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Devote the Nations to Destruction

(A)When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and He clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, (B)seven nations more numerous and stronger than you, and when Yahweh your God gives them over before you and you strike them down, (C)then you shall devote them to destruction. (D)You shall cut no covenant with them (E)and show no favor to them. Furthermore, (F)you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your [a]daughters to [b]their sons, nor shall you take [c]their daughters for your [d]sons. For [e]they will turn your [f]sons away from [g]following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and (G)He will quickly destroy you. But thus you shall do to them: (H)you shall tear down their altars and shatter their sacred pillars and cut their [h]Asherim in pieces and burn their graven images with fire. For you are (I)a holy people to Yahweh your God; Yahweh your God has chosen you to be (J)a people for His [i]own treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the [j]earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:3 Lit daughter
  2. Deuteronomy 7:3 Lit his son
  3. Deuteronomy 7:3 Lit his daughter
  4. Deuteronomy 7:3 Lit son
  5. Deuteronomy 7:4 Lit he
  6. Deuteronomy 7:4 Lit son
  7. Deuteronomy 7:4 Lit after
  8. Deuteronomy 7:5 Wooden symbols of a female deity
  9. Deuteronomy 7:6 Or special treasure
  10. Deuteronomy 7:6 Lit ground

A Chosen People

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are about to enter and occupy and he clears away many nations before you—the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you(A) and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. Make no covenant with them and show them no mercy.(B) Do not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons,(C) for that would turn away your children from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.(D) But this is how you must deal with them: break down their altars, smash their pillars, cut down their sacred poles,[a] and burn their idols with fire.(E) For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 7.5 Or Asherahs