God’s Angel to Prepare the Way

20 “See, I am sending an angel(A) ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.(B) 21 Pay attention to him and listen(C) to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive(D) your rebellion,(E) since my Name(F) is in him. 22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do(G) all that I say, I will be an enemy(H) to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,(I) and I will wipe them out. 24 Do not bow down before their gods or worship(J) them or follow their practices.(K) You must demolish(L) them and break their sacred stones(M) to pieces. 25 Worship the Lord your God,(N) and his blessing(O) will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness(P) from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren(Q) in your land. I will give you a full life span.(R)

27 “I will send my terror(S) ahead of you and throw into confusion(T) every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.(U) 28 I will send the hornet(V) ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites(W) out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals(X) too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession(Y) of the land.

31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea[a] to the Mediterranean Sea,[b] and from the desert to the Euphrates River.(Z) I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out(AA) before you. 32 Do not make a covenant(AB) with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare(AC) to you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 23:31 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Exodus 23:31 Hebrew to the Sea of the Philistines

20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

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