15. “And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve יהוה, choose for yourselves this day whom you are going to serve, whether the mighty ones which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the mighty ones of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my house, we serve יהוה.”
16. And the people answered and said, “Far be it from us to forsake יהוה, to serve other mighty ones,
17. for יהוה our Elohim is He who has brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs before our eyes, and has guarded us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed.
18. “And יהוה drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We too serve יהוה, for He is our Elohim.”
19. Then Yehoshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve יהוה, for He is a set-apart Elohim, a jealous Ěl is He. He does not bear with your transgression and with your sins,
20. if you forsake יהוה and shall serve mighty ones of a stranger. Then He shall turn back and do you evil and consume you, after He has been good to you.”
21. And the people said to Yehoshua, “No, but we do serve יהוה!”
22. Then Yehoshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen יהוה for yourselves, to serve Him.” And they said, “Witnesses!”
23. “And now, put away the mighty ones of the stranger which are in your midst, and incline your heart to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.”
24. And the people said to Yehoshua, “יהוה our Elohim we serve, and His voice we obey.”
25. And Yehoshua made a covenant with the people that day, and laid on them a law and a right-ruling in Sheḵem.
26. Then Yehoshua wrote these words in the Book of the Torah of Elohim. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the set-apart place of יהוה.
27. And Yehoshua said to all the people, “See, this stone is a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of יהוה which He spoke to us. And it shall be a witness against you, lest you lie against your Elohim.”
28. Then Yehoshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.