The Israelites Promise to Serve Yahweh

¹⁴ “So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors^[a] served beyond the river^[b] and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. ¹⁵ But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors^[c] served beyond the river,^[d] or the gods of the Amorites^[e] in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.” ¹⁶ And the people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we would forsake Yahweh to serve other gods, ¹⁷ for Yahweh our God brought us and our ancestors^[f] from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, and did these great signs before our eyes. He protected us along the entire way that we went, and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. ¹⁸ And Yahweh drove out all the people before us, the Amorites^[g] who live^[h] in the land. We will serve Yahweh, for he is our God.”