Joshua 24

¹ Joshua gather all tribes of Israel together for Shechem. He call the elders, leaders, judges and Israel officers, and dem come to presence of God.

² Joshua tell the people say, “Na wetin the LORD, God of Israel get to tell una be this: ‘Long time ago una ancestors live for the other side of Euphrates River and dem worship other gods. One of those ancestors na Terah, father of Abraham and Nahor.

³ I con take Abraham, una ancestor from the land wey far pass Euphrates and lead him through all Canaan land. I give him plenty descendants. I give him Isaac,

⁴ and Jacob and Esau to Isaac. I give Esau the hill country of Edom as him own, but una ancestor Jacob and all him pikin go down to Egypt.

⁵ Later I send Moses and Aaron, and I bring serious trouble on top Egypt. But I lead una out;

⁶ I bring una ancestors out of Egypt, and the Egyptians pursue them with chariots and army. But when una ancestors reach Red Sea

⁷ dem cry out to me for help, and I put darkness between them and Egyptians and the water kill them. Una know wetin I do to Egypt. Una live for desert long time ago.

⁸ I con bring una come Amorites land, wey dey for east side of Jordan. Dem fight una, but I give una victory over them. Una take their land, and I destroy them as una dey advance go front.

⁹ Then the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, fight against una. He send word to Balaam son of Beor and ask him make he curse una.

¹⁰ But I no answer Balaam, naso he bless una, and na for this way I rescue una from Balak.

¹¹ Una cross Jordan and reach Jericho. Men of Jericho fight against una, just as Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites don do. But I give una victory over all of them,

¹² As una dey advance go front, I throw them for fear so that I go drive out the two Amorite kings. Una swords and bows get nothing to do with am.

¹³ I give una land wey una no plant on top and cities wey una no build. Na for there una dey live now and una dey chop grapes from the vines wey una no plant, and get olives from trees wey una no plant.’

¹⁴ Joshua continue dey talk say, “Now make una honor the LORD and serve him with good faith. Make una destroy the gods wey una ancestors been dey worship for Mesopotamia and for Egypt, and worship the LORD only.

¹⁵ If una no wan serve him, make una decide who una go serve today, the gods wey una ancestors worship for Mesopotamia or the gods of Amorites, wey una dey live on top their land now. As for me and my family, na the LORD we go serve.”

¹⁶ The people con reply say, “We no go ever leave the LORD and go serve other gods!

¹⁷ Na the LORD our God bring our papa and us out of slavery for Egypt, we see the miracles wey he do. He keep us safe anywhere we go among all nations wey we pass through.

¹⁸ As we advance enter this land, the LORD drive out all the Amorites wey dey live for here. So we go also serve the LORD; na him be our God.”

¹⁹ Joshua con tell the people say, “But if una no go fit serve the LORD, He be holy God and He no go forgive una sins. He no like rivals,

²⁰ and if una leave him to serve foreign gods, he go turn against una and punish una. he go destroy una, even though He been dey good to una before.”

²¹ The people tell Joshua say, “No! We go serve the LORD.”

²² Joshua tell them say, “Na una be una own witness say una don choose to serve the LORD.” Dem talk say, “Yes, we be witness.”

²³ He ask them say, “Make una throway the foreign gods wey una get, and promise say una go dey loyal to the LORD, God of Israel.

²⁴ The people con tell Joshua say, “We go serve the LORD our God. We go obey him commands.”

²⁵ Naso Joshua make covenant for the people that day, and there for Shechem he give them laws and rules to dey follow.

²⁶ Joshua write these commands for the book of the law of God. He con take a big stone and set am under the oak tree for sanctuary of God.

²⁷ He con tell all the people say, “Na this stone go be our witness. E don hear all the words wey God don follow una talk. So e go be witness against una, to dey keep una from going against una God.”

²⁸ Joshua tell all the people make dem dey go, and dem all go back to their own part of the land.

²⁹ After that, the servant of God Joshua son of Nun con die when he be 110 years old.

³⁰ Dem bury him on top him land for Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.

³¹ As long as Joshua dey alive, the people of Israel serve the LORD, and after him don die dem continue to dey serve the LORD as long as those leaders dey alive, those leaders wey don see everything wey God don do for Israel by themselves.

³² Joseph dead body, wey people of Israel don bring from Egypt, dem bury am on top a land wey Jacob don buy from sons of Hamor, Shechem papa, for one hundred pieces of silver. Na Joseph descendants inherit this land.

³³ Eleazar son of Aaron con die and dem bury him for Gibeah, the town for hill country of Ephraim wey belong to him son Phinehas.