9. King Balak decided that his nation Moab would go to war against you, so he asked Balaam to come and put a curse on you.
10. But I wouldn't listen to Balaam, and I rescued you by making him bless you instead of curse you.
11. You crossed the River Jordan and came to Jericho. The rulers of Jericho fought you, and so did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I helped you defeat them all.
12. Your enemies ran from you, but not because you had swords and bows and arrows. I made your enemies panic and run away, as I had done with the two Amorite kings east of the River Jordan.
13. You didn't have to work for this land—I gave it to you. Now you live in towns you didn't build, and you eat grapes and olives from vineyards and trees you didn't plant.
14. Then Joshua told the people:Worship the Lord, obey him, and always be faithful. Get rid of the idols your ancestors worshipped when they lived on the other side of the River Euphrates and in Egypt.
15. But if you don't want to worship the Lord, then choose now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you're living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, perhaps you'll worship their gods. I won't. My family and I are going to worship and obey the Lord!
16. The people answered:We could never worship other gods or stop worshipping the Lord.