King James Version

Joshua 24:16

And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

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Hebrew

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וַיַּ֤עַןvayaanand shoutעָנָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and shout”, the next action in the storyH6030properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announcegive account, afflict (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, [idiom] scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter,…הָעָם֙haamthe peopleעַםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.וַיֹּ֔אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…חָלִ֣ילָהchalilahbe farחָלִילָהparticle, interjection, paragogic he — “be far”H2486literal fora profaned thing; used (interj.) far be it!be far, ([idiom] God) forbid.לָּ֔נוּlanvtoלָּ֔נוּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “to”toמֵעֲזֹ֖בmeazovfrom commit selfעָזַבpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “from commit self”, the to-form of the verbH5800to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, [idiom] surely.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).יְהוָ֑הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).לַעֲבֹ֖דlaavodto keep in bondageעָבַדpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to keep in bondage”, the to-form of the verbH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…אֱלֹהִ֥יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אֲחֵרִֽיםacherimother manאַחֵרadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “other man”, the ordinary formH312properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.(an-) other man, following, next, strange.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the people answered and said: 'Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;

Young’s Literal Translation

And the people answer and say, 'Far be it from us to forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;

World English Bible

The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods;

Darby Translation

And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;

Douay-Rheims

And the people answered, and said: God forbid we should leave the Lord, and serve strange gods.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the people answered and said: 'Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the people answered and said, Far be it from us to forsake the Lord, so as to serve other gods.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ λαὸς εἶπε, μὴ γένοιτο ἡμῖν καταλιπεῖν Κύριον, ὥστε λατρεύειν θεοῖς ἑτέροις.