Choose Whom You Will Serve
14
g "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. h Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15
i And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, j choose this day whom you will serve, whether h the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or k the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. l But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
16
Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods,
17
for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed.
18
And the Lord drove 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."
19
But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is m a holy God. He is n a jealous God; o he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
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p If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then q he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."
21
And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the Lord."
22
Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that r you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
23
He said, "Then s put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel."
24
And the people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey."
25
So Joshua t made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place u statutes and rules for them at Shechem.
26
And Joshua v wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And w he took a large stone and set it up there x under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
27
And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, y this stone shall be a witness against us, for z it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God."
28
So Joshua a sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
1 Samuel 12:24
Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.
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Cross References
Joshua 24:2
And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.
Joshua 24:23
He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.
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Cross References
1 Kings 18:21
And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.
Ezekiel 20:39
As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God : Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
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Cross References
Joshua 24:22
Then 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.
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Cross References
Joshua 24:14
Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
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Cross References
Exodus 23:24
You shall not bow down to their gods nor serve ...
Exodus 23:32 - 33
You shall make no covenant with them and their ...
Exodus 34:15
Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants o...
Deuteronomy 13:7
Some of the gods of the peoples who are around ...
Deuteronomy 29:18
Beware lest there be among you a man or woman o...
Judges 6:10
And I said to you, 'I am the Lord your God; you...
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Cross References
Genesis 18:19
For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.
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Cross References
Leviticus 19:2
Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
1 Samuel 6:20
Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?
Psalms 99:5
Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
Psalms 99:9
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!
Isaiah 5:16
But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.
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Cross References
Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.
Nahum 1:2
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.
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Cross References
Exodus 23:21
Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
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Cross References
1 Chronicles 28:9
And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your f...
2 Chronicles 15:2
And he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "H...
Ezra 8:22
For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of...
Isaiah 1:28
But rebels and sinners shall be broken together...
Isaiah 65:11 - 12
But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my hol...
Jeremiah 17:13
O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you...
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Cross References
Joshua 23:15
But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you.
Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.
Acts 7:42
But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: "'Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
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Cross References
Joshua 24:15
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
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Cross References
Joshua 24:14
Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
Judges 10:16
So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.
1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
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Cross References
2 Kings 11:17
And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord 's people, and also between the king and the people.
2 Chronicles 23:16
And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord 's people.
Nehemiah 9:38
Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.
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Cross References
Exodus 15:25
And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 31:24
When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end.
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Cross References
Joshua 4:3
And command them, saying, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'
Genesis 28:18
So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.
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Cross References
Genesis 35:4
So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.
Judges 9:6
And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
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Cross References
Joshua 22:27 - 28
But to be a witness between us and you, and bet...
Joshua 22:34
The people of Reuben and the people of Gad call...
Genesis 31:48
Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you...
Genesis 31:52
This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a wit...
Deuteronomy 31:19
Now therefore write this song and teach it to t...
Deuteronomy 31:21
And when many evils and troubles have come upon...
Deuteronomy 31:26
Take this Book of the Law and put it by the sid...
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
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Cross References
Judges 2:6
When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.