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

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 his voice. Do not defy[a] 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, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.(D) 24 You must not bow down to their gods or worship them. Do not imitate their practices. Instead, demolish them[b] and smash their sacred pillars to pieces.(E) 25 Worship the Lord your God, and He[c] 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[d] and throw into confusion(H) all the nations you come to. I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you in retreat. 28 I will send the hornet[e](I) in front of you, and it will drive the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites 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 worship their gods, it will be a snare for you.”(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 23:21 Or embitter
  2. Exodus 23:24 Probably the idols
  3. Exodus 23:25 LXX, Vg read I
  4. Exodus 23:27 Lit will send terror of Me ahead of you
  5. Exodus 23:28 Or send panic
  6. Exodus 23:30 Lit fruitful
  7. Exodus 23:31 Lit the Sea of the Philistines
  8. Exodus 23:31 Lit the River