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Deuteronomium 7
Het Boek

Belofte van overwinning

7 ‘Wanneer de Here u het beloofde land laat binnentrekken, wat Hij binnenkort zal doen, zal Hij de volgende zeven volken, allen groter en machtiger dan u, verdrijven: de Hethieten, de Girgasieten, de Amorieten, de Kanaänieten, de Perizzieten, de Chiwwieten en de Jebusieten. 2 Als de Here, uw God, u de overwinning op hen schenkt, moet u hen doden. Sluit geen vredesverdrag en spaar hen niet. 3 Sluit onderling geen huwelijken met hen, laat uw zonen en dochters niet met hun zonen en dochters trouwen. 4 Dat zou er zeker toe leiden dat uw zonen en dochters hun afgoden gaan aanbidden. En dat zou de toorn van de Here opwekken en Hij zou u zeker allemaal vernietigen. 5 De heidense altaren moet u afbreken, de gewijde stenen kapot slaan, de gewijde palen omhakken en de afgodsbeelden verbranden. 6 Want u bent een heilig volk, gewijd aan de Here, uw God. Hij heeft u uit alle volken op aarde uitgekozen om zijn kostbaarste bezit te zijn.

7 Niet omdat u een groter volk was dan de anderen, heeft de Here u uitgekozen, want u was het kleinste van allemaal! 8 Hij deed dat omdat Hij zoveel van u houdt en zijn belofte aan uw voorouders hield. Daarom bevrijdde Hij u uit de Egyptische slavernij met zoʼn vertoon van macht en grote wonderen. 9 Weet daarom dat de Here, uw God, de enige God en ook een trouwe God is die aan duizenden generaties zijn beloften waarmaakt en zijn liefde toont aan hen die van Hem houden en zijn geboden gehoorzamen. 10 Maar zij die Hem haten, zullen in het openbaar worden gestraft en vernietigd. Hij zal persoonlijk met hen afrekenen. 11 Gehoorzaam daarom alle geboden die ik u vandaag geef. 12 Wegens uw gehoorzaamheid zal de Here zijn deel van het verbond nakomen dat Hij in zijn tedere liefde met uw voorouders sloot. 13 Hij zal van u houden en u zegenen en u tot een groot volk maken. Hij zal u vruchtbaar maken, evenals uw grond en uw dieren. Uw oogsten van graan, druiven en olijven en uw kudden van vee, schapen en geiten zullen groot zijn in het land waarvan Hij uw voorouders beloofde het u te geven. 14 U zult meer worden gezegend dan enig ander volk op aarde, niemand van u, man of vrouw, zal onvruchtbaar zijn. Hetzelfde geldt voor uw vee. 15 De Here zal ook alle ziekten voor u afweren en u niet laten lijden aan de ziekten uit Egypte, die u zo goed kent, Hij zal ze naar uw vijanden sturen! 16 U moet alle volken die de Here, uw God, in uw hand geeft, vernietigen. Toon geen medelijden en aanbid hun goden niet. Als u dat toch doet, zult u de gevolgen daarvan moeten dragen.

17 Misschien denkt u bij uzelf: “Hoe kunnen wij deze volken die zoveel sterker zijn dan wij, ooit overwinnen?” 18 Wees niet bang voor hen! Denk steeds aan wat de Here, uw God, met de farao en het hele land Egypte deed. 19 Herinner u het onheil dat de Here over hen bracht—uw ouders zagen het met eigen ogen—de tekenen, de wonderen, de kracht en de sterkte van de Almachtige God, die Hij gebruikte om u uit Egypte te bevrijden. Welnu, de Here, uw God, zal diezelfde macht gebruiken tegen de volken voor wie u bang bent. 20 Ja, de Here, uw God, zal zelfs horzels gebruiken om uw laatste vijanden uit hun schuilhoeken te verjagen! 21 Nee, wees maar niet bang voor deze volken, want de Here, uw God, is bij u en Hij is een grote en ontzagwekkende God. 22 Hij zal hen langzamerhand verdrijven, niet in één keer, want anders zouden de wilde dieren snel vermeerderen en gevaarlijk worden. 23 Hij zal het geleidelijk doen en u zult binnentrekken en die volken vernietigen. 24 Hij zal hun koningen in uw macht geven en u zult hun namen van de aarde laten verdwijnen, alsof zij nooit hebben bestaan. Niemand zal tegen u opgewassen zijn. 25 Verbrand hun afgodsbeelden en raak het goud en zilver, waarvan zij zijn gemaakt, niet aan. Eigen het u niet toe, want dan zal het een struikelblok voor u worden. De Here verafschuwt deze dingen. 26 Neem ook geen afgodsbeelden in huis om die te aanbidden, want anders wordt u vernietigd, net als zij. U moet er een afkeer van hebben, want het zijn vervloekte voorwerpen.’

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Deuteronomy 7
New International Version

Driving Out the Nations

7 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess(A) and drives out before you many nations(B)—the Hittites,(C) Girgashites,(D) Amorites,(E) Canaanites, Perizzites,(F) Hivites(G) and Jebusites,(H) seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered(I) them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy(J) them totally.[a](K) Make no treaty(L) with them, and show them no mercy.(M) 3 Do not intermarry with them.(N) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods,(O) and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy(P) you. 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles[b](Q) and burn their idols in the fire.(R) 6 For you are a people holy(S) to the Lord your God.(T) The Lord your God has chosen(U) you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.(V)

7 The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous(W) than other peoples, for you were the fewest(X) of all peoples.(Y) 8 But it was because the Lord loved(Z) you and kept the oath he swore(AA) to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand(AB) and redeemed(AC) you from the land of slavery,(AD) from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God;(AE) he is the faithful God,(AF) keeping his covenant of love(AG) to a thousand generations(AH) of those who love him and keep his commandments.(AI) 10 But

those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
    he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.(AJ)

11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.(AK) 13 He will love you and bless you(AL) and increase your numbers.(AM) He will bless the fruit of your womb,(AN) the crops of your land—your grain, new wine(AO) and olive oil(AP)—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.(AQ) 14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.(AR) 15 The Lord will keep you free from every disease.(AS) He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt,(AT) but he will inflict them on all who hate you.(AU) 16 You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you.(AV) Do not look on them with pity(AW) and do not serve their gods,(AX) for that will be a snare(AY) to you.

17 You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?(AZ)” 18 But do not be afraid(BA) of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.(BB) 19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand(BC) and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.(BD) 20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet(BE) among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. 21 Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you,(BF) is a great and awesome God.(BG) 22 The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.(BH) You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. 23 But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed.(BI) 24 He will give their kings(BJ) into your hand,(BK) and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you;(BL) you will destroy them.(BM) 25 The images of their gods you are to burn(BN) in the fire. Do not covet(BO) the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared(BP) by it, for it is detestable(BQ) to the Lord your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction.(BR) Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.
  2. Deuteronomy 7:5 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in Deuteronomy
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Deuteronomy 7
New English Translation

The Dispossession of Nonvassals

7 When the Lord your God brings you to the land that you are going to occupy and forces out many nations before you—Hittites,[a] Girgashites,[b] Amorites,[c] Canaanites,[d] Perizzites,[e] Hivites,[f] and Jebusites,[g] seven[h] nations more numerous and powerful than you— 2 and he[i] delivers them over to you and you attack them, you must utterly annihilate[j] them. Make no treaty[k] with them and show them no mercy! 3 You must not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters[l] to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they[m] will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will erupt against you and he will quickly destroy you. 5 Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars,[n] cut down their sacred Asherah poles,[o] and burn up their idols. 6 For you are a people holy[p] to the Lord your God. He[q] has chosen you to be his people, prized[r] above all others on the face of the earth.

The Basis of Israel’s Election

7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you—for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. 8 Rather it is because of his[s] love[t] for you and his faithfulness to the promise[u] he solemnly vowed[v] to your ancestors[w] that the Lord brought you out with great power,[x] redeeming[y] you from the place of slavery, from the power[z] of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 So realize that the Lord your God is the true God,[aa] the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully[ab] with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 but who pays back those who hate[ac] him as they deserve and destroys them. He will not ignore[ad] those who hate him but will repay them as they deserve! 11 So keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that I today am commanding you to do.

Promises of Good for Covenant Obedience

12 If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you[ae] as he promised[af] your ancestors. 13 He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children,[ag] with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you. 14 You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness[ah] among you or your livestock. 15 The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases that you knew in Egypt; instead he will inflict them on all those who hate you.

Exhortation to Destroy Canaanite Paganism

16 You must destroy[ai] all the people whom the Lord your God is about to deliver over to you; you must not pity them or worship[aj] their gods, for that will be a snare to you. 17 If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I—how can I dispossess them?” 18 you must not fear them. You must carefully recall[ak] what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt, 19 the great judgments[al] you saw, the signs and wonders, the strength and power[am] by which he[an] brought you out—thus the Lord your God will do to all the people you fear. 20 Furthermore, the Lord your God will release hornets[ao] among them until the very last ones who hide from you[ap] perish. 21 You must not tremble in their presence, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God. 22 He,[aq] the God who leads you, will expel the nations little by little. You will not be allowed to destroy them all at once lest the wild animals overrun you. 23 The Lord your God will give them over to you; he will throw them into a great panic[ar] until they are destroyed. 24 He will hand over their kings to you, and you will erase their very names from memory.[as] Nobody will be able to resist you until you destroy them. 25 You must burn the images of their gods, but do not covet the silver and gold that covers them so much that you take it for yourself and thus become ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent[at] to the Lord your God. 26 You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath[au] along with it.[av] You must absolutely detest[aw] and abhor it,[ax] for it is an object of divine wrath.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Hittites. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 b.c.) they were at their zenith, establishing outposts and colonies near and far. Some elements were obviously in Canaan at the time of the Conquest (1400-1350 b.c.).
  2. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Girgashites. These cannot be ethnically identified and are unknown outside the OT. They usually appear in such lists only when the intention is to have seven groups in all (see also the note on the word “seven” later in this verse).
  3. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Amorites. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200 b.c. or thereabouts.
  4. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Canaanites. These were the indigenous peoples of the land, going back to the beginning of recorded history (ca. 3000 b.c.). The OT identifies them as descendants of Ham (Gen 10:6), the only Hamites to have settled north and east of Egypt.
  5. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Perizzites. This is probably a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).
  6. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Hivites. These are usually thought to be the same as the Hurrians, a people well-known in ancient Near Eastern texts. They are likely identical to the Horites (see note on the term “Horites” in Deut 2:12).
  7. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Jebusites. These inhabited the hill country, particularly in and about Jerusalem (cf. Num 13:29; Josh 15:8; 2 Sam 5:6; 24:16).
  8. Deuteronomy 7:1 sn Seven. This is an ideal number in the OT, one symbolizing fullness or completeness. Therefore, the intent of the text here is not to be precise and list all of Israel’s enemies but simply to state that Israel will have a full complement of foes to deal with. For other lists of Canaanites, some with fewer than seven peoples, see Exod 3:8; 13:5; 23:23, 28; 33:2; 34:11; Deut 20:17; Josh 3:10; 9:1; 24:11. Moreover, the “Table of Nations” (Gen 10:15-19) suggests that all of these (possibly excepting the Perizzites) were offspring of Canaan and therefore Canaanites.
  9. Deuteronomy 7:2 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  10. Deuteronomy 7:2 tn In the Hebrew text the infinitive absolute before the finite verb emphasizes the statement. The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here. Cf. ASV “shalt (must NRSV) utterly destroy them”; CEV “must destroy them without mercy.”
  11. Deuteronomy 7:2 tn Heb “covenant” (so NASB, NRSV); TEV “alliance.”
  12. Deuteronomy 7:3 sn Heb “Do not give your daughter to his son.” The command (beginning at 7:1) is given in the singular form of “you” to emphasize individual responsibility. At this point, the Hebrew also switches from the plural (see previous clause) to the singular in reference to the Canaanite sons and daughters. While the principle applies to everyone in the nation, the rhetorical presentation is of an individual father making a decision about his specific child and a particular potential spouse.
  13. Deuteronomy 7:4 tn Heb “he will,” envisioning a particular case. See note in previous verse.
  14. Deuteronomy 7:5 sn Sacred pillars. The Hebrew word (מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) denotes a standing pillar, usually made of stone. Its purpose was to mark the presence of a shrine or altar thought to have been visited by deity. Though sometimes associated with pure worship of the Lord (Gen 28:18, 22; 31:13; 35:14; Exod 24:4), these pillars were usually associated with pagan cults and rituals (Exod 23:24; 34:13; Deut 12:3; 1 Kgs 14:23; 2 Kgs 17:10; Hos 3:4; 10:1; Jer 43:13).
  15. Deuteronomy 7:5 sn Sacred Asherah poles. A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [ʾasherim], as here). They were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
  16. Deuteronomy 7:6 tn That is, “set apart.”
  17. Deuteronomy 7:6 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  18. Deuteronomy 7:6 tn Or “treasured” (so NIV, NRSV); NLT “his own special treasure.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (segullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4-6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.
  19. Deuteronomy 7:8 tn Heb “the Lord’s.” See note on “He” in 7:6.
  20. Deuteronomy 7:8 tn For the verb אָהֵב (ʾahev, “to love”) as a term of choice or election, see note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37.
  21. Deuteronomy 7:8 tn Heb “oath.” This is a reference to the promises of the so-called “Abrahamic Covenant” (cf. Gen 15:13-16).
  22. Deuteronomy 7:8 tn Heb “swore on oath.”
  23. Deuteronomy 7:8 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 12, 13).
  24. Deuteronomy 7:8 tn Heb “by a strong hand” (NAB similar); NLT “with such amazing power.”
  25. Deuteronomy 7:8 sn Redeeming you from the place of slavery. The Hebrew verb translated “redeeming” (from the root פָּדָה, padah) has the idea of redemption by the payment of a ransom. The initial symbol of this was the Passover lamb, offered by Israel to the Lord as ransom in exchange for deliverance from bondage and death (Exod 12:1-14). Later, the firstborn sons of Israel, represented by the Levites, became the ransom (Num 3:11-13). These were all types of the redemption effected by the death of Christ who described his atoning work as “a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28; cf. 1 Pet 1:18).
  26. Deuteronomy 7:8 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NRSV), a metaphor for power or domination.
  27. Deuteronomy 7:9 tn Heb “the God.” The article here expresses uniqueness; cf. TEV “is the only God”; NLT “is indeed God.”
  28. Deuteronomy 7:9 tn Heb “who keeps covenant and loyalty.” The syndetic construction of בְּרִית (berit) and חֶסֶד (khesed) should be understood not as “covenant” plus “loyalty” but as an adverbial construction in which חֶסֶד (“loyalty”) modifies the verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “keeps”).
  29. Deuteronomy 7:10 tn For the term “hate” as synonymous with rejection or disobedience see note on the word “reject” in Deut 5:9 (cf. NRSV “reject”).
  30. Deuteronomy 7:10 tn Heb “he will not hesitate concerning.”
  31. Deuteronomy 7:12 tn Heb “will keep with you the covenant and loyalty.” On the construction used here, see v. 9.
  32. Deuteronomy 7:12 tn Heb “which he swore on oath.” The relative pronoun modifies “covenant,” so one could translate “will keep faithfully the covenant (or promise) he made on oath to your ancestors.”
  33. Deuteronomy 7:13 tn Heb “will bless the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
  34. Deuteronomy 7:14 sn One of the ironies about the promises to the patriarchs concerning offspring was the characteristic barrenness of the wives of the men to whom these pledges were made (cf. Gen 11:30; 25:21; 29:31). Their affliction is in each case described by the very Hebrew word used here (עֲקָרָה, ʿaqarah), an affliction that will no longer prevail in Canaan.
  35. Deuteronomy 7:16 tn Heb “devour” (so NRSV); KJV, NAB, NASB “consume.” The verbal form (a perfect with vav consecutive) is understood here as having an imperatival or obligatory nuance (cf. the instructions and commands that follow). Another option is to take the statement as a continuation of the preceding conditional promises and translate “and you will destroy.”
  36. Deuteronomy 7:16 tn Or “serve” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
  37. Deuteronomy 7:18 tn Heb “recalling, you must recall.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis. Cf. KJV, ASV “shalt well remember.”
  38. Deuteronomy 7:19 tn Heb “testings” (so NAB), a reference to the plagues. See note at 4:34.
  39. Deuteronomy 7:19 tn Heb “the strong hand and outstretched arm.” See 4:34.
  40. Deuteronomy 7:19 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  41. Deuteronomy 7:20 tn The meaning of the term translated “hornets” (צִרְעָה, tsirʿah) is debated. Various suggestions are “discouragement” (HALOT 1056-57 s.v.; cf. NEB, TEV, CEV “panic”; NCV “terror”) and “leprosy” (J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy [JPSTC], 360, n. 33; cf. NRSV “the pestilence”), as well as “hornet” (BDB 864 s.v.; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). The latter seems most suitable to the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “send”; cf. Exod 23:28; Josh 24:12).
  42. Deuteronomy 7:20 tn Heb “the remnant and those who hide themselves.”
  43. Deuteronomy 7:22 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 7:19.
  44. Deuteronomy 7:23 tn Heb “he will confuse them (with) great confusion.” The verb used here means “shake, stir up” (see Ruth 1:19; 1 Sam 4:5; 1 Kgs 1:45; Ps 55:2); the accompanying cognate noun refers to confusion, unrest, havoc, or panic (1 Sam 5:9, 11; 14:20; 2 Chr 15:5; Prov 15:16; Isa 22:5; Ezek 7:7; 22:5; Amos 3:9; Zech 14:13).
  45. Deuteronomy 7:24 tn Heb “you will destroy their name from under heaven” (cf. KJV); NRSV “blot out their name from under heaven.”
  46. Deuteronomy 7:25 tn The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (toʿevah, “abhorrent; detestable”) describes anything detestable to the Lord because of its innate evil or inconsistency with his own nature and character. Frequently such things (or even persons) must be condemned to annihilation (חֵרֶם, kherem) lest they become a means of polluting or contaminating others (cf. Deut 13:17; 20:17-18). See M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 4:315.
  47. Deuteronomy 7:26 tn Heb “come under the ban” (so NASB); NRSV “be set apart for destruction.” The same phrase occurs again at the end of this verse.sn The Hebrew word translated an object of divine wrath (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to persons or things placed under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.
  48. Deuteronomy 7:26 tn Or “like it is.”
  49. Deuteronomy 7:26 tn This Hebrew verb (שָׁקַץ, shaqats) is essentially synonymous with the next verb (תָעַב, taʿav; cf. תּוֹעֵבָה, toʿevah; see note on the word “abhorrent” in v. 25), though its field of meaning is more limited to cultic abomination (cf. Lev 11:11, 13; Ps 22:25).
  50. Deuteronomy 7:26 tn Heb “detesting you must detest and abhorring you must abhor.” Both verbs are preceded by a cognate infinitive absolute indicating emphasis.
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Deuteronomy 7
Common English Bible

Dealing with foreign worship

7 Now once the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to take possession of, and he drives out numerous nations before you—the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: seven nations that are larger and stronger than you— 2 once the Lord your God lays them before you, you must strike them down, placing them under the ban.[a] Don’t make any covenants with them, and don’t be merciful to them. 3 Don’t intermarry with them. Don’t give your daughter to one of their sons to marry, and don’t take one of their daughters to marry your son, 4 because they will turn your child away from following me so that they end up serving other gods. That will make the Lord’s anger burn against you, and he will quickly annihilate you.

5 Instead, this is what you must do with these nations: rip down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their sacred poles,[b] and burn their idols 6 because you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God chose you to be his own treasured people beyond all others on the fertile land. 7 It was not because you were greater than all other people that the Lord loved you and chose you. In fact, you were the smallest of peoples! 8 No, it is because the Lord loved you and because he kept the solemn pledge he swore to your ancestors that the Lord brought you out with a strong hand and saved you from the house of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh, Egypt’s king. 9 Know now then that the Lord your God is the only true God! He is the faithful God, who keeps the covenant and proves loyal to everyone who loves him and keeps his commands—even to the thousandth generation! 10 He is the God who personally repays anyone who hates him, ultimately destroying that kind of person. The Lord does not waste time with anyone who hates him; he repays them personally. 11 So make sure you carefully keep the commandment, the regulations, and the case laws that I am commanding you right now.

12 If you listen to these case laws and follow them carefully, the Lord your God will keep the covenant and display the loyalty that he promised your ancestors. 13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your wombs and the fruit of your fertile land—all your grain, your wine, your oil, and the offspring of your cattle and flocks—upon the very fertile land that he swore to your ancestors to give to you. 14 You will be more blessed than any other group of people. No one will be sterile or infertile—not among you or your animals. 15 The Lord will remove all sickness from you. As for all those dreadful Egyptian diseases you experienced, the Lord won’t put them on you but will inflict them on all who hate you. 16 You will destroy all the peoples that the Lord your God is handing over to you. Show them no pity. And don’t serve their gods because that would be a trap for you.

Against power and lack of trust

17 If you happen to think to yourself, These nations are greater than we are; how can we possibly possess their land? 18 don’t be afraid of them! Remember, instead, what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: 19 the great trials that you saw with your own eyes, the signs and wonders, and the strong hand and outstretched arm the Lord your God used to rescue you. That’s what the Lord your God will do to any people you fear. 20 The Lord your God will send terror[c] on them until even the survivors and those hiding from you are destroyed. 21 Don’t dread these nations because the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is with you and among you. (22 The Lord your God will drive out these nations before you bit by bit. You won’t be able to finish them off quickly; otherwise, the wild animals would become too much for you to handle.) 23 The Lord your God will lay these nations before you, throwing them into a huge panic until they are destroyed. 24 He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe their names out from under the skies. No one will be able to stand before you; you will crush them.

25 Burn the images of their gods. Don’t desire the silver or the gold that is on them and take it for yourself, or you will be trapped by it. That is detestable to the Lord your God. 26 Don’t bring any detestable thing into your house, or you will be placed under the ban too, just like it is! You must utterly detest these kinds of things, despising them completely, because they are under the ban.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:2 See note at 2:34.
  2. Deuteronomy 7:5 Heb asherim, perhaps objects devoted to the goddess Asherah
  3. Deuteronomy 7:20 Heb uncertain; perhaps wasp, plague, or pestilence
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