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15 If you have no desire[a] to worship[b] the Lord, then choose today whom you will worship,[c] whether it be the gods whom your ancestors[d] worshiped[e] beyond the Euphrates,[f] or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family[g] will worship[h] the Lord.”

16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can[i] worship[j] other gods! 17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery[k] in the land of Egypt[l] and performed these awesome miracles[m] before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations.[n]

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 24:15 tn Heb “if it is bad in your eyes.”
  2. Joshua 24:15 tn Or “to serve.”
  3. Joshua 24:15 tn Or “will serve.”
  4. Joshua 24:15 tn Heb “your fathers.”
  5. Joshua 24:15 tn Or “served.”
  6. Joshua 24:15 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.
  7. Joshua 24:15 tn Heb “house.”
  8. Joshua 24:15 tn Or “will serve.”
  9. Joshua 24:16 tn Heb “to.”
  10. Joshua 24:16 tn Or “can serve.”
  11. Joshua 24:17 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
  12. Joshua 24:17 tn Heb “for the Lord our God, he is the one who brought up us and our fathers from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.”
  13. Joshua 24:17 tn Or “great signs.”
  14. Joshua 24:17 tn Heb “and he guarded us in all the way in which we walked and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.”

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,(A) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,(B) we will serve the Lord.”(C)

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake(D) the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery,(E) and performed those great signs(F) before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.

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