Joshua 23

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Now long after Yahweh had given Israel rest from al the enemies surrounding them -- Joshua was oldnow, far advanced in years-	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,
2 Joshua summoned al Israel, their elders, leaders, judges and officials, and said to them, 'I myself amold, 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.
3 you for your part have witnessed al that Yahweh your God has done to al these nations for your sake;Yahweh your God himself has fought for you.	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.
4 Look, these nations stil remaining, and al the nations which I have exterminated from the Jordan althe way to the Great Sea in the west, I have al otted to you as the heritage for your tribes.	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.
5 Yahweh your God wil himself drive them out before you; he wil dispossess them before you and youwil take possession of their country, as Yahweh your God has promised you.	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.
6 'So be very firm about keeping and doing everything written in the Book of the Law of Moses, notswerving from that either to right or to left.	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,
7 Never mix with the peoples who are stil left beside you. Do not utter the names of their gods, do notswear by them, do not serve them and do not bow down to them.	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,
8 On the contrary, you must be loyal to Yahweh your God as you have been til now.	8 but you must remain loyal to the LORD, your God, as you have been to this day.
9 Yahweh has dispossessed great and powerful nations before you, and no one so far has been able toresist you.	9 At your approach the LORD has driven out large and strong nations, and to this day no one has withstood you.
10 One man of you was able to rout a thousand of them, since Yahweh your God was himself fighting foryou, as he had promised 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.
11 Be very careful, as you value your life, to love Yahweh your God.	11 Take great care, however, to love the LORD, your God.
12 'But should you in any way relapse, if you make friends with the remnant of these nations stil livingbeside you, if you intermarry with them, if you mix with them and they with you,	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,
13 then know for certain that Yahweh your God wil stop dispossessing these nations before you, and foryou they will be a snare, a pitfal , thorns in your sides and thistles in your eyes, until you vanish from this finecountry given you by Yahweh your God.	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.
14 'Today, you see, I am going the way of al the earth. Acknowledge with all your heart and soul that ofal the promises made to you by Yahweh your God, not one has failed: al have been fulfil ed -- not one hasfailed.	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.
15 'As every promise made to you by Yahweh your God has been fulfil ed for you, by the same tokenYahweh wil fulfil al his threats against you, even to exterminating you from this fine country given you by Yahweh your God.	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.
16 'For if you violate the covenant which Yahweh your God has imposed on you, if you go and serveother gods and bow down to them, then Yahweh's anger wil be roused against you and you will quickly vanishfrom the fine country which he has given you.'	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."