14“Now you must fear the LORD and serve him in faithfulness and truth. Throw away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the Euphratesi River and in Egypt. Instead, serve the LORD. 15If you think it’s the wrong thing for you to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve—the gods whom your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphratesj River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose territories you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
16In response, the people said, “Far be it from us that we should abandon the LORD to serve other gods, 17since the LORD our God is the one who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, from a life of slavery. He did those great things right in front of us, preserving us along the way that we traveled and among all the peoples through whose territory we passed. 18The LORD expelled all the people before us, including the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore, we also will serve the LORD, since he is our God.”
19So Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, because he is a God of Holiness. He is a jealous God, and he will forgive neither your transgressions nor your sins. 20If you abandon the LORD and serve foreign deities, then he will turn and do you harm, consuming you after allk the good he has done for you.”
21“No,” the people replied to Joshua. “We will serve the LORD.”
22Joshua responded, “You are giving testimony against yourselves, that you have chosen to serve the LORD.”
They replied, “We are witnesses!”
23Joshua said,l “Therefore abandon the foreign gods that are among you, and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
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