Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Joshua 24:21

The people said to Joshua, "No! We really will worship 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 ."
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 Life Bible
The people said to Joshua, "Not so, for 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 have no desire to worship the Lord , choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the Lord !" 16 The people responded, "Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods! 17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery in the land of Egypt and performed these awesome miracles before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. 18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship the Lord , for he is our God!" 19 Joshua warned the people, "You will not keep worshiping the Lord , for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God who will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you; he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, though he once treated you well." 21 The people said to Joshua, "No! We really will worship the Lord !" 22 Joshua said to the people, "Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord ?" They replied, "We are witnesses!" 23 Joshua said, "Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to the Lord God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "We will worship the Lord our God and obey him."

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, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything.
Genesis 24:6
"Be careful never to take my son back there!" Abraham told him.
Genesis 24:7
"The Lord , the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my relatives, promised me with a solemn oath, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.' He will send his angel before you so that you may find a wife for my son from there.
Genesis 24:12
He prayed, "O Lord , God of my master Abraham, guide me today. Be faithful to my master Abraham.
Genesis 24:18
"Drink, my lord," she replied, and quickly lowering her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink.
Genesis 24:20
She quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels.
Genesis 24:56
But he said to them, "Don't detain me—the Lord has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return to my master."
Psalms 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good, and his loyal love endures!
Psalms 107:8
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love, and for the amazing things he has done for people!
Psalms 107:15
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love, and for the amazing things he has done for people!

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile