16. And the people responded, and they said: "Far be it from us that we would forsake the Lord, and serve foreign gods.
17. The Lord our God himself led us and our fathers away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude. And he accomplished immense signs in our sight, and he preserved us along the entire way by which we journeyed, and among all the people through whom we passed.
18. And he cast out all the nations, the Amorite, the inhabitant of the land that we entered. And so, we will serve the Lord, for he is our God."
19. And Joshua said to the people: "You will not be able to serve the Lord. For he is a holy and powerful God, and he is jealous, and he will not ignore your wickedness and sins.
20. If you leave behind the Lord, and you serve foreign gods, he will turn himself, and he will afflict you, and he will overthrow you, after all the good that he has offered to you."
21. And the people said to Joshua, "By no means will it be as you are saying, but we will serve the Lord."
22. And Joshua said to the people, "You yourselves are witnesses, that you have chosen the Lord so that you may serve him." And they answered, "We are witnesses."
23. "Now therefore," he said, "take away strange gods from among yourselves, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel."
24. And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God, and we will be obedient to his precepts."
25. Therefore, on that day, Joshua struck a covenant, and he set before the people at Shechem the precepts and the judgments.