Josh 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 Gr. days years.
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.
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.
4
See, that I have Gr. cast upon you 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 Gr. he shall bound the boundaries shall be at the great sea westward.
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.
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;
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.
8
But you shall cleave to the Lord our God, as you have done until this day.
9
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 of you has chased a thousand, for the Lord our God, he fought for you, as he said
to us.
11
And take you great heed to love the Lord 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,
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.
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.
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,
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.