Punishment for Disobedience

¹⁴ “‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands,^{(A) 15} and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws^(B) and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,^{(C) 16} then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever^(D) that will destroy your sight and sap your strength.^(E) You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.^{(F) 17} I will set my face^(G) against you so that you will be defeated^(H) by your enemies;^(I) those who hate you will rule over you,^(J) and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.^(K)

¹⁸ “‘If after all this you will not listen to me,^(L) I will punish^(M) you for your sins seven times over.^{(N) 19} I will break down your stubborn pride^(O) and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.^{(P) 20} Your strength will be spent in vain,^(Q) because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit.^(R)

²¹ “‘If you remain hostile^(S) toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over,^(T) as your sins deserve. ²² I will send wild animals^(U) against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few^(V) in number that your roads will be deserted.^(W)

²³ “‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction^(X) but continue to be hostile toward me, ²⁴ I myself will be hostile^(Y) toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. ²⁵ And I will bring the sword^(Z) on you to avenge^(AA) the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague^(AB) among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. ²⁶ When I cut off your supply of bread,^(AC) ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.

²⁷ “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me^(AD) but continue to be hostile toward me, ²⁸ then in my anger^(AE) I will be hostile^(AF) toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.^{(AG) 29} You will eat^(AH) the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.^{(AI) 30} I will destroy your high places,^(AJ) cut down your incense altars^(AK) and pile your dead bodies^[a] on the lifeless forms of your idols,^(AL) and I will abhor^(AM) you. ³¹ I will turn your cities into ruins^(AN) and lay waste^(AO) your sanctuaries,^(AP) and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.^{(AQ) 32} I myself will lay waste the land,^(AR) so that your enemies who live there will be appalled.^{(AS) 33} I will scatter^(AT) you among the nations^(AU) and will draw out my sword^(AV) and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste,^(AW) and your cities will lie in ruins.^(AX)

¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord^(A) and serve him with all faithfulness.^(B) Throw away the gods^(C) your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt,^(D) and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But 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,^(E) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,^(F) we will serve the Lord.”^(G)

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

¹⁹ Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;^(O) he is a jealous God.^(P) He will not forgive^(Q) your rebellion^(R) and your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the Lord^(S) and serve foreign gods, he will turn^(T) and bring disaster^(U) on you and make an end of you,^(V) after he has been good to you.”

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

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

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

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

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

²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant^(AC) for the people, and there at Shechem^(AD) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.^{(AE) 26} And Joshua recorded^(AF) these things in the Book of the Law of God.^(AG) Then he took a large stone^(AH) and set it up there under the oak^(AI) near the holy place of the Lord.

²⁷ “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone^(AJ) will be a witness^(AK) 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^(AL) to your God.”^(AM)