Then responded the people, and said, Far be it from us, that we should forsake Yahweh, - to serve other gods; Verse ConceptsForsaking GodZeal, ReligiousNot Forsaking GodDifferent Gods

were holding fast unto their distinguished brethren, and were entering into a curse and into an oath, to walk in the law of God, which was given through Moses the servant of God, - and to observe and do, all the commandments of Yahweh our Lord, and his regulations, and his statutes; and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land, - and, their daughters, would we not take for our sons; and, if the peoples of the land should be bringing in wares, or any corn on the sabbath day, to sell, we would not buy of them on the sabbath, or on a holy day, - and that we would remit the seventh year, and the loan of every hand. read more.
And we laid on ourselves charges, appointing for ourselves the third of a shekel, yearly, - for the service of the house of our God: for the bread to set in array, and the continual meal-offering, and for the continual ascending-sacrifice, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the appointed feasts, and for things hallowed, and for victims bearing sin, to put a propitiatory-covering over Israel, - and for all the work of the house of our God. Also, lots, did we cast, concerning the offering of wood among the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring it unto the house of our God, by our ancestral houses, at times arranged, year by year, - to burn upon the altar of Yahweh our God, as it is written in the law. And that we would bring in the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruit of all fruit of all trees, year by year, - unto the house of Yahweh; also that, the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, - and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, we would bring in unto the house of our God, unto the priests who should be in attendance in the house of our God; and, the first part of our meal and our heave-offerings and the fruit of all trees, new wine and oil, would we bring in unto the priests, into the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground unto the Levites, - the Levites themselves, taking the tithes in all our cities of agriculture. And the priest the son of Aaron should be with the Levites, when the Levites should take the tithes, - and the Levites, should bring up the tithe of the tithe, unto the house of our God, into the chambers pertaining unto the treasure-house. For, into the chambers, should the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi bring in the heave-offering of the corn, the new wine and the oil, since, there, are the utensils of the sanctuary, and the priests who are in attendance, and the doorkeepers, and the singers, - so would we not neglect the house of our God.

And Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel, unto Shechem, - and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God. Then said Joshua unto all the people - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Beyond the River, dwelt your fathers from age-past times, unto Terah, father of Abraham, and father of Nahor, - and they served other gods. So I took your father, Abraham, from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, - and multiplied his seed, and gave unto him, Isaac; read more.
and gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau, - and gave unto Esau, Mount Seir, to possess it, but, Jacob and his sons, went down into Egypt. Then sent I Moses and Aaron, and plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in their midst, and, afterwards, brought you forth. Yea I brought forth your fathers, out of Egypt, and ye came unto the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers, with chariots and with horsemen, unto the Red Sea. So they made outcry unto Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought in upon them the sea, and covered them, - and your eyes beheld what I did with the Egyptians. And, when ye had remained in the desert many days, then I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who were dwelling over the Jordan, and they fought with you, - then delivered I them into your hand, and ye took possession of their land, so I destroyed them from before you. Then rose up Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, and made war with Israel, - and sent and called for Balaam son of Beor, to curse you; but I was not willing to hearken unto Balaam, - so, he kept on blessing, you, and I rescued you out of his hand. Then passed ye over the Jordan, and came in unto Jericho, and, when they would have made war with you - even the lords of Jericho - the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, then delivered I them into your hand. And I sent before you the hornet, which drave them out from before you, the two kings of the Amorites, - not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. Thus I gave unto you a land on which thou hadst not laboured, and cities which ye had not built, and ye proceeded to dwell therein, - of vineyards and oliveyards, which ye planted not, ye are eating. Now, therefore, revere ye Yahweh, and serve him, in sincerity and in truth, - and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve ye Yahweh. But, if it be, a vexation, in your eyes, to serve Yahweh, choose ye for yourselves, to-day, whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served, that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye are dwelling, - but, I and my house, will serve Yahweh. Then responded the people, and said, Far be it from us, that we should forsake Yahweh, - to serve other gods; for, as for Yahweh our God, he, brought up both us and our fathers, out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants, - and who did before our eyes, these great signs, and preserved us throughout all the way wherein we journeyed, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed; then did Yahweh drive out all the peoples, even the Amorites were dwelling in the land, from before us, - we too, will serve Yahweh, for, he, is our God. Then said Joshua unto the people - Ye cannot serve Yahweh, for, a holy God, he is, a jealous GOD, he is, he will not forgive your transgression, nor your sins. When ye forsake Yahweh, and serve the gods of a stranger, then will he turn, and inflict on you calamity, and consume you, after that he hath dealt well with you. But the people said unto Joshua, - Nay! but, Yahweh, will we serve. Then said Joshua unto the people - Witnesses, are ye, against yourselves, that, ye yourselves, have chosen you Yahweh, to serve him. And they said: Witnesses! Now, therefore, put ye away the gods of the stranger, that are in your midst, - and incline your heart unto Yahweh, God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, - Yahweh our God, will we serve, and, unto his voice, will we hearken. So then Joshua solemnised a covenant for the people, on that day, - and set for them a statute and a regulation, in Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the scroll of the law of God, - and took a great stone, and set it up there, under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh. And Joshua said unto all the people - Lo! this stone, shall serve against us as a witness, for, it, hath heard all the sayings of Yahweh, which he hath spoken with us, - so shall it serve against you as a witness, lest ye should act deceptively against your God. And Joshua sent the people away, every man unto his inheritance.