Joshua 24:14 (KJV)

Passage

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Nearby Context

Joshua 24:12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

Joshua 24:13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "fear", "lord", "serve", "sincerity", "truth", "away", and "gods". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "fear", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And I have given you a land..." into verse 15's "And if it seem evil unto you...", so "therefore" and "fear" belong inside that flow. In Joshua context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "fear" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.