land that they are about to enter to possess. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I made with them.

Then, when many evils and troubles will have come upon them, this song will serve as a witness against them, since their descendants won't fail to sing it. I know the plan that they are devising even before I bring them into the land that I promised them by an oath."

Flawless is the work of the Rock, because all his ways are just. A faithful God never unjust righteous and upright is he.

But those who are not his children acted corruptly against him; they are a defective and perverted generation.

So he said: "Let me hide my face from them. I will observe what their end will be, because they are a perverted generation, children within whom there is no loyalty.

They are a nation devoid of purpose and without insight.

Instead, their vine is from the vines of Sodom and the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous, their clusters bitter.

"He will say, "Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge?

because they're not just empty words for you they are your very life. Through these instructions you will live long in the land that you are about to cross over the Jordan River to possess."

You will die on the mountain that you are about to ascend and be taken to be with your ancestors, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was taken to be with his ancestors.

Indeed, lover of people, all of his holy ones are in your control. They gather at your feet to do as you have instructed.

"May Reuben live and not die, though his numbers are few."

May the firstborn of his bull be honorable to him, and may his horns be those of a wild ox. With them may he push people all together, to the ends of the earth. These are the myriads of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh."

How blessed are you, Israel! Who can be like you, a people delivered by the LORD, your shield of help and your finely crafted sword. May your enemies cower before you. You will tread down their high places."

"I'm really convinced that the LORD has given you the land," she said, "because we're overwhelmed with fear of you. All the other inhabitants of the land are demoralized at your presence,

giving orders to the people. They said, "When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then get up, leave where you are, and follow it.

Give this command to the priests who are carrying the Ark of the Covenant: "When you arrive at the water of the Jordan River, stand still in the Jordan.'"

you are to tell your descendants: "Israel crossed this Jordan River on dry ground

Now it happened that while Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and much to his amazement, he saw a man standing in front of him, holding a drawn sword in his hand! Joshua approached him and asked him, "Are you one of us, or are you with our enemies?"

When they sound a long blast with the ram's horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then the entire army is to cry out loud, the city wall will collapse, and then all of the soldiers are to charge straight ahead."

Joshua issued orders to the army: "You are not to shout or even let your voice be heard. Don't utter a word until I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

But everything made of silver and gold, and vessels made of bronze and iron are set apart to the LORD. They are to go into the treasury of the LORD."

returned to Joshua. "Not all of the people need to go up," they reported. "Only about two or three thousand men should attack Ai. Since they are so few, don't make all of the army work hard up there."

So get up and sanctify the people. Tell them, "Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, because this is what the LORD God of Israel, says: "There are things turned over to destruction among you, Israel. You won't be able to defeat your enemies until you remove what has been turned over to destruction.

Tomorrow morning you are to come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects is to come forward by tribes, the tribe that the LORD selects is to come forward by households, and the household that the LORD selects is to come forward one by one.

telling them, "Pay attention now! You are to set up an ambush around the city. Don't go very far from the city, and all of you remain on alert.

When you've taken the city, set it on fire, just as the LORD ordered. Look! These are your orders!"

So they responded to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua asked them, "Who are you? And where did you come from?"

So our leaders and all of the inhabitants of our country told us, "Take provisions along with you for your journey, go to meet them, and tell them, "We are your servants. Come now and make a treaty with us."'

And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but look now they're cracked. And our clothes and sandals are worn out from our very long journey."

Now therefore you are under a curse. Some of you will always be slaves, wood cutters, and water carriers for the house of my God."

When Joshua had grown old, having lived many years, the LORD told him, "You are old and have lived many years, but much of the land still remains to be possessed.

Moses allotted no inheritance solely to the tribe of Levi. As he had mentioned to them, the offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance.

Heshbon and all of its cities that are on the plain, including Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon,

Hepher's son Zelophehad, grandson of Gilead and great-grandson of Manasseh's son Machir had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

The southern area was allocated to Ephraim and the northern area to Manasseh. The Mediterranean Sea was the border, extending to Asher on the North and to Issachar on the east.

So Joshua replied to them, "Since you're so numerous, go up to the forest and clear ground there for yourselves in the territory where the Perizzites and Rephaim are, because the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."

So Joshua told the tribes of Joseph, which were Ephraim and Manasseh, "You're truly a numerous group, and you have great power. You are not to have only one allotment,

These towns and villages are the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun according to its families.

These towns and villages are the inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to its families.

These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Nun's son Joshua, and the heads of the families of the Israeli tribes distributed by lot in the LORD's presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing the land.

He may run to one of those cities, stand at the entrance to the city gate, and tell his side of the story to the elders of the city. They are to bring him inside the city with them and provide him a place to live among them.

Now if the closely related avenger pursues him, then they are not to hand the killer over to him, because he killed his neighbor without premeditation and without hating him beforehand.

After they arrived at an area of the Jordan River that is in the land of Canaan, the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh constructed an altar there by the Jordan River, and it was very large.

Now then, are you turning away from following the LORD today? If you rebel against the LORD today, by tomorrow he will be angry with the entire community of Israel.

but instead it will serve as a reminder between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to serve the LORD with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. That way your descendants will not say to our descendants in the future, "You have no allotment from the LORD."'

Instead, you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done today,

If you think it's the wrong thing for you to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve the gods whom your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose territories you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Joshua responded, "You are giving testimony against yourselves, that you have chosen to serve the LORD." They replied, "We are witnesses!"

Joshua said, "Therefore abandon the foreign gods that are among you, and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."

The descendants of the Kenites, the tribe from which Moses' father-in-law came, accompanied the descendants of Judah from the city of the palms to the Judean wilderness, which is in the desert area south of Arad, and lived with the people there.

""Meroz is cursed!' declared the angel of the LORD. "Utterly and totally cursed are its inhabitants, because they never came to the aid of the LORD, to the aid of the LORD against the valiant warriors!'"

"They're busy finding and dividing the war booty, aren't they? A girl or two for each valiant warrior, and some dyed materials for Sisera perhaps dyed, embroidered war booty or some detailed embroidery for my neck as the booty of war!

I told you, "I am the LORD your God. You are not to fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you'll be living."' But you haven't obeyed what I said."

But Gideon replied, "Right" Sir, if the LORD is with us, then why has all of this happened to us? And where are all of his miraculous works that our ancestors recounted to us when they said, "The LORD brought us up from Egypt, didn't he?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us over to Midian!"

"There are still too many soldiers," the LORD told Gideon. "Bring them down to the water and I'll refine them for you there. Therefore when I say to you, "This one will be going with you,' he'll go with you, but no one may go about whom I tell you, "This one won't be going with you.'"

So he brought his soldiers down to the water, and the LORD told Gideon, "You are to cull out everyone who laps up water with his tongue like a dog from everyone who kneels to drink."

Later on, the descendants of Ephraim spoke to Gideon. They argued vehemently, "What are you doing to us? You never called us! But you went out to fight Midian!"

He told the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the soldiers who are following behind me. They're tired, and I'm pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

Then Gideon approached the men of Succoth and announced, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You criticized me about them when you said, "Do you have Zebah and Zalmunna in custody already, so that we should give food to your weary army?'"

But the olive tree asked them, "Should I stop producing my rich oils by which both God and men are honored and go take dominion over trees?'

Then the bramble bush replied to the trees, "If you really are consecrating me to rule you, come and put your confidence in my shade; but if not, may fire spring out from the bramble bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon"'

Then Ebed's son Gaal remarked, "Who is this Abimelech? And who is Shechem? Should we serve him? Isn't he Jerubbaal's son? Isn't Zebul his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's ancestor but why are we serving him?

When Gaal saw the army, he observed to Zebul, "Look there! People are coming down from the top of the mountains." But Zebul replied to him, "You're looking at morning shadows cast by the mountains. They just look like men to you."