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Reasons for Loyal Obedience

20 “‘Look, I am about to send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, because he will not forgive your transgression, for my name is in him. 22 But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23 When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites[a] and the Hittites[b] and the Perizzites[c] and the Canaanites[d] and the Hivites[e] and the Jebusites,[f] I will wipe them out.

24 “‘You will not bow to their gods, and you will not serve them, and you will not act according to their actions, because you will utterly demolish them, and you will utterly break their stone pillars. 25 And you will serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove sickness from among you. 26 There will be no one suffering miscarriage or infertile in your land. I will make full the number of your days.[g]

27 “‘I will release my terror before you, and I will throw into confusion all the people against whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their back to you.[h] 28 And I will send the hornet before you, and it will drive out the Hivites,[i] the Canaanites,[j] and the Hittites[k] from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become a desolation and the wild animals[l] multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you are fruitful and take possession of the land.

31 “‘And I will set your boundary from the Red Sea[m] and up to the sea of the Philistines and from the desert up to the river,[n] because I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out from before you. 32 You will not make a covenant with them and with their gods. 33 They will not live in your land, lest they cause you to sin against me when you serve their gods, for it will be a snare to you.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 23:23 Hebrew “Amorite”
  2. Exodus 23:23 Hebrew “Hittite”
  3. Exodus 23:23 Hebrew “Perizzite”
  4. Exodus 23:23 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  5. Exodus 23:23 Hebrew “Hivite”
  6. Exodus 23:23 Hebrew “Jebusite”
  7. Exodus 23:26 Or “give you a full life span”
  8. Exodus 23:27 Literally “give all your enemies to you back”
  9. Exodus 23:28 Hebrew “Hivite”
  10. Exodus 23:28 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  11. Exodus 23:28 Hebrew “Hittite”
  12. Exodus 23:29 Literally “the animal of the field”
  13. Exodus 23:31 Literally “sea of reed”
  14. Exodus 23:31 Or “the Euphrates”

Promises and Warnings

20 “I am going to send an angel(A) before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. 21 Be attentive to him and listen to him. Do not defy him, because he will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for my name is in him.(B) 22 But if you will carefully obey him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy(C) to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23 For my angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hethites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.(D) 24 Do not bow in worship to their gods, and do not serve them. Do not imitate their practices. Instead, demolish them[a] and smash their sacred pillars to pieces.(E) 25 Serve the Lord your God, and he[b] will bless your bread and your water. I will remove illnesses from you.(F) 26 No woman will miscarry or be childless in your land. I will give you the full number of your days.(G)

27 “I will cause the people ahead of you to feel terror[c] and will throw into confusion(H) all the nations you come to. I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you in retreat.[d] 28 I will send hornets[e](I) in front of you, and they will drive the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hethites away from you. 29 I will not drive them out ahead of you in a single year; otherwise, the land would become desolate, and wild animals would multiply against you. 30 I will drive them out little by little ahead of you until you have become numerous[f] and take possession of the land. 31 I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea,[g] and from the wilderness to the Euphrates River.[h] For I will place the inhabitants of the land under your control, and you will drive them out ahead of you.(J) 32 You must not make a covenant(K) with them or their gods. 33 They must not remain in your land, or else they will make you sin against me. If you serve their gods, it will be a snare for you.”(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:24 Probably the idols
  2. 23:25 LXX, Vg read I
  3. 23:27 Lit will send terror of me ahead of you
  4. 23:27 Or I will give your enemies to you by the neck
  5. 23:28 Or send panic
  6. 23:30 Lit fruitful
  7. 23:31 Lit the Sea of the Philistines
  8. 23:31 Lit the River