Joshua 23

1 And it came to pass after many days after the Lord had given Israel rest from all his enemies round about, that Joshua was old and advanced in years.

Yahweh enabled the Israelis to live peacefully [for many years] with the people-groups that were around them.

2 And Joshua called together all the children of Israel, and their elders, and their chiefs, and their judges, and their officers; and said to them, I am old and advanced in years.

Joshua was now very old. [One day] he summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the leaders of the clans, the judges, and [other] officials. He said to them, “I am now very old.

3 And you have seen all that the Lord our God has done to all these nations before us; [for it] is the Lord your God who has fought for you.

You people have seen what Yahweh our God has done to help you defeat the people-groups [that lived in this land]. Yahweh our God has fought for you.

4 See, that I have given to you these nations that are left to you by lots to your tribes, all the nations beginning at Jordan; and [some] I have destroyed; and the boundaries shall be at the great sea westward.

But do not forget that he has given to you all this land, from the Jordan [River in the east] to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, all this land that I have allotted to you.

5 And the Lord our God, he shall destroy them before us, until they utterly perish; and he shall send against them the wild beasts, until he shall have utterly destroyed them and their kings from before you; and you shall inherit their land, as the Lord our God said to you.

Yahweh our God will compel the people who are still living there to leave. He will push them out as you advance. Then the land will be yours, as Yahweh has promised you.

6 Do you therefore strive diligently to observe and do all things written in the book of the law of Moses, that you turn not to the right hand or to the left;

“Be sure that you obey all the laws that are in the book that Moses wrote. Do not disobey any part of it [IDM].

7 that you go not in among these nations that are left; and the names of their gods shall not be named among you, neither shall you serve them, neither shall you bow down to them.

Do not associate with the people who live among us [who are not Israelis and who worship other gods]. Do not mention the names of their gods, and do not use the names of their gods when you promise to do something. Do not serve their gods or worship them.

8 But you shall cleave to the Lord our God, as you have done until this day.

You must continue to do what Yahweh our God wants us to do, as you have been doing.

9 And the Lord shall destroy them before you, [even] great and strong nations; and no one has stood before us until this day.

“Yahweh has forced [many] very powerful people-groups to leave as you advanced. No people-group has been able to defeat you.

10 One of you has chased a thousand, for the Lord our God, he fought for you, as he said to us.

Each of you will be able to cause 1,000 of them to run away, because Yahweh your God will fight for you, just like he promised to do.

11 And take you great heed to love the Lord our God.

So be sure that you continue to love Yahweh our God.

12 For if you shall turn aside and attach yourselves to these nations that are left with you, and make marriages with them, and become mingled with them and they with you,

“If you turn away from doing what Yahweh desires and you associate with the people who are not Israelis, and if you marry them,

13 know that the Lord will no more destroy these nations from before you; and they will be to you snares and stumbling blocks, and nails in your heels, and darts in your eyes, until you be destroyed from off this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

then you can be sure that Yahweh our God will not help you to expel those people-groups from your land. They will be [like] traps [DOU, MET] [that will catch you]. They will be [like] whips [that strike] your backs, and like thorns [that will scratch] your eyes. As a result, none of you will be left in this good land that Yahweh our God is giving to you.

14 But I hasten to go the way [of death], as all that are upon the earth also [do]: and you know in your heart and in your soul, that not one word has fallen [to the ground] of all the words which the Lord our God has spoken respecting all that concerns us; there has not one of them failed.

“It is almost time for me to die, like everyone does [EUP]. You know in your hearts [DOU] that Yahweh has done for you [LIT] everything that he promised to do.

15 And it shall come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon us which the Lord God will bring upon you all the evil things, until he shall have destroyed you from off this good land, which the Lord has given you,

He has given to you all the good things that he promised. In the same way, the other things that he promised, [things that are not good], will also happen. He said that if you do what is evil, he will get rid of you and send you away from this good land that he has given to you.

16 when you transgress the covenant of the Lord our God, which he has charged us, and go and serve other gods, and bow down to them.

That will happen if you do not obey the commands that Yahweh our God told you to obey. If you serve other gods and worship them, Yahweh will become very angry with you. Very quickly [he will expel you from] this good land that he has given to you, [and] none of you will be left here.”