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Joshua Calls All Israel

23 Now it happened after many days, after Yahweh had given (A)rest to Israel from all their enemies [a]on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, that (B)Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years. And you have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations because of you, for (C)Yahweh your God is He who has been fighting for you. See, (D)I have allotted to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. And Yahweh your God, He will thrust them out from before you and (E)dispossess them before you; and (F)you will possess their land, just as Yahweh your God [b]promised you. (G)Be very strong, then, to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you will not go along with these nations, these which remain among you, and you will not (H)mention the name of their gods, and you will not (I)make anyone swear by them, and you will not (J)serve them, and you will not bow down to them. But you are to cling to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day. (K)For Yahweh has dispossessed great and mighty nations from before you; and as for you, (L)no man has stood before you to this day. 10 (M)One of your men will pursue one thousand, for Yahweh your God is (N)He who fights for you, just as He [c]promised you. 11 So keep your souls very carefully to love Yahweh your God. 12 For if you ever turn back and (O)cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and (P)intermarry with them, so that you go along with them and they with you, 13 know with certainty that Yahweh your God will not continue to dispossess these nations from before you; but they will be a (Q)snare and a trap to you and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you.

14 “Now behold, today (R)I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that (S)not one word of all the good words which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. 15 And it will be that just as all the good words which Yahweh your God spoke to you have come upon you, so (T)Yahweh will bring upon you all the calamitous words, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. 16 (U)When you trespass against the covenant of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of Yahweh will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 23:1 Lit from round about
  2. Joshua 23:5 Lit spoke to
  3. Joshua 23:10 Lit spoke to

Joshua’s Farewell Address

23 A long time after the Lord had given Israel rest from all the enemies around them, Joshua was old, getting on in years. So Joshua summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers,(A) and said to them, “I am old, getting on in years, and you have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the Lord your God who was fighting for you.(B) See, I have allotted these remaining nations to you as an inheritance for your tribes, including all the nations I have destroyed, from the Jordan westward to the Mediterranean Sea. The Lord your God will force them back on your account and drive them out before you so that you can take possession of their land,(C) as the Lord your God promised you.

“Be very strong(D) and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you do not turn from it to the right or left and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them;(E) do not worship them or bow down to them. Instead, remain faithful to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.(F)

“The Lord has driven out great and powerful nations before you,(G) and no one is able to stand against you to this day.(H) 10 One of you routed a thousand(I) because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as He promised.[a](J) 11 So be very diligent to love the Lord your God for your own well-being. 12 For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations remaining among you,(K) and if you intermarry or associate with them(L) and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you. They will become a snare and a trap for you,(M) a scourge for your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you disappear from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

14 “I am now going the way of all the earth,[b](N) and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the Lord your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.(O) 15 Since every good thing the Lord your God promised you has come about, so He will bring on you every bad thing until He has annihilated you from this good land the Lord your God has given you.(P) 16 If you break the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and go and worship other gods, and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly disappear from this good land He has given you.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 23:10 Lit promised you
  2. Joshua 23:14 = I am going to die