Quotes About Choice

See, I have set before you today life and goodness, as well as death and disaster.

But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, but are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,

I declare to you today that you will surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,

He chose the best land for himself, because a rulerís portion was reserved for him there. He came with the leaders of the people; he administered the LORDís justice and His ordinances for Israel.”

If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.

Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”

But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said.

Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ëWhoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.í” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

“Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ëIs it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?í Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”

One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ëReign over us.í

Then the trees said to the fig tree, ëCome and reign over us.í

Then the trees said to the grapevine, ëCome and reign over us.í

But the grapevine replied, ëShould I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?í

Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ëCome and reign over us.í

Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?

Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”

“Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.

One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.

So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”

But his father and mother replied, “Canít you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”