Old Testament: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

¹Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. ²And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. ³Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. ¹⁴Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

¹⁵Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” ¹⁶Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; ¹⁷for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; ¹⁸and the Lorddrove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” ¹⁹But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. ²⁰If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” ²¹And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” ²²Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” ²³He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” ²⁴The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” ²⁵So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.

Psalm: Psalm 78:1-7

¹ Hear my teaching, O my people; *
       incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
² I will open my mouth in a parable; *
       I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
³ That which we have heard and known,
  and what our forefathers have told us, *
       we will not hide from their children.
⁴ We will recount to generations to come
  the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
       and the wonderful works he has done.
⁵ He gave his decrees to Jacob
  and established a law for Israel, *
       which he commanded them to teach their children;
⁶ That the generations to come might know,
  and the children yet unborn; *
       that they in their turn might tell it to their children;
⁷ So that they might put their trust in God, *
       and not forget the deeds of God,
       but keep his commandments;

First Lesson: Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 or Amos 5:18-24

¹² Wisdom is radiant and unfading,
and she is easily discerned by those who love her,
and is found by those who seek her.
¹³ She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
¹⁴ One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty,
for she will be found sitting at the gate.
¹⁵ To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding,
and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
¹⁶ because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
and she graciously appears to them in their paths,
and meets them in every thought.

or

¹⁸Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; ¹⁹as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. ²⁰Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

²¹I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. ²²Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. ²³Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. ²⁴But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.

Psalm: Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 or Psalm 70

¹⁷ The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction,
and concern for instruction is love of her,
¹⁸ and love of her is the keeping of her laws,
and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality,
¹⁹ and immortality brings one near to God;
²⁰ so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom.

or

¹ Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *
       O Lord, make haste to help me.
² Let those who seek my life be ashamed
  and altogether dismayed; *
       let those who take pleasure in my misfortune
       draw back and be disgraced.
³ Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat over me turn back, *
       because they are ashamed.
⁴ Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *
       let those who love your salvation say for ever,
      “Great is the Lord!”
⁵ But as for me, I am poor and needy; *
       come to me speedily, O God.
⁶ You are my helper and my deliverer; *
       O Lord, do not tarry.