¹⁶ And the people answer and say, `Far be it from us to forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;

¹⁷ for Jehovah our God [is] He who is bringing us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants, and who hath done before our eyes these great signs, and doth keep us in all the way in which we have gone, and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed;

¹⁸ and Jehovah casteth out the whole of the peoples, even the Amorite inhabiting the land, from our presence; we also do serve Jehovah, for He [is] our God.'

¹⁹ And Joshua saith unto the people, `Ye are not able to serve Jehovah, for a God most holy He [is]; a zealous God He [is]; He doth not bear with your transgression and with your sins.

²⁰ When ye forsake Jehovah, and have served gods of a stranger, then He hath turned back and done evil to you, and consumed you, after that He hath done good to you.'

²¹ And the people saith unto Joshua, `No, but Jehovah we do serve.'

²² And Joshua saith unto the people, `Witnesses ye are against yourselves, that ye have chosen for you Jehovah to serve Him (and they say, `Witnesses!')

²³ and, now, turn aside the gods of the stranger which [are] in your midst, and incline your heart unto Jehovah, God of Israel.'

²⁴ And the people say unto Joshua, `Jehovah our God we serve, and to His voice we hearken.'

²⁵ And Joshua maketh a covenant with the people on that day, and layeth on it a statute and an ordinance, in Shechem.

²⁶ And Joshua writeth these words in the Book of the Law of God, and taketh a great stone, and raiseth it up there under the oak which [is] in the sanctuary of Jehovah.

²⁷ And Joshua saith unto all the people, `Lo, this stone is against us for a witness, for it hath heard all the sayings of Jehovah which He hath spoken with us, and it hath been against you for a witness, lest ye lie against your God.'

²⁸ And Joshua sendeth the people away, each to his inheritance.