Joshua 23

1 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,

After many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,

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

Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, “I am old and well advanced in years.

3 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.

You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.

4 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.

Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea towards the going down of the sun.

5 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.

The LORD your God will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess their land, as the LORD your God spoke to you.

6 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.

“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn away from it to the right hand or to the left;

7 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.

that you not come amongst these nations, these that remain amongst you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them;

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

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

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

“For the LORD has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.

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

One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you.

11 Take great care to love the Lord your God.

Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.

12 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,

“But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain amongst you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you;

13 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.

know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.

14 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.

“Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it.

15 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.

It shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which the LORD your God spoke to you, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you,

16 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.”

when you disobey the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the LORD’s anger will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”