23 A long time after that, the Lord had given Israel rest from all those around them who hated them. Joshua had grown old, and had lived many years. ² Joshua called all Israel, their leaders, their heads, and the men chosen among them who judge between what is right or wrong. Then he said to them, “I am old and have lived many years. ³ And you have seen all the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you. The Lord your God is the One Who has fought for you. ⁴ See, I have given to you as land for your families those nations that are left, with all the nations I have destroyed. They lie from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. ⁵ The Lord your God will send them out from in front of you. He will send them away from you. Then their land will be yours, just as the Lord your God promised you. ⁶ So do not be moved by others. Keep and obey all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left. ⁷ Do not mix with these nations that stay among you. Do not say the names of their gods or make anyone swear by them. Do not work for them or worship them. ⁸ But hold on to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. ⁹ For the Lord has driven away large and strong nations from in front of you. No man has been able to stand in front of you to this day. ¹⁰ One of your men makes a thousand run away. For the Lord your God is the One Who fights for you, just as He promised you. ¹¹ Be very careful to love the Lord your God. ¹² For if you ever turn away and join the people of these nations left among you and marry some of their people and go among them, ¹³ know for sure that the Lord your God will stop driving these nations away from you. And they will be a net and a trap to you. They will be a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you are destroyed from this good land the Lord your God has given you.