19. Joshua spoke to the people. He said, "You aren't able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He won't forgive you when you disobey him. He won't forgive you when you sin against him.
20. "Suppose you desert the Lord. Suppose you serve the gods that people in other lands serve. If you do, he will turn against you. He will bring trouble on you. He will destroy you, even though he has been good to you."
21. But the people spoke to Joshua. They said, "No! We will serve the Lord."
22. Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves. You have said that you have chosen to serve the Lord." "Yes. We are witnesses," they replied.
23. "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the gods that are among you. People from other lands serve those gods. Give yourselves completely to the Lord, the God of Israel."
24. Then the people spoke to Joshua. They said, "We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him."
25. On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people. There at Shechem he wrote down rules and laws for them.
26. He recorded those things in the Scroll of the Law of God. Then he got a large stone. He set it up in Shechem under the oak tree. It was near the place that had been set apart for the Lord.
27. "Look!" he said to all of the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all of the words the Lord has spoken to us. Suppose you aren't true to your God. Then the stone will be a witness against you."
28. Joshua sent the people away. He sent all of them to their own shares of land.
29. Then Joshua, the servant of the Lord, died. He was the son of Nun. He was 110 years old when he died.