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,

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

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the scroll of the Torah of Moses, that you not turn away from it 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 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;

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

So be sure that you continue to love Yahweh 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;

“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 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.

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 “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.

“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 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,

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 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.”

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.”