Joshua 23

1 Now after a long time, when the Lord had given Israel rest from wars on every side, and Joshua was old and full of years,

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,

2 Joshua sent for all Israel, for their responsible men and their chiefs and their judges and their overseers, and said to them, I am old, and full of years:

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

3 You have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is the Lord your God who has been fighting for you.

“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.

4 Now I have given to you, as the heritage of your tribes, all these nations which are still in the land, together with those cut off by me, from Jordan as far as the Great Sea on the west.

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.

5 The Lord your God will send them away by force, driving them out before you; and you are to take their land for your heritage, as the Lord your God said to you.

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.

6 So be very strong to keep and do whatever is recorded in the book of the law of Moses, not turning away from it to the right or to the left;

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.

7 Have nothing to do with these nations who still are living among you; let not their gods be named by you or used in your oaths; do not be their servants or give them worship:

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.

8 But be true to the Lord your God as you have been till this day.

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

9 For the Lord has sent out from before you nations great and strong: and they have all given way before you till this day.

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

10 One man of you is able to put to flight a thousand; for it is the Lord your God who is fighting for you, as he has said to you.

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

11 So keep watch on yourselves, and see that you have love for the Lord your God.

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

12 For if you go back, joining yourselves to the rest of these nations who are still among you, getting married to them and living with them and they with you:

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,

13 Then you may be certain that the Lord your God will not go on driving these nations out from before you; but they will become a danger and a cause of sin to you, a whip for your sides and thorns in your eyes, till you are cut off from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

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.

14 Now I am about to go the way of all the earth: and you have seen and are certain, all of you, in your hearts and souls, that in all the good things which the Lord said about you, he has kept faith with you; everything has come true for you.

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.

15 And you will see that, as all the good things which the Lord your God undertook to do for you, have come to you, so the Lord will send down on you all the evil things till he has made your destruction complete, and you are cut off from the good land which the Lord your God has given you.

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.

16 If the agreement of the Lord your God, which was given to you by his orders, is broken, and you become the servants of other gods and give them worship, then the wrath of the Lord will be burning against you, and you will quickly be cut off from the good land which he has given you.

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.”