¹⁵ But if you see no benefit in serving the Lord,^[a] then choose for yourselves today whomever you will serve—whether the gods that your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household—we will serve the Lord!”

¹⁶ The people responded by saying, “Far be it from us^[b] to forsake the Lord in order to serve other gods! ¹⁷ For the Lord our God, he is the one who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, where we were slaves. He is the one who performed these great signs right before our eyes and protected us on the whole journey that we made and among all the peoples through whom we passed.