Joshua 23

1 A long time after the LORD had given Israel rest from all the enemies around them, when Joshua was old and well along in years,

A long time later, after the Lord had given peace to the Israelites from conflict with their enemies around them, Joshua, by now really old,

2 he summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers. “I am old and well along in years,” he said,

summoned all the Israelites—the elders, leaders, judges, and officials—and told them, “I'm old, getting on in years.

3 “and you have seen everything that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, because it was the LORD your God who fought for you.

You've seen everything the Lord your God has done to all the nations on your behalf—the Lord your God has been fighting for you.

4 See, I have allotted as an inheritance to your tribes these remaining nations, including all the nations I have already cut off, from the Jordan westward to the Great Sea.

I have allotted the land of the remaining nations for you to own, as well as the nations already conquered, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea.

5 The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.

The Lord your God will make them retreat from you. He will drive them out before you and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

6 Be very strong, then, so that you can keep and obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, not turning aside from it to the right or to the left.

Be sure to observe everything that is written in the book of the Law of Moses. Don't stray from it, either to the left or to the right.

7 So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.

Don't associate with the nations that are left. Don't mention the names of their gods, and don't swear by them, worship them, or bow down to them.

8 Instead, you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

Stay close to the Lord your God, as you have done up to now.

9 The LORD has driven out great and powerful nations before you, and to this day no one can stand against you.

The Lord has driven out strong, powerful nations before you. No one has been able to stand up to you to this day.

10 One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.

Just one of you can chase away a thousand enemies, for the Lord your God is fighting for you, as he promised you.

11 Therefore watch yourselves carefully, that you love the LORD your God.

Take great care to love the Lord your God.

12 For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,

For if you do turn from him, and adopt the ways of the nations that are left, if you intermarry with them, associating with one other,

13 know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.

you can be absolutely sure that the Lord your God will definitely not drive out these nations before you. On the contrary, they will be a trap and a snare to you, a whip on you back and thorns in your eyes until you die out completely from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

14 Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.

Now I am about to die, the fate of every living thing on the earth. Deep down you know that not a single one of the Lord's good promises has failed. Everything has come true. Not one has failed.

15 But just as every good thing the LORD your God promised you has come to pass, likewise the LORD will bring upon you the calamity He has threatened, until He has destroyed you from this good land He has given you.

But in the same way that you received all the good things that the Lord you God promised, the Lord will bring on you all the bad things he has threatened until you're completely wiped out from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

16 If you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.”

If you break the agreement the Lord your God made with you, and you go and worship other gods, bowing down before them, then the Lord will become angry with you, and you will be quickly wiped out from the good land he has given you.”