Therefore said we, And it shall be, when they so say to us, or to our generations, in time to come, - that we will say - Behold ye the pattern of the altar of Yahweh, which our fathers made, not for ascending-offerings nor for sacrifice, but that, a witness, it might be between us and you.

And, when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the assembly, even the heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spake, then was it well-pleasing in their eyes.

And Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said unto the sons of Reuben and unto the sons of Gad and unto the sons of Manasseh - To-day, we know that, in our midst, is Yahweh, in that ye have not committed, against Yahweh, this act of treachery, - now, have ye rescued the sons of Israel out of the hand of Yahweh.

So Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest and the princes returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, unto the sons of Israel, - and brought them back word.

And the thing was well-pleasing in the eyes of the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel blessed God, - and spake not of going up against them, to war, to lay waste the land, wherein the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad dwelt.

So the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad named the altar a Witness : A witness, it is between us, That, Yahweh, is God.

And it came to pass, after many days, when Yahweh had given rest unto Israel, from all their enemies round about, - and, Joshua, had become old, advanced in days,

that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, - and said unto them, I, am old, advanced in days;

but, ye, have seen - all that Yahweh your God hath done unto all those nations, because of you, - for, Yahweh your God, is he that hath fought for you.

Behold, I have allotted to you these nations which remain, as an inheritance, for your tribes, - from the Jordan, and all the nations which I have cut off, even unto the great sea, at the going in of the sun.

But, Yahweh your God - he, will thrust them out from before you, and drive them away out of your sight, - so shall ye possess their land, as Yahweh your God spoke unto you.

Therefore must ye be very firm to observe and to do all that is written in the scroll of the law of Moses, - so as not to turn aside therefrom, to the right hand or to the left;

so as not to go in among these nations, these which remain with you, - and, with the name of their gods, shall ye neither make memorial nor put on oath, and neither serve them, - nor bow down to them.

But, unto Yahweh your God, must ye cleave, - as, ye have done until this day;

therefore hath Yahweh dispossessed, from before you, nations great and strong, - but, as for you, not a man hath stood before you, until this day.

Take diligent heed, therefore, unto your souls, - to love Yahweh your God.

But, if ye, do in any wise turn back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, these which remain with you, - and intermarry with them, and go in with them, and, they, with you;

know, that Yahweh your God will no further drive out these nations from before you, - but they will become unto you a snare and a hook, and a goad in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye have perished from off this goodly soil, which Yahweh your God hath given unto you.

But lo! I am going to-day, in the way of all the earth, - ye must acknowledge, therefore, with all your heart and with all your soul, that there hath not failed a single thing, out of all the good things which Yahweh your God spake concerning you, the whole, hath come to pass to you, there hath not failed thereof, a single thing.

But it shall be that, as all the good things have come unto you, which Yahweh your God spake unto you, so, will Yahweh bring upon you all the evil things, until he hath destroyed you from off this goodly soil, which Yahweh your God hath given unto you.

When ye transgress the covenant of Yahweh your God which he hath commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow yourselves down unto them, then will the anger of Yahweh kindle upon you, and ye will perish quickly, from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

And Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel, unto Shechem, - and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God.

Then said Joshua unto all the people - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Beyond the River, dwelt your fathers from age-past times, unto Terah, father of Abraham, and father of Nahor, - and they served other gods.

So I took your father, Abraham, from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, - and multiplied his seed, and gave unto him, Isaac;

and gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau, - and gave unto Esau, Mount Seir, to possess it, but, Jacob and his sons, went down into Egypt.

Then sent I Moses and Aaron, and plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in their midst, and, afterwards, brought you forth.

Yea I brought forth your fathers, out of Egypt, and ye came unto the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers, with chariots and with horsemen, unto the Red Sea.

So they made outcry unto Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought in upon them the sea, and covered them, - and your eyes beheld what I did with the Egyptians. And, when ye had remained in the desert many days,

then I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who were dwelling over the Jordan, and they fought with you, - then delivered I them into your hand, and ye took possession of their land, so I destroyed them from before you.

Then rose up Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, and made war with Israel, - and sent and called for Balaam son of Beor, to curse you;

but I was not willing to hearken unto Balaam, - so, he kept on blessing, you, and I rescued you out of his hand.

Then passed ye over the Jordan, and came in unto Jericho, and, when they would have made war with you - even the lords of Jericho - the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, then delivered I them into your hand.

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

Thus I gave unto you a land on which thou hadst not laboured, and cities which ye had not built, and ye proceeded to dwell therein, - of vineyards and oliveyards, which ye planted not, ye are eating.

Now, therefore, revere ye Yahweh, and serve him, in sincerity and in truth, - and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve ye Yahweh.

But, if it be, a vexation, in your eyes, to serve Yahweh, choose ye for yourselves, to-day, whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served, that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye are dwelling, - but, I and my house, will serve Yahweh.

Then responded the people, and said, Far be it from us, that we should forsake Yahweh, - to serve other gods;

for, as for Yahweh our God, he, brought up both us and our fathers, out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants, - and who did before our eyes, these great signs, and preserved us throughout all the way wherein we journeyed, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed;

Then said Joshua unto the people - Ye cannot serve Yahweh, for, a holy God, he is, a jealous GOD, he is, he will not forgive your transgression, nor your sins.

When ye forsake Yahweh, and serve the gods of a stranger, then will he turn, and inflict on you calamity, and consume you, after that he hath dealt well with you.

But the people said unto Joshua, - Nay! but, Yahweh, will we serve.

Then said Joshua unto the people - Witnesses, are ye, against yourselves, that, ye yourselves, have chosen you Yahweh, to serve him. And they said: Witnesses!

Now, therefore, put ye away the gods of the stranger, that are in your midst, - and incline your heart unto Yahweh, God of Israel.

And the people said unto Joshua, - Yahweh our God, will we serve, and, unto his voice, will we hearken.

So then Joshua solemnised a covenant for the people, on that day, - and set for them a statute and a regulation, in Shechem.

And Joshua wrote these words in the scroll of the law of God, - and took a great stone, and set it up there, under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh.

And Joshua said unto all the people - Lo! this stone, shall serve against us as a witness, for, it, hath heard all the sayings of Yahweh, which he hath spoken with us, - so shall it serve against you as a witness, lest ye should act deceptively against your God.

And Joshua sent the people away, every man unto his inheritance.

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

And they buried him within the bounds of his own inheritance, in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of Mount Gaash.

So then Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, - and all the days of the elders who prolonged their days after Joshua, and who had known all the work of Yahweh, which he had wrought for Israel.

And, the bones of Joseph - which the sons of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the portion of field, which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of money, - and they belonged unto the sons of Joseph, as an inheritance.

And, Eleazar son of Aaron, died, - and they buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given to him, in the hill country of Ephraim.

And it came to pass, after the death of Jeshua, that the sons of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, - Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites, first, to make war upon them?

And Yahweh said - Judah, shall go, - lo! I have delivered the land into his power.

Then said Judah, unto Simeon his brother - Come up with me into the territory allotted me, and let us make war on the Canaanites, then will, I also, go with thee, into thy territory. So Simeon went with him.

And Judah went up, and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, - and they smote them in Bezek, ten thousand men.

And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek, and fought with him, - and smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

But Adoni-bezek fled, and they pursued him, - and took him, and cut off his thumbs, and his great toes.

Then said Adoni-bezek - Seventy kings, with their thumbs and great toes cut off, have been picking up crumbs under my table, as I have done, so, hath God requited me. And they brought him into Jerusalem, and he died there.

And the sons of Judah made war upon Jerusalem, and captured it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, - and, the city, they set on fire.

And, afterwards, the sons of Judah went down to make war upon the Canaanites, - dwelling in the hill country, and in the south, and in the lowland.

And Judah went against the Canaanites who were dwelling in Hebron, now, the name of Hebron, formerly, was Kiriath-arba, - and they smote Sheshai and Ahiman, and Talmai.

And he went from thence, against the inhabitants of Debir, - now, the name of Debir, formerly, was Kiriath-sepher.

And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and captureth it, I will give unto him Achsah my daughter, to wife.

Then Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it, - and he gave him Achsah his daughter, to wife.

And it came pass, when she came, that she moved him to ask of her father a field, and, when she alighted from off the ass, Caleb said unto her - What aileth thee?

And she said unto him - Give me a present; for, south land, hast thou given me, give me therefore pools of water. So Caleb gave her Upper-pools, and Lower-pools.

Now, the sons of the Kenite, father-in-law of Moses, had come up from the city of palm-trees, with the sons of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad, - so they went and dwelt with the people.

Then went Judah, with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites dwelling in Zephath, - and devoted it to destruction, and the name of the city was called Hormah.

And Judah captured Gaza with the boundaries thereof, and Ashkelon, with the boundaries thereof, - and Ekron, with the boundaries thereof.

And it same to pass that Yahweh was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, - but did not dispossess the inhabitants of the vale, because they had, chariots of iron.

So they gave unto Caleb Hebron, as spake Moses, - and he drave out from thence the three sons of Anak.

But, the Jebusites dwelling in Jerusalem, the sons of Benjamin did not drive out, - but the Jebusites have dwelt with the sons of Benjamin, in Jerusalem, unto this day.

Then went up the house of Joseph - they also, - unto Bethel, - and, Yahweh, was with them.

And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel, - now, the name of the city, formerly, was, Luz.

So the watchers saw a man, coming forth from the city, - and they said unto him - Shew us, we pray thee, the way to get into the city, and we will deal with thee, in lovingkindness.

And he shewed them the way to get into the city, and they smote the city, with the edge of the sword, - but, the man and all his family, they let go.

And the man went into the land of the Hittites, - and built a city, and called the name thereof, Luz, that, is the name thereof, unto this day.

But Manasseh took not possession of Beth-shean and her towns, nor of Taanach and her towns, nor dispossessed the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam, and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo, and her towns, - but the Canaanites were determined to remain in this land;

And, Ephraim, dispossessed not the Canaanites who were dwelling in Gezer, - so the Canaanites remained in their midst, in Gezer.

Zebulun, dispossessed not the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol, - but the Canaanites remained in their midst, and came under tribute.

Naphtali, dispossessed not the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but they dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, - and, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, and of Beth-anath, became theirs, under tribute.

And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, - for they suffered them not to come down into the vale;

and, though the Amorites were determined to remain in the hill country of Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, yet was the hand of the house of Joseph heavy, so that they came under tribute.

And, the boundary of the Amorites, was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upwards.

And the messenger of Yahweh came up from Gilgal, unto Bochim. And he said - I led you up out of Egypt, and brought you into the land, which I had sworn unto your fathers, And I said, I will not break my covenant with you, to times age-abiding;

But, ye, must not solemnise a covenant with the inhabitants of this land, Their altars, must ye tear down, - But ye have not hearkened unto my voice, what is this ye have done?

Wherefore also I said, I will not drive them out from before you, - but they shall be your adversaries, and, their gods, shall become unto you a snare.

And it came to pass, when the messenger of Yahweh had spoken these words unto all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

So they called the name of that place, Bochim, and offered sacrifice there, unto Yahweh.

Now, when Joshua had let the people go, the sons of Israel went their way, every man to his inheritance, to take possession of the land.

And the people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, - and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh which he had wrought for Israel.

So then Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, - being a hundred and ten years old.

And they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, - on the north of Mount Gaash.

All that generation also, were gathered unto their fathers, - and there arose another generation, after them, who had not known Yahweh, nor even the work which he had wrought for Israel.

So the sons of Israel did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, - and served the Baals;

and forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto them, - and angered Yahweh.

Yea, they forsook Yahweh, - and did service unto the Baal and unto Ashtaroth.

Then kindled the anger of Yahweh upon Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of spoilers, who plundered them, - and he sold them into the hand of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.