Joshua 23

1And it came to pass after many days, when Jehovah had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well stricken in years;

1A long time passed after the LORD had given Israel rest from all the enemies surrounding them. By this time, Joshua had become very old.

2that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and well stricken in years:

2Joshua called for all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges, and officials—and said to them, 'I am now very old and well along in years.

3and ye have seen all that Jehovah your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for Jehovah your God, he it is that hath fought for you.

3You have seen for yourselves everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you.

4Behold, I have allotted unto you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun.

4Remember that I have divided up the land of the remaining nations as an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including the nations I already destroyed.

5And Jehovah your God, he will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as Jehovah your God spake unto you.

5The LORD your God will push them out of your way. He will drive them out before you, and you will take over their land, just as the LORD your God promised you.

6Therefore be ye 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;

6So, be very strong. Be careful to obey everything written in the Book of the Law of Moses. Do not turn away from it to the right or to the left.

7that 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 down yourselves unto them;

7Do not mix with these nations that remain among you. Do not even mention the names of their gods or use them to make an oath. Do not serve them or bow down to them.

8but cleave unto Jehovah your God, as ye have done unto this day.

8Instead, hold tightly to the LORD your God, just as you have done until today.

9For Jehovah hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath stood before you unto this day.

9The LORD has driven out great and powerful nations ahead of you. To this day, no one has been able to stand against you.

10One man of you shall chase a thousand; for Jehovah your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he spake unto you.

10One of you can chase away a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised.

11Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love Jehovah your God.

11So be very careful to love the LORD your God.

12Else if ye do at all go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you;

12But if you turn away and join yourselves to the survivors of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,

13know for a certainty that Jehovah your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap unto you, and a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which Jehovah your God hath given you.

13then be certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive these nations out before you. Instead, they will become a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you vanish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.

14And, 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 Jehovah your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, not one thing hath failed thereof.

14Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed; every one has come true.

15And it shall come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon you of which Jehovah your God spake unto you, so will Jehovah bring upon you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which Jehovah your God hath given you.

15But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true for you, the LORD will also bring every disaster he threatened until he has destroyed you from this good land he gave you.

16When ye transgress the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them; then will the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

16If you break the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you to keep, and go serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD’s anger will burn against you. You will quickly disappear from the good land he has given you.