23:1
Now long after Yahweh had given Israel rest from all the enemies surrounding them -- Joshua was old now, far advanced in years-
23:2
Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders, leaders, judges and officials, and said to them, 'I myself am old, far advanced in years;
23:3
you for your part have witnessed all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations for your sake; Yahweh your God himself has fought for you.
23:4
Look, these nations still remaining, and all the nations which I have exterminated from the Jordan all the way to the Great Sea in the west, I have allotted to you as the heritage for your tribes.
23:5
Yahweh your God will himself drive them out before you; he will dispossess them before you and you will take possession of their country, as Yahweh your God has promised you.
23:6
'So be very firm about keeping and doing everything written in the Book of the Law of Moses, not swerving from that either to right or to left.
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Never mix with the peoples who are still left beside you. Do not utter the names of their gods, do not swear by them, do not serve them and do not bow down to them.
23:8
On the contrary, you must be loyal to Yahweh your God as you have been till now.
23:9
Yahweh has dispossessed great and powerful nations before you, and no one so far has been able to resist you.
23:10
One man of you was able to rout a thousand of them, since Yahweh your God was himself fighting for you, as he had promised you.
23:11
Be very careful, as you value your life, to love Yahweh your God.
23:12
'But should you in any way relapse, if you make friends with the remnant of these nations still living beside you, if you intermarry with them, if you mix with them and they with you,
23:13
then know for certain that Yahweh your God will stop dispossessing these nations before you, and for you they will be a snare, a pitfall, thorns in your sides and thistles in your eyes, until you vanish from this fine country given you by Yahweh your God.
23:14
'Today, you see, I am going the way of all the earth. Acknowledge with all your heart and soul that of all the promises made to you by Yahweh your God, not one has failed: all have been fulfilled -- not one has failed.
23:15
'As every promise made to you by Yahweh your God has been fulfilled for you, by the same token Yahweh will fulfil all his threats against you, even to exterminating you from this fine country given you by Yahweh your God.
23:16
'For if you violate the covenant which Yahweh your God has imposed on you, if you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then Yahweh's anger will be roused against you and you will quickly vanish from the fine country which he has given you.'
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