Joshua 23
Joshua, now old and advanced in age, gathered the leaders of Israel and reminded them of the Lord's victories over the surrounding nations. He encouraged them to be strengthened and careful to observe the law of Moses, warning them not to turn aside or serve other gods. Joshua also cautioned that if they chose to cling to the errors of the nations living among them, those nations would become a snare and stumbling block to them. He concluded by stating that the Lord would fulfill all His promises, both good and evil, and that Israel's transgressions would bring about the Lord's fury and their removal from the land.
1Now a long time passed, after the Lord had given peace to Israel by subjecting all the surrounding nations. And Joshua was now old and very advanced in age.2Joshua called all of Israel, and those greater by birth, and the leaders and rulers and teachers, and he said to them: "I am elderly and advanced in age3And you yourselves discern all that the Lord your God has done with all the surrounding nations, in what manner he himself has fought for you4And now, since he has divided to you by lot all the land, from the eastern part of the Jordan even to the great sea, and yet many nations still remain5the Lord your God will destroy them, and he will take them away before your face, and you shall possess the land, just as he has promised you6Even so, be strengthened and be careful that you observe all the things that have been written in the book of the law of Moses, and that you do not turn aside from them, neither to the right, nor to the left7Otherwise, after you have entered to the Gentiles, who will be among you in the future, you might swear by the name of their gods, and serve them, and adore them8Instead, cling to the Lord your God, just as you have done even to this day9And then the Lord God will take away, in your sight, nations that are great and very robust, and no one will be able to withstand you10One of you shall pursue a thousand men of the enemies. For the Lord your God himself will fight on your behalf, just as he promised11Even so, be very diligent and careful in this: that you love the Lord your God12But if you choose to cling to the errors of these nations that live among you, and to mix with them by marriage, and to join with them by friendship13even now, know this: that the Lord your God will not wipe them away before your face. Instead, they shall be a pit and a snare to you, and a stumbling block at your side, and stakes in your eyes, until he takes you away and scatters you from this excellent land, which he has delivered to you14Lo, today I am entering the way of the entire earth, and you shall know with all your mind that, out of all the words that the Lord has promised to fulfill for you, not one will pass by unfulfilled15Therefore, just as he has fulfilled in deed what he has promised, and all prosperous things have arrived, so will he bring upon you whatever evils were threatened, until he takes you away and scatters you from this excellent land, which he has delivered to you16when you will have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he has formed with you, and will have served strange gods, and will have adored them. And then the fury of the Lord will rise up quickly and speedily against you, and you will be taken away from this excellent land, which he has delivered to you.
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