1A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, (Jos 11:23; Jos 13:1)2Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. (De 31:28; Jos 24:1; 1Ch 28:1)3And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. (Ex 14:14; Jos 10:14; Jos 10:42)4Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. (Jos 13:2)5The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. (Ex 23:30; Ex 33:2; Ex 34:11; Nu 33:53; De 11:23; Jos 13:6)6Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, (De 5:32; De 28:14; Jos 1:7)7that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, (Ex 23:13; Ex 23:33; De 7:2; Ps 16:4; Jer 5:7; Zep 1:5)8but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. (De 10:20; De 11:22; De 13:4; Jos 22:5)9For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. (Ex 23:30; Ex 33:2; Ex 34:11; De 11:23; Jos 1:5; Jos 10:8; Jos 13:6; Jos 21:44)10One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. (Ex 14:14; Le 26:8; De 3:22; De 32:30; Jos 23:3)11Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. (Jos 22:5)12For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, (Ex 34:16; De 7:3)13know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you. (Ex 23:33; Nu 33:55; De 7:16; Jud 2:3; Jud 2:21)14“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things[1] that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. (Jos 21:45; 1Ki 2:2)15But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, (Le 26:14; De 28:15)16if 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 be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”
Joshua 23
New International Version
Joshua’s farewell to the leaders
1After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man,2summoned all Israel – their elders, leaders, judges and officials – and said to them: ‘I am very old.3You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.4Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain – the nations I conquered – between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west.5The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.6‘Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.7Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them.8But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.9‘The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no-one has been able to withstand you.10One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.11So be very careful to love the Lord your God.12‘But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,13then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.14‘Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.15But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you.16If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.’