Joshua 22:20   (Read all of Joshua 22)

When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things, did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.' "

Joshua 22:22   (Read all of Joshua 22)

"The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day.

Joshua 22:23   (Read all of Joshua 22)

If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.

Joshua 22:24   (Read all of Joshua 22)

"No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, 'What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?

Joshua 22:25   (Read all of Joshua 22)

The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you-you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.' So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.

Joshua 22:26   (Read all of Joshua 22)

"That is why we said, 'Let us get ready and build an altar-but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.'

Joshua 22:27   (Read all of Joshua 22)

On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, 'You have no share in the Lord.'

Joshua 22:28   (Read all of Joshua 22)

"And we said, 'If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord's altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.'

Joshua 22:29   (Read all of Joshua 22)

"Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle."

Joshua 22:30   (Read all of Joshua 22)

When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community-the heads of the clans of the Israelites-heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased.

Joshua 22:31   (Read all of Joshua 22)

And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord's hand."

Joshua 22:32   (Read all of Joshua 22)

Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites.

Joshua 23:2   (Read all of Joshua 23)

summoned all Israel-their elders, leaders, judges and officials-and said to them: "I am very old.

Joshua 23:3   (Read all of Joshua 23)

You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.

Joshua 23:4   (Read all of Joshua 23)

Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain-the nations I conquered-between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

Joshua 23:5   (Read all of Joshua 23)

The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

Joshua 23:6   (Read all of Joshua 23)

"Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.

Joshua 23:7   (Read all of Joshua 23)

Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them.

Joshua 23:11   (Read all of Joshua 23)

So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

Joshua 23:12   (Read all of Joshua 23)

"But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,

Joshua 23:13   (Read all of Joshua 23)

then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

Joshua 23:14   (Read all of Joshua 23)

"Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

Joshua 23:15   (Read all of Joshua 23)

But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you.

Joshua 23:16   (Read all of Joshua 23)

If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you."