Joshua, 23

1. Many years later, after the LORD had given the Israelites rest from all their enemies round about them, and when Joshua was old and advanced in years,

1. Now long after Yahweh had given Israel rest from all the enemies surrounding them -- Joshua was old now, far advanced in years-

2. he summoned all Israel (including their elders, leaders, judges and officers) and said to them: "I am old and advanced in years.

2. Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders, leaders, judges and officials, and said to them, 'I myself am old, far advanced in years;

3. You have seen all that the LORD, your God, has done for you against all these nations; for it has been the LORD, your God, himself who fought for you.

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.

4. Bear in mind that I have apportioned among your tribes as their heritage the nations that survive (as well as those I destroyed) between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west.

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.

5. The LORD, your God, will drive them out and dislodge them at your approach, so that you will take possession of their land as the LORD, your God, promised you.

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.

6. Therefore strive hard to observe and carry out all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, not straying from it in any way,

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.

7. or mingling with these nations while they survive among you. You must not invoke their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or worship them,

7. 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.

8. but you must remain loyal to the LORD, your God, as you have been to this day.

8. On the contrary, you must be loyal to Yahweh your God as you have been till now.

9. At your approach the LORD has driven out large and strong nations, and to this day no one has withstood you.

9. Yahweh has dispossessed great and powerful nations before you, and no one so far has been able to resist you.

10. One of you puts to flight a thousand, because it is the LORD, your God, himself who fights for you, as he promised you.

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.

11. Take great care, however, to love the LORD, your God.

11. Be very careful, as you value your life, to love Yahweh your God.

12. For if you ever abandon him and ally yourselves with the remnant of these nations while they survive among you, by intermarrying and intermingling with them,

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,

13. know for certain that the LORD, your God, will no longer drive these nations out of your way. Instead they will be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge for your sides and thorns for your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD, your God, has given you.

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.

14. "Today, as you see, I am going the way of all men. So now acknowledge with your whole heart and soul that not one of all the promises the LORD, your God, made to you has remained unfulfilled. Every promise has been fulfilled for you, with not one single exception.

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.

15. But just as every promise the LORD, your God, made to you has been fulfilled for you, so will he fulfill every threat, even so far as to exterminate you from this good land which the LORD, your God, has given you.

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.

16. If you transgress the covenant of the LORD, your God, which he enjoined on you, serve other gods and worship them, the anger of the LORD will flare up against you and you will quickly perish from the good land which he has given you."

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.'