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Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Joshua 24:22

Joshua said to the people, "Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord ?" They replied, "We are witnesses!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Covenant;   Decision;   Shechem;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Shechem;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pillars;   Shechem (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Ebal;   Joshua;   Joshua, the Book of;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Shechem;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Choose;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Shechem;   Teraphim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.”
Hebrew Names Version
Yehoshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. They said, We are witnesses.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves to serve Yahweh." And they said, "We are witnesses."
English Standard Version
Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord , to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
New Century Version
Then Joshua said, "You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the Lord ." The people said, "Yes, we are."
Amplified Bible
Joshua then said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
New American Standard Bible
So Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ioshua saide vnto the people, Yee are witnesses against your selues, that yee haue chosen you the Lord, to serue him: and they sayd, We are witnesses.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves Yahweh, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
Contemporary English Version
Joshua said, "You have heard yourselves say that you will worship and obey the Lord . Isn't that true?" "Yes, it's true," they answered.
Complete Jewish Bible
Y'hoshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Adonai , to serve him." They answered, "We are witnesses."
Darby Translation
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Joshua said, "Look around at yourselves and the people with you. Do you all know and agree that you have chosen to serve the Lord ? Are you all witnesses to this?" The people answered, "Yes, it is true. We all see that we have chosen to serve the Lord ."
George Lamsa Translation
And Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
Good News Translation
Joshua told them, "You are your own witnesses to the fact that you have chosen to serve the Lord ." "Yes," they said, "we are witnesses."
Literal Translation
And Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves, that you have chosen Jehovah for yourselves, to serve Him (for they said, We are witnesses).
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Iosua vnto the people: Ye are witnesses ouer youre selues, that ye haue chosen you the LORDE, to serue him. And they sayde: Yee.
American Standard Version
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
Bible in Basic English
And Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have made the decision to be the servants of the Lord. And they said, We are witnesses.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iosuah sayde vnto the people: Ye are witnesses against your selues, that ye haue chosen you the Lorde to serue him. And they sayde: we are witnesses.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.'--
King James Version (1611)
And Ioshua said vnto the people, Yee are witnesses against your selues, that yee haue chosen you the Lord, to serue him. And they said, We are witnesses.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joshua said to the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Joshua told them, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD." "We are witnesses!" they said.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Josue seide to the puple, Ye ben witnessis, that ye han chose the Lord to you, that ye serue him. And thei answeriden, We ben witnessis.
Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua saith unto the people, `Witnesses ye are against yourselves, that ye have chosen for you Jehovah to serve Him (and they say, `Witnesses!')
Update Bible Version
And Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves Yahweh, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua said to the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses.
World English Bible
Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen you Yahweh, to serve him. They said, We are witnesses.
New King James Version
So Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses!"
New Living Translation
"You are a witness to your own decision," Joshua said. "You have chosen to serve the Lord ." "Yes," they replied, "we are witnesses to what we have said."
New Life Bible
Then Joshua said to the people, "You have spoken for yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord." And they said, "We have spoken for ourselves."
New Revised Standard
Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord , to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
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!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Josue said to the people, You are witnesses, that you yourselves have chosen you the Lord to serve him. And they answered: We are witnesses.
Revised Standard Version
Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
THE MESSAGE
And so Joshua addressed the people: "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen God for yourselves—to worship him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

Contextual Overview

15 If you have no desire to worship the Lord , choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the Lord !" 16 The people responded, "Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods! 17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery in the land of Egypt and performed these awesome miracles before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. 18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship the Lord , for he is our God!" 19 Joshua warned the people, "You will not keep worshiping the Lord , for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God who will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you; he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, though he once treated you well." 21 The people said to Joshua, "No! We really will worship the Lord !" 22 Joshua said to the people, "Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord ?" They replied, "We are witnesses!" 23 Joshua said, "Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to the Lord God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "We will worship the Lord our God and obey him."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ye are witnesses: Ye have been sufficiently apprised of the difficulties in your way - of God's holiness, and the nature of his service - your own weakness, inconstancy, and insufficiency - your need of the Divine help, and the hope of assistance held out in the law - and the awful consequences of apostasy, and now ye make your choice. Remember then that ye are witnesses against yourselves; and your own conscience will be witness, judge, and executioner. Deuteronomy 26:17, Job 15:6, Luke 19:22

ye have: Psalms 119:11, Psalms 119:173, Luke 10:42

Reciprocal: Exodus 24:3 - All the words Matthew 23:31 - witnesses Luke 11:48 - ye bear

Cross-References

Genesis 24:2
Abraham said to his servant, the senior one in his household who was in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh
Genesis 24:3
so that I may make you solemnly promise by the Lord , the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living.
Genesis 24:9
So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes.
Genesis 24:10
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. He journeyed to the region of Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor.
Genesis 24:11
He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when the women would go out to draw water.
Genesis 24:12
He prayed, "O Lord , God of my master Abraham, guide me today. Be faithful to my master Abraham.
Genesis 24:15
Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor).
Genesis 24:16
Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.
Genesis 24:19
When she had done so, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want."
Genesis 24:23
"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joshua said unto the people,.... In reply to their answer and resolution:

ye [are] witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you the Lord God to serve him; that is, should they, after this choice of him, which they had so publicly declared, desert his service, and go into idolatry, their testimony would rise up against them, and they would, be self-condemned:

and they said, [we are] witnesses; should we ever apostatize from the Lord and his worship, we are content to have this our witness produced against us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 24:22. Ye are witnesses against yourselves — Ye have been sufficiently apprised of the difficulties in your way - of GOD'S holiness - your own weakness and inconstancy - the need you have of Divine help, and the awful consequences of apostasy; and now ye deliberately make your choice. Remember then, that ye are witnesses against yourselves, and your own conscience will be witness, judge, and executioner; or, as one terms it, index, judex, vindex.


 
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