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A Promise of the Lord’s Presence

20 “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. 21 Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. 22 But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. 23 For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely. 24 You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.

25 “You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I[a] will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. 26 There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.

27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run. 28 I will send terror[b] ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. 30 I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land. 31 And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea,[c] and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River.[d] I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.

32 “Make no treaties with them or their gods. 33 They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.”

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Footnotes

  1. 23:25 As in Greek and Latin versions; Hebrew reads he.
  2. 23:28 Often rendered the hornet. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 23:31a Hebrew from the sea of reeds to the sea of the Philistines.
  4. 23:31b Hebrew from the wilderness to the river.

The Conquest of Canaan Promised

20 “I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.(A) 21 Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.(B)

22 “But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.(C)

23 “When my angel goes in front of you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I blot them out,(D) 24 you shall not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices, but you shall utterly demolish them and break their pillars in pieces.(E) 25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and I[a] will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.(F) 26 No one shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.(G) 27 I will send my terror in front of you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And I will send swarms of hornets[b] in front of you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.(H) 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild animals multiply against you.(I) 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. 31 I will set your borders from the Red Sea[c] to the sea of the Philistines and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will hand over to you the inhabitants of the land, and you shall drive them out before you.(J) 32 You shall make no covenant with them and their gods.(K) 33 They shall not live in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.25 Gk Vg: Heb he
  2. 23.28 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 23.31 Or Sea of Reeds