Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, calling together their elders, leaders, judges, and officials. There, before the presence of God, he spoke to the people, recounting the words of the Lord.
"This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says," Joshua began. "Long ago, your ancestors, including Terah—the father of Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from that land and led him through Canaan. I gave him many descendants, including Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. Esau received the hill country of Seir, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt."
Joshua reminded them of how God sent Moses and Aaron, brought plagues upon Egypt, and delivered their forefathers from bondage. When the Egyptians pursued them to the Red Sea, God brought darkness between them, covered the enemy with water, and destroyed them completely. Afterward, Israel lived in the desert for many years.
He continued, "I brought you to the land of the Amorites east of the Jordan; they fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. Balak, king of Moab, sought to curse you through Balaam, but I would not listen, and Balaam blessed you again and again. Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of the land—Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites—rose against you, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you to drive them out, not by your sword or bow, but by My power. I gave you cities you did not build, vineyards and olive groves you did not plant."
Then Joshua turned to the people and said, "Now, fear the Lord and serve Him in faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving Him seems undesirable to you, then choose this day whom you will serve—whether the gods your ancestors served or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
The people responded, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord! It was He who brought us out of Egypt and performed great miracles. He protected us wherever we went and drove out all nations before us. We too will serve the Lord, for He is our God."
But Joshua warned them, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for He is holy and jealous. If you forsake Him and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster upon you after being good to you."
Still, the people insisted, "No! We will serve the Lord." Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord." And they replied, "Yes, we are witnesses."
Joshua then urged them, "Throw away the foreign gods among you and yield your hearts fully to the Lord." The people answered, "We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him."
That day at Shechem, Joshua made a covenant with them, setting laws and decrees. He recorded all these words in the Book of the Law of God and set up a large stone under an oak near the holy place of the Lord. "This stone," Joshua said, "will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the Lord has spoken. It will testify against you if you are untrue to Him."
After this, Joshua dismissed the people to their inheritance. Sometime later, he died at the age of 110 and was buried in Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim. Israel remained faithful to the Lord throughout Joshua's lifetime and during the days of the elders who outlived him.
Joseph's bones, which Israel had brought from Egypt, were buried at Shechem, on the land Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor. Eleazar, the son of Aaron, also died and was buried at Gibeah, the land given to his son Phinehas in Ephraim's hill country.
And so, the generation of Joshua ended—faithful to the God who had delivered them, guided them, and kept every promise He had spoken.