"Ifit is disagreeablein your sightto servethe LORD,choosefor yourselves todaywhomyou will serve:whetherthe godswhichyour fathersservedwhichwere beyondthe River,or the godsof the Amoritesin whoselandyou are living;but as for me and my house,we will servethe LORD."
"For I have chosenhim, sothat he may commandhis childrenand his householdafterhim to keepthe wayof the LORDby doingrighteousnessand justice,sothat the LORDmay bringupon AbrahamwhatHe has spokenabouthim."
So Jacobsaidto his householdand to allwhowere with him, "Putawaythe foreigngodswhichare amongyou, and purifyyourselves and changeyour garments;
Elijahcamenearto allthe peopleand said,"Howlong[will] you hesitatebetweentwoopinions?Ifthe LORDis God,followHim; but ifBaal,followhim." But the peopledid not answerhim a word.
and the Jebusites,the Amorites,the Girgashites,
I will giveheedto the blamelessway.Whenwill You cometo me? I will walkwithinmy housein the integrityof my heart.
I have swornand I will confirmit, That I will keepYour righteousordinances.
"You shall not followthe massesin doing evil,norshall you testifyin a disputeso as to turnasideaftera multitudein order to pervert[justice];
"You shall not worshiptheir gods,norservethem, nordoaccording to their deeds;but you shall utterlyoverthrowthem and breaktheir [sacred] pillarsin pieces.
otherwiseyou mightmakea covenantwith the inhabitantsof the landand they would playthe harlotwith their godsand sacrificeto their gods,and someone might inviteyou to eatof his sacrifice,
"As for you, O houseof Israel,"thussaysthe LordGOD,"Go,serveeveryonehis idols;but lateryou will surelylistento Me, and My holynameyou will profanenolongerwith your giftsand with your idols.
"But [even] if[He does] not, let it be knownto you, O king,that we are not going to serveyour godsor worshipthe goldenimagethat you have setup."
"Then they shall takeotherstonesand replace[those] stones,and he shall takeotherplasterand replasterthe house.
Thoughallthe peopleswalkEachin the nameof his god,As for us, we will walkIn the nameof the LORDour Godforeverand ever.
Then when he arrivedand witnessedthe graceof God,he rejoicedand [began] to encouragethem allwith resoluteheartto remain[true] to the Lord;
of the godsof the peopleswhoare aroundyou, nearyou orfarfrom you, from one endof the earthto the other end),
sothat therewill not be among you a manorwoman,orfamilyortribe,whoseheartturnsawaytodayfrom the LORDour God,to goand servethe godsof thosenations;that therewill not be among you a rootbearingpoisonousfruitand wormwood.
The peopleansweredand said,"Farbe it from us that we should forsakethe LORDto serveothergods;
and I saidto you, "I am the LORDyour God;you shall not fearthe godsof the Amoritesin whoselandyou live.But you have not obeyedMe."'"
