Joshua 23

1After many days, when Yahweh had given Israel rest from all their surrounding enemies, Joshua was old and advanced in years.

2Joshua called all Israel—its elders, chiefs, judges, and officers—and said to them, “I have grown old and advanced in years.”

3You have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for Yahweh your God—he is the one who has fought for you.

4See, I have allotted to you these remaining nations as an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan—including all the nations I have cut off—even to the Great Sea toward the sun's setting.

5Yahweh your God himself will drive them out from before you and dispossess them from your presence, and you will possess their land, as Yahweh your God has spoken to you.

6Be very courageous to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so you do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left.

7lest you go among these nations that remain among you, neither mention the name of their gods nor cause to swear by them nor serve them nor bow down to them.

8but cling to Yahweh your God, as you have done until this day.

9Yahweh has dispossessed great and mighty nations from your presence, but as for you, no man has stood in your presence to this day.

10One man among you chases a thousand, because Yahweh your God—he fights for you—as he spoke to you.

11Guard yourselves very carefully, to love Yahweh your God.

12For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations, even those remaining among you, and intermarry with them, go in to them, and they to you,

13Know full well that Yahweh your God will no longer dispossess these nations from before you, but they will become a snare and a trap to you, a goad in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that Yahweh your God has given you.

14Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things Yahweh your God spoke concerning you; all have come to you, and not one thing has failed of them.

15It will happen just as every good thing that Yahweh your God spoke to you has come upon you, so Yahweh will bring every evil thing upon you until he annihilates you from this good land that Yahweh your God gave you.

16When you violate the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go serve other gods and bow down to them, then Yahweh's anger will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from the good land he gave you.