Add parallel Print Page Options

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.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

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

Joshua Exhorts the People

23 A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies all around and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,(A) Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years,(B) and you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.(C) I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight, and you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God promised you.(D) Therefore be very steadfast to observe and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right nor to the left,(E) so that you may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow yourselves down to them,(F) but hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.(G) For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations, and as for you, no one has been able to withstand you to this day.(H) 10 One of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, as he promised you.(I) 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and join the survivors of these nations left here among you and intermarry with them, so that you marry their women and they yours,(J) 13 know assuredly that the Lord your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the Lord your God has given you.(K)

14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.(L) 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the bad things until he has destroyed you from this good land that the Lord your God has given you.(M) 16 If you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he enjoined on you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land that he has given to you.”

Read full chapter