< Joshua 23 >
1 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,
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.
2 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.
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.
3 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.
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.
4 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.
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.
5 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.
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.
6 “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;
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;
7 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;
that you go not in amongst these nations that are left; and the names of their gods shall not be named amongst you, neither shall you serve them, neither shall you bow down to them.
8 but hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.
But you shall cleave to the Lord our God, as you have done until this day.
9 “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.
And the Lord shall destroy them before you, [even] great and strong nations; and no one has stood before us until this day.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you.
One of you has chased a thousand, for the Lord our God, he fought for you, as he said to us.
11 Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.
And take you great heed to love the Lord our God.
12 “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;
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,
13 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.
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.
14 “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.
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.
15 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,
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,
16 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.”
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.