A long time after the Israelites had gone away from Shiloh to live in different parts of Canaan, Joshua sent word to them and asked them to come together again. He wanted to talk with them once more before he should die. And the people from every tribe came together at Shechem, a place not far from Shiloh, and listened to the words of Joshua.
This brave old man knew that, soon his days on earth would be ended; for he was one hundred and ten years old. He knew he could no longer help the Israelites in their battles against the wicked people who yet lived in the land. But he knew that God would he willing to help them even after he should die. So he talked to the Israelites about the wonderful victories that God had given to them when they obeyed him.
The people had never refused to obey Joshua as their fathers had refused to obey Moses. And God had blessed them because they were obedient. Now Joshua said: “You remember the good promises that God gave to you before you crossed the Jordan River and came into this land. And you see now how God has kept every one of those promises, how he has given you every good thing that he said he would give if you obeyed him. You know how he drove your enemies out of the cities and out of the country places, and caused them to leave their riches for you to enjoy. Now,” said Joshua, “you see how he has blessed you because you worshiped him. But if you turn away from him and worship other gods, he will send the great troubles upon you as he said.”
Joshua then talked to the people about the things that had happened to them and to their fathers before them. He even told, them about Abraham, and about Abraham’s sons, how God had led those old men through the very land the Israelites Were now calling their own country. He spoke about the sons of Israel, who was first called Jacob. He told how those sons went down to Egypt and lived there for many years. Then he told how God chose Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt’s bondage to the beautiful land of Canaan. He reminded the people of the wonderful things that’ God did for the Israelites while he was leading them through the wilderness.
Joshua wanted the people to understand how much they had been helped by God. He wanted them to see how good the Lord had been to them. Then at last he said, “Today you must choose whether you will keep on serving this God who has led you all these years, or whether you will serve the gods of the Canaanites.” And all the people answered, “We will serve the Lord.”
Then Joshua, told the people that they must not keep in their homes any idols like their Wicked neighbors kept; for if they should, God would not bless them. He said, “You must choose between the true God and these idols. Whichever you choose, I and my house will serve the true God.” And all the people promised to keep on obeying the words of the Lord.
Joshua knew he would soon die, and he wished to remind the Israelites of this their promise in the years to come, when he could no longer be with them. So he set up a great stone under an oak-tree at Shechem, and whenever the people saw that stone they remembered the promise they had made to faithful old Joshua. Soon after this meeting Joshua died, and the Israelites buried him on a hillside near his home. By and by the high priest, Eleazar, also died, and the Israelites buried him in the land of Ephraim. Then they made Phinehas, his son, to be high priest in his place. And they served the Lord as long as the old men lived who had known Joshua and who had seen the wonderful power of God.