Joshua 24

New International Version

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

24 Then Joshua assembled^(A) all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.^(B) He summoned^(C) the elders,^(D) leaders, judges and officials of Israel,^(E) and they presented themselves before God.

²Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor,^(F) lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.^(G) ³But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan^(H) and gave him many descendants.^(I) I gave him Isaac,^(J) ⁴and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.^(K) I assigned the hill country of Seir^(L) to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.^(M)

⁵“‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron,^(N) and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.^(O) ⁶When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea,^(P) and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen^[a]^(Q) as far as the Red Sea.^[b]^(R) ⁷But they cried^(S) to the Lord for help, and he put darkness^(T) between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them.^(U) You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians.^(V) Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.^(W)

⁸“‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites^(X) who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.^(Y) ⁹When Balak son of Zippor,^(Z) the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor^(AA) to put a curse on you.^(AB) ¹⁰But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you^(AC) again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

¹¹“‘Then you crossed the Jordan^(AD) and came to Jericho.^(AE) The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,^(AF) Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites,^(AG) but I gave them into your hands.^(AH) ¹²I sent the hornet^(AI) ahead of you, which drove them out^(AJ) before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.^(AK) ¹³So I gave you a land^(AL) on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’^(AM)

¹⁴“Now fear the Lord^(AN) and serve him with all faithfulness.^(AO) Throw away the gods^(AP) your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt,^(AQ) and serve the Lord. ¹⁵But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,^(AR) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,^(AS) we will serve the Lord.”^(AT)

¹⁶Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake^(AU) the Lord to serve other gods! ¹⁷It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery,^(AV) and performed those great signs^(AW) before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. ¹⁸And the Lord drove out^(AX) before us all the nations,^(AY) including the Amorites, who lived in the land.^(AZ) We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.^(BA)”

¹⁹Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;^(BB) he is a jealous God.^(BC) He will not forgive^(BD) your rebellion^(BE) and your sins. ²⁰If you forsake the Lord^(BF) and serve foreign gods, he will turn^(BG) and bring disaster^(BH) on you and make an end of you,^(BI) after he has been good to you.”

²¹But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

²²Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses^(BJ) against yourselves that you have chosen^(BK) to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,^(BL)” they replied.

²³“Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods^(BM) that are among you and yield your hearts^(BN) to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

²⁴And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”^(BO)

²⁵On that day Joshua made a covenant^(BP) for the people, and there at Shechem^(BQ) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.^(BR) ²⁶And Joshua recorded^(BS) these things in the Book of the Law of God.^(BT) Then he took a large stone^(BU) and set it up there under the oak^(BV) near the holy place of the Lord.

²⁷“See!” he said to all the people. “This stone^(BW) will be a witness^(BX) against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue^(BY) to your God.”^(BZ)

²⁸Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.^(CA)

Buried in the Promised Land^(CB)

²⁹After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died^(CC) at the age of a hundred and ten.^(CD) ³⁰And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah^[c]^(CE) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.^(CF)

³¹Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders^(CG) who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

³²And Joseph’s bones,^(CH) which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,^(CI) were buried at Shechem in the tract of land^(CJ) that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver^[d] from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

³³And Eleazar son of Aaron^(CK) died and was buried at Gibeah,^(CL) which had been allotted to his son Phinehas^(CM) in the hill country^(CN) of Ephraim.

Footnotes

Joshua 24:6 Or charioteers
Joshua 24:6 Or the Sea of Reeds
Joshua 24:30 Also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9)
Joshua 24:32 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.

Proverbs 12

New International Version

12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.^(A)

²Good people obtain favor from the Lord,^(B)
but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.^(C)

³No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.^(D)

⁴A wife of noble character^(E) is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.^(F)

⁵The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.^(G)

⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more,^(H)
but the house of the righteous stands firm.^(I)

⁸A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped^(J) mind is despised.

⁹Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰The righteous care for the needs of their animals,^(K)
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.^(L)

¹²The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.

¹³Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,^(M)
and so the innocent escape trouble.^(N)

¹⁴From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,^(O)
and the work of their hands brings them reward.^(P)

¹⁵The way of fools seems right to them,^(Q)
but the wise listen to advice.^(R)

¹⁶Fools^(S) show their annoyance at once,^(T)
but the prudent overlook an insult.^(U)

¹⁷An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.^(V)

¹⁸The words of the reckless pierce like swords,^(W)
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.^(X)

¹⁹Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.^(Y)

²¹No harm overtakes the righteous,^(Z)
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²²The Lord detests lying lips,^(AA)
but he delights^(AB) in people who are trustworthy.^(AC)

²³The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,^(AD)
but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.^(AE)

²⁴Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.^(AF)

²⁵Anxiety weighs down the heart,^(AG)
but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.^(AH)

²⁷The lazy do not roast^[a] any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

²⁸In the way of righteousness there is life;^(AI)
along that path is immortality.

Footnotes

Proverbs 12:27 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

Revelation 1-2

New International Version

Prologue

1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave^(A) him to show his servants what must soon take place.^(B) He made it known by sending his angel^(C) to his servant John,^(D) ²who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God^(E) and the testimony of Jesus Christ.^(F) ³Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,^(G) because the time is near.^(H)

Greetings and Doxology

⁴John,

To the seven churches^(I) in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you^(J) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(K) and from the seven spirits^[a]^(L) before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,^(M) the firstborn from the dead,^(N) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(O)

To him who loves us^(P) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,^(Q) ⁶and has made us to be a kingdom and priests^(R) to serve his God and Father^(S)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.^(T)

⁷“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”^[b]^(U)
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;^(V)
and all peoples on earth “will mourn^(W) because of him.”^[c]
So shall it be! Amen.

⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(X) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(Y) the Almighty.”^(Z)

John’s Vision of Christ

⁹I, John,^(AA) your brother and companion in the suffering^(AB) and kingdom^(AC) and patient endurance^(AD) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God^(AE) and the testimony of Jesus.^(AF) ¹⁰On the Lord’s Day^(AG) I was in the Spirit,^(AH) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,^(AI) ¹¹which said: “Write on a scroll what you see^(AJ) and send it to the seven churches:^(AK) to Ephesus,^(AL) Smyrna,^(AM) Pergamum,^(AN) Thyatira,^(AO) Sardis,^(AP) Philadelphia^(AQ) and Laodicea.”^(AR)

¹²I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,^(AS) ¹³and among the lampstands^(AT) was someone like a son of man,^[d]^(AU) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet^(AV) and with a golden sash around his chest.^(AW) ¹⁴The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.^(AX) ¹⁵His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,^(AY) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.^(AZ) ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars,^(BA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.^(BB) His face was like the sun^(BC) shining in all its brilliance.

¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet^(BD) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me^(BE) and said: “Do not be afraid.^(BF) I am the First and the Last.^(BG) ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead,^(BH) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!^(BI) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.^(BJ)

¹⁹“Write, therefore, what you have seen,^(BK) what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand^(BL) and of the seven golden lampstands^(BM) is this: The seven stars are the angels^[e] of the seven churches,^(BN) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.^(BO)

To the Church in Ephesus

2 “To the angel^[f] of the church in Ephesus^(BP) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand^(BQ) and walks among the seven golden lampstands.^(BR) ²I know your deeds,^(BS) your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested^(BT) those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.^(BU) ³You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name,^(BV) and have not grown weary.

⁴Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.^(BW) ⁵Consider how far you have fallen! Repent^(BX) and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand^(BY) from its place. ⁶But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans,^(BZ) which I also hate.

⁷Whoever has ears, let them hear^(CA) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,^(CB) I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,^(CC) which is in the paradise^(CD) of God.

To the Church in Smyrna

⁸“To the angel of the church in Smyrna^(CE) write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,^(CF) who died and came to life again.^(CG) ⁹I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!^(CH) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,^(CI) but are a synagogue of Satan.^(CJ) ¹⁰Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,^(CK) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.^(CL) Be faithful,^(CM) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.^(CN)

¹¹Whoever has ears, let them hear^(CO) what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.^(CP)

To the Church in Pergamum

¹²“To the angel of the church in Pergamum^(CQ) write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.^(CR) ¹³I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,^(CS) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,^(CT) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.^(CU)

¹⁴Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:^(CV) There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam,^(CW) who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols^(CX) and committed sexual immorality.^(CY) ¹⁵Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.^(CZ) ¹⁶Repent^(DA) therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.^(DB)

¹⁷Whoever has ears, let them hear^(DC) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,^(DD) I will give some of the hidden manna.^(DE) I will also give that person a white stone with a new name^(DF) written on it, known only to the one who receives it.^(DG)

To the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸“To the angel of the church in Thyatira^(DH) write:

These are the words of the Son of God,^(DI) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.^(DJ) ¹⁹I know your deeds,^(DK) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

²⁰Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,^(DL) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.^(DM) ²¹I have given her time^(DN) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.^(DO) ²²So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery^(DP) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,^(DQ) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.^(DR)

²⁴Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,^(DS) ²⁵except to hold on to what you have^(DT) until I come.’^(DU)

²⁶To the one who is victorious^(DV) and does my will to the end,^(DW) I will give authority over the nations^(DX)— ²⁷that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter^(DY) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’^[g]^(DZ)—just as I have received authority from my Father. ²⁸I will also give that one the morning star.^(EA) ²⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear^(EB) what the Spirit says to the churches.

Footnotes

Revelation 1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13
Revelation 1:7 Zech. 12:10
Revelation 1:13 See Daniel 7:13.
Revelation 1:20 Or messengers
Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18
Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9

New International Version (NIV)

Joshua 24

New International Version

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

Buried in the Promised Land^(CB)

Footnotes

Cross references

Proverbs 12

New International Version

Footnotes

Cross references

Revelation 1-2

New International Version

Prologue

Greetings and Doxology

John’s Vision of Christ

To the Church in Ephesus

To the Church in Smyrna

To the Church in Pergamum

To the Church in Thyatira

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Bible Gateway Recommends

Joshua 24 New International Version

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

Buried in the Promised Land(CB)

Footnotes

Cross references

Proverbs 12 New International Version

Footnotes

Cross references

Revelation 1-2 New International Version

Prologue

Greetings and Doxology

John’s Vision of Christ

To the Church in Ephesus

To the Church in Smyrna

To the Church in Pergamum

To the Church in Thyatira

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Bible Gateway Recommends

Joshua 24

New International Version

Buried in the Promised Land^(CB)

Proverbs 12

New International Version

Revelation 1-2

New International Version