Study Desk

Every good promise that the Lord your God made has come true, and in the same way, his other promises will come true. He promised that evil will come to you and that he will destroy you from this good land that he gave you.

This will happen if you don't keep your agreement with the Lord your God. If you go and serve other gods and worship them, the Lord will become very angry with you. Then none of you will be left in this good land he has given you."

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem. He called the elders, heads of families, judges, and officers of Israel to stand before God.

Then Joshua said to all the people, "Here's what the Lord , the God of Israel, says to you: ‘A long time ago your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, worshiped other gods.

It was the Lord our God who brought our ancestors out of Egypt. We were slaves in that land, but the Lord did great things for us there. He brought us out and protected us while we traveled through other lands.

Then he forced out all the people living in these lands, even the Amorites. So we will serve the Lord , because he is our God."

Then Joshua said, "You are not able to serve the Lord , because he is a holy God and a jealous God. If you turn against him and sin, he will not forgive you.

Then Joshua said, "Now throw away the gods that you have. Love the Lord , the God of Israel, with all your heart."

Then the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God, and we will obey him."

Joshua wrote these things in the Book of the Teachings of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up under the oak tree near the Lord 's Holy Tent.

Joshua said to all the people, "See this stone! It will remind you of what we did today. It was here the Lord spoke to us today. It will remind you of what happened so you will not turn against your God."

Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings whose thumbs and big toes had been cut off used to eat scraps that fell from my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." The men of Judah took Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem, and he died there.

They quit following the Lord , the God of their ancestors who had brought them out of Egypt. They began to worship the gods of the people who lived around them, and that made the Lord angry.

But the Israelites did not listen to their judges. They were not faithful to God but worshiped other gods instead. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord 's commands, but they quickly turned away and did not obey.

The Israelites did what the Lord said was wrong. They forgot about the Lord their God and served the idols of Baal and Asherah.

Ehud went to King Eglon, as he was sitting alone in the room above his summer palace. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king stood up from his chair,

Deborah sent a message to Barak son of Abinoam. Barak lived in the city of Kedesh, which is in the area of Naphtali. Deborah said to Barak, "The Lord , the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go and gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them to Mount Tabor.

On that day God defeated Jabin king of Canaan in the sight of Israel.

Listen, kings. Pay attention, rulers! I myself will sing to the Lord . I will make music to the Lord , the God of Israel.

The mountains shook before the Lord , the God of Mount Sinai, before the Lord , the God of Israel!