Joshua Chapter 23

Joshua’s Farewell

¹ A good while later, when Joshua was old, ² he called in Israel’s elders, heads, judges, and officers, and told them,

“I’m getting old. ³ You’ve seen everything Yahveh your God has done to those nations for you. He fought for you. ⁴ I’ve allotted to your tribes those nations that remain, along with the nations I’ve already removed, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ Yahveh will push them back. ⁶ Keep doing everything in the Law of Moses. ⁷ Don’t mix with the nations left among you. Don’t mention their gods, swear by them, serve them, bow down to them. ⁸ Hold onto Yahveh like you’ve done so far. ⁹ He has driven out big, strong nations. Nobody has been able to resist you. ¹⁰ One of you puts a thousand to flight, because he fights for you like he promised. ¹¹ Give attention to loving him. ¹² If you join the remnants of nations left among you and intermarry with them, ¹³ you can be sure he won’t keep driving them out. They’ll be a snare, a trap, a scourge in your sides, thorns in your eyes, till you perish from this good land he’s given you.

¹⁴ “I’m going to die soon. You know in your hearts and souls that not one good thing has failed to happen that Yahveh promised. ¹⁵ Just as he has done all the good things he promised, he’ll bring about all the bad things till he’s destroyed you. ¹⁶ If you sin against his covenant, serve other gods, and bow to them, his anger will flare at you, and you’ll soon perish.”

Josh 23:1-16