 1 Many days after the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies all around, Joshua became old, far along in days. 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, far along in days. 3 You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you. For the Lord your God is the one who has fought for you. 4 Behold, I have divided to you by lot these nations that are left to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the Great Sea westward. 5 The Lord your God shall put them out from before you, and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God has promised to you. 6 Be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses so that you do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left. 7 Do not come among with these nations that remain among you. Do not mention the name of their gods nor swear by them nor serve them nor bow to them. 8 But cleave to the Lord your God as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations. But as for you, no one has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand. For the Lord your God is the one who fights for you as He has promised you. 11 Take good heed to yourselves that you love the Lord your God. 12 Otherwise, if you go back in any way and join+ with the remnant left of these nations, even those who remain among you and marry them and go in to them and they to you, 13 then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out any of those nations from you. But they will be snares and traps to you, and they will bash+ in your sides, and put thorns in your eyes until you perish from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you. 14 Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your heart and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass to you. Not one thing of it has failed. 15 As every good that the Lord your God has spoken to you has come to you, so will the Lord bring on you every evil thing until He has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you. 16 When you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God that He commanded you and serve other gods and bow to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and you will perish quickly from off the good land that He has given to you.
|