Joshua 23

1 And it came to pass, after many days, when Yahweh had given rest unto Israel, from all their enemies round about, —and, Joshua, had become old, advanced in days,

Now after a long time, when the Lord had given Israel rest from wars on every side, and Joshua was old and full of years,

2 that 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, advanced in days;

Joshua sent for all Israel, for their responsible men and their chiefs and their judges and their overseers, and said to them, I am old, and full of years:

3 but, ye, have seen—all that Yahweh your God hath done unto all those nations, because of you, —for, Yahweh your God, is he that hath fought for you.

You have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is the Lord your God who has been fighting for you.

4 Behold, I have allotted to you these nations which remain, as an inheritance, for your tribes, —from the Jordan, and all the nations which I have cut off, even unto the great sea, at the going in of the sun.

Now I have given to you, as the heritage of your tribes, all these nations which are still in the land, together with those cut off by me, from Jordan as far as the Great Sea on the west.

5 But, Yahweh your God—he, will thrust them out from before you, and drive them away out of your sight, —so shall ye possess their land, as Yahweh your God spoke unto you.

The Lord your God will send them away by force, driving them out before you; and you are to take their land for your heritage, as the Lord your God said to you.

6 Therefore must ye be very firm to observe and to do all that is written in the scroll of the law of Moses, —so as not to turn aside therefrom, to the right hand or to the left;

So be very strong to keep and do whatever is recorded in the book of the law of Moses, not turning away from it to the right or to the left;

7 so as not to go in among these nations, these which remain with you, —and, with the name of their gods, shall ye neither make memorial nor put on oath, and neither serve them, —nor bow down to them.

Have nothing to do with these nations who still are living among you; let not their gods be named by you or used in your oaths; do not be their servants or give them worship:

8 But, unto Yahweh your God, must ye cleave, —as, ye have done until this day;

But be true to the Lord your God as you have been till this day.

9 therefore hath Yahweh dispossessed, from before you, nations great and strong, —but, as for you, not a man hath stood before you, until this day.

For the Lord has sent out from before you nations great and strong: and they have all given way before you till this day.

10 One man of you, can chase a thousand, —for, Yahweh your God, is he that fighteth for you, as he spake to you.

One man of you is able to put to flight a thousand; for it is the Lord your God who is fighting for you, as he has said to you.

11 Take diligent heed, therefore, unto your souls, —to love Yahweh your God.

So keep watch on yourselves, and see that you have love for the Lord your God.

12 But, if ye, do in any wise turn back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, these which remain with you, —and intermarry with them, and go in with them, and, they, with you;

For if you go back, joining yourselves to the rest of these nations who are still among you, getting married to them and living with them and they with you:

13 know, that Yahweh your God will no further drive out these nations from before you, —but they will become unto you a snare and a hook, and a goad in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye have perished from off this goodly soil, which Yahweh your God hath given unto you.

Then you may be certain that the Lord your God will not go on driving these nations out from before you; but they will become a danger and a cause of sin to you, a whip for your sides and thorns in your eyes, till you are cut off from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

14 But lo! I am going to-day, in the way of all the earth, —ye must acknowledge, therefore, with all your heart and with all your soul, that there hath not failed a single thing, out of all the good things which Yahweh your God spake concerning you, the whole, hath come to pass to you, there hath not failed thereof, a single thing.

Now I am about to go the way of all the earth: and you have seen and are certain, all of you, in your hearts and souls, that in all the good things which the Lord said about you, he has kept faith with you; everything has come true for you.

15 But it shall be that, as all the good things have come unto you, which Yahweh your God spake unto you, so, will Yahweh bring upon you all the evil things, until he hath destroyed you from off this goodly soil, which Yahweh your God hath given unto you.

And you will see that, as all the good things which the Lord your God undertook to do for you, have come to you, so the Lord will send down on you all the evil things till he has made your destruction complete, and you are cut off from the good land which the Lord your God has given you.

16 When ye transgress the covenant of Yahweh your God which he hath commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow yourselves down unto them, then will the anger of Yahweh kindle upon you, and ye will perish quickly, from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

If the agreement of the Lord your God, which was given to you by his orders, is broken, and you become the servants of other gods and give them worship, then the wrath of the Lord will be burning against you, and you will quickly be cut off from the good land which he has given you.