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Thursday, September 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

Joshua 24:21

The people said to Joshua, "Not so, for we will serve the Lord."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Covenant;   Decision;   Shechem;  

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pillars;   Shechem (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Ebal;   Joshua;   Joshua, the Book of;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Shechem;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Elder;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Shechem;   Teraphim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the Lord.”
Hebrew Names Version
The people said to Yehoshua, No; but we will serve the LORD.
King James Version
And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord .
Lexham English Bible
And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve Yahweh."
English Standard Version
And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the Lord ."
New Century Version
But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the Lord ."
New English Translation
The people said to Joshua, "No! We really will worship the Lord !"
Amplified Bible
The people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve [only] the LORD."
New American Standard Bible
And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the people saide vnto Ioshua, Nay, but we will serue the Lord.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve Yahweh."
Contemporary English Version
But the people shouted, "We won't worship any other gods. We will worship and obey only the Lord !"
Complete Jewish Bible
But the people said to Y'hoshua, "No, but we will serve Adonai ."
Darby Translation
And the people said to Joshua, No; but we will serve Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve the Lord !"
George Lamsa Translation
And the people said to Joshua, Nay, we will not serve any other, but we will serve the LORD God.
Good News Translation
The people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the Lord ."
Literal Translation
And the people said to Joshua, No, but we will serve Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The people sayde vnto Iosua: Not so, but we will serue the LORDE.
American Standard Version
And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
And the people said to Joshua, No! But we will be the servants of the Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the people sayde vnto Iosuah: Nay, but we will serue the Lorde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the people said unto Joshua: 'Nay; but we will serve the LORD.'
King James Version (1611)
And the people said vnto Ioshua, Nay, but we will serue the Lord.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the people said to Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the Lord.
English Revised Version
And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
"No!" replied the people. "We will serve the LORD!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the puple seide to Josue, It schal not be so, as thou spekist, but we schulen serue the Lord.
Young's Literal Translation
And the people saith unto Joshua, `No, but Jehovah we do serve.'
Update Bible Version
And the people said to Joshua, No; but we will serve Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the people said to Joshua, No; but we will serve the LORD.
World English Bible
The people said to Joshua, No; but we will serve Yahweh.
New King James Version
And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD!"
New Living Translation
But the people answered Joshua, "No, we will serve the Lord !"
New Revised Standard
And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve the Lord !"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the people said unto Joshua, - Nay! but, Yahweh, will we serve.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people said to Josue: No, it shall not be so as thou sayest, but we will serve the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
And the people said to Joshua, "Nay; but we will serve the LORD."
THE MESSAGE
But the people told Joshua: "No! No! We worship God !"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD."

Contextual Overview

15 If you think it is wrong to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve. Choose the gods your fathers worshiped on the other side of the river, or choose the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." 16 The people answered, "May it never be that we turn away from the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the One Who brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house where we were made to work. He did these powerful works in front of our eyes. He kept us safe everywhere we went, among all the nations we passed through. 18 The Lord drove away from in front of us all the nations, even the Amorites who lived in the land. So we will serve the Lord. For He is our God." 19 Then Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the Lord. For He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your wrong-doing or your sins. 20 If you turn away from the Lord and serve strange gods, He will turn and punish you. He will destroy you after He has been good to you." 21 The people said to Joshua, "Not so, for we will serve the Lord." 22 Then Joshua said to the people, "You have spoken for yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord." And they said, "We have spoken for ourselves." 23 Joshua said, "So put away the strange gods that are among you. Give your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey His voice."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Nay: Exodus 19:8, Exodus 20:19, Exodus 24:3, Exodus 24:7, Deuteronomy 5:27, Deuteronomy 5:28, Deuteronomy 26:17, Isaiah 44:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:25 - a statute Exodus 23:25 - And ye Judges 2:20 - transgressed 2 Chronicles 23:16 - that they should Psalms 119:57 - I have

Cross-References

Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old. He had lived many years. And the Lord had brought good to Abraham in every way.
Genesis 24:6
Abraham said to him, "Make sure that you do not take my son there.
Genesis 24:7
The Lord, the God of heaven, Who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, spoke to me and promised me. He said, ‘I will give this land to your children and to their children's children.' He will send His angel in front of you. And you will take a wife for my son from there.
Genesis 24:12
He said, "O Lord, the God of my boss Abraham, let all go well for me today. Show loving-kindness to my boss Abraham.
Genesis 24:18
She said, "Drink, my lord." And she was quick to lift her jar to her hand and give him a drink.
Genesis 24:20
She was quick to empty her jar into the animals' drinking place. Then she ran to the well for more water, and got enough for all his camels.
Genesis 24:56
But he said to them, "Do not make me stay any more days, since the Lord has made my way go well. Send me away so I may go to my boss."
Psalms 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His loving-kindness lasts forever!
Psalms 107:8
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men!
Psalms 107:15
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the people said unto Joshua, nay,.... We will not serve strange gods:

but we will serve the Lord; according to his revealed will, and him only.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 24:21. And the people said - Nay; but we will serve, &c. — So they understood the words of Joshua to imply no moral impossibility on their side: and had they earnestly sought the gracious assistance of God, they would have continued steady in his covenant.


 
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