| Chapter
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. |
