Joshua 23
1 And it came to pass a
long time after that the
LORD had given
rest unto
Israel from all their
enemies round
about, that
Joshua waxed
old and
stricken in
age. 2 And
Joshua called for all
Israel, and for their
elders, and for their
heads, and for their
judges, and for their
officers, and
said unto them, I am
old and
stricken in
age: 3 And ye have
seen all that the
LORD your
God hath
done unto all these
nations because of you; for the
LORD your
God is he that hath
fought for you.
4 Behold, I have
divided unto you by lot these
nations that
remain, to be an
inheritance for your
tribes, from
Jordan, with all the
nations that I have cut
off, even unto the
great sea westward.
5 And the
LORD your
God, he shall
expel them from
before you, and
drive them from out of your
sight; and ye shall
possess their
land, as the
LORD your
God hath
promised unto you.
6 Be ye therefore
very courageous to
keep and to
do all that is
written in the
book of the
law of
Moses, that ye
turn not aside therefrom to the right
hand or to the
left; 7 That ye
come not among these
nations, these that
remain among you; neither make
mention of the
name of their
gods, nor cause to
swear by them, neither
serve them, nor
bow yourselves unto them:
8 But
cleave unto the
LORD your
God, as ye have
done unto this
day. 9 For the
LORD hath driven
out from
before you
great nations and
strong: but as for you, no
man hath been able to
stand before you unto this
day. 10 One man of you shall
chase a
thousand: for the
LORD your
God, he it is that
fighteth for you, as he hath
promised you.
11 Take
good heed therefore unto
yourselves, that ye
love the
LORD your
God. 12 Else if ye do in any
wise go
back, and
cleave unto the
remnant of these
nations, even these that
remain among you, and shall make
marriages with them, and go
in unto them, and they to you:
13 Know for a
certainty that the
LORD your
God will no
more drive
out any of these
nations from
before you; but they shall be
snares and
traps unto you, and
scourges in your
sides, and
thorns in your
eyes, until ye
perish from off this
good land which the
LORD your
God hath
given you.
14 And, behold, this
day I am
going the
way of all the
earth: and ye
know in all your
hearts and in all your
souls, that not
one thing hath
failed of all the
good things which the
LORD your
God spake concerning you; all are come to
pass unto you, and not
one thing hath
failed thereof
15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all
good things are
come upon you, which the
LORD your
God promised you; so shall the
LORD bring upon you all
evil things, until he have
destroyed you from off this
good land which the
LORD your
God hath
given you.
16 When ye have
transgressed the
covenant of the
LORD your
God, which he
commanded you, and have
gone and
served other gods, and
bowed yourselves to them; then shall the
anger of the
LORD be
kindled against you, and ye shall
perish quickly from off the
good land which he hath
given unto you.