Study Desk

The Lord has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the Lord .' So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the Lord .

"So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,

"So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.

So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God.

but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak.

"So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.

It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord , for he alone is our God."

If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you."

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the Lord .

The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, "Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory." So the men of Simeon went with Judah.

Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel's wife.

She said, "Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed the town. So the town was named Hormah.

The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin.

So he showed them a way in, and they killed everyone in the town except that man and his family.

The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them.

The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. But the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves for the people of Zebulun.

So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you."

So they called the place Bokim (which means "weeping"), and they offered sacrifices there to the Lord .