¹⁶ And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods; ¹⁷ for Jehovah our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of ^[a]bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed; ¹⁸ and Jehovah drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land: therefore we also will serve Jehovah; for he is our God.