Conquest of Canaan

And said: Let us build us an altar, not for holocausts, nor to offer victims,

But for a testimony between us and you, and our posterity and yours, that we may serve the Lord, and that we may have a right to offer both holocausts, and victims and sacrifices of peace offerings: and that your children to morrow may not say to our children: You have no part in the Lord.

And if they will say so, they shall answer them: Behold the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for holocausts, nor for sacrifice, but for a testimony between us and you.

God keep us from any such wickedness that we should revolt from the Lord, and leave off following his steps, by building an altar to offer holocausts, and sacrifices, and victims, beside the altar of the Lord our God, which is erected before his tabernacle.

And when Phinees the priest, and the princes of the embassage, who were with him, had heard this, they were satisfied: and they admitted most willingly the words of the children of Ruben, and Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasses,

And Phinees the priest the son of Eleazar said to them: Now we know that the Lord is with us, because you are not guilty of this revolt, and you have delivered the children of Israel from the hand of the Lord.

And he returned with the princes from the children of Ruben and Gad, out of the land of Galaad, into the land of Chanaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

And the saying pleased all that heard it. And the children of Israel praised God, and they no longer said that they would go up against them, and fight, and destroy the land of their possession.

And the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad called the altar which they had built, Our testimony, that the Lord is God,

And when a long time was passed, after that the Lord had given peace to Israel, all the nations round about being subdued. and Joshua being now old, and far advanced in years:

Joshua called for all Israel, and for the elders, and for the princes, and for the judges, and for the masters, and said to them: I am old, and far advanced in years,

And you see all that the Lord your God hath done to all the nations round about, how he himself hath fought for you:

And now since he hath divided to you by lot all the land, from the east of the Jordan unto the great sea, ant many nations yet remain:

The Lord your God will destroy them, and take them away from before your face, and you shall possess the land as he hath promised you.

Only take courage, and be careful to observe all things that are written in the book of the law of Moses: and turn not aside from them neither to the right hand nor to the left:

Lest after that you are come in among the Gentiles, who will remain among you, you should swear by the name of their gods, and serve them, and adore them:

But cleave ye unto the Lord your God, as you have done until this day.

And then the Lord God will take away before your eyes nations that are great and very strong, and no man shall be able to resist you.

One of you shall chase a thousand men of the enemies: because the Lord your God himself will fight for you, as he hath promised.

This only take care of with all diligence, that you love the Lord your God.

But if you will embrace the errors of these nations that dwell among you, and make marriages with them, and join friendships:

Know ye for a certainty that the Lord your God will not destroy them before your face, but they shall be a pit and a snare in your way, and a stumbling-block at your side, and stakes in your eyes, till he take you away and destroy you from off this excellent land, which he hath given you.

Behold this day I am going into the way of all the earth, and you shall know with all your mind that of all the words which the Lord promised to perform for you, not one hath failed,

Therefore as he hath fulfilled in deed, what he promised, and all things prosperous have come: so will he bring upon you all the evils he hath threatened, till he take you away and destroy you from off this excellent land, which he hath given you,

When you shall have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he hath made with you, and shall have served strange gods, and adored them: then shall the indignation of the Lord rise up quickly and speedily against you, and you shall be taken away from this excellent land, which he hath delivered to you.