Joshua 23

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Now long after Yahweh had given Israel rest from al the enemies surrounding them -- Joshua was oldnow, far advanced in years-	1 Now a long time passed, after the Lord had given peace to Israel by subjecting all the surrounding nations. And Joshua was now old and very advanced in age.
2 Joshua summoned al Israel, their elders, leaders, judges and officials, and said to them, 'I myself amold, far advanced in years;	2 Joshua called all of Israel, and those greater by birth, and the leaders and rulers and teachers, and he said to them: “I am elderly and advanced in age.
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 And you yourselves discern all that the Lord your God has done with all the surrounding nations, in what manner he himself has 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 And now, since he has divided to you by lot all the land, from the eastern part of the Jordan even to the great sea, and yet many nations still remain,
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 destroy them, and he will take them away before your face, and you shall possess the land, just as he has 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 Even so, be strengthened and be careful that you observe all the things that have been written in the book of the law of Moses, and that you do not turn aside from them, neither to the right, nor to the left.
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 Otherwise, after you have entered to the Gentiles, who will be among you in the future, you might swear by the name of their gods, and serve them, and adore them.
8 On the contrary, you must be loyal to Yahweh your God as you have been til now.	8 Instead, cling to the Lord your God, just as you have done even to this day.
9 Yahweh has dispossessed great and powerful nations before you, and no one so far has been able toresist you.	9 And then the Lord God will take away, in your sight, nations that are great and very robust, and no one will be able to withstand 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 shall pursue a thousand men of the enemies. For the Lord your God himself will fight on your behalf, just as he promised.
11 Be very careful, as you value your life, to love Yahweh your God.	11 Even so, be very diligent and careful in this: that you 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 But if you choose to cling to the errors of these nations that live among you, and to mix with them by marriage, and to join with them by friendship,
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 even now, know this: that the Lord your God will not wipe them away before your face. Instead, they shall be a pit and a snare to you, and a stumbling block at your side, and stakes in your eyes, until he takes you away and scatters you from this excellent land, which he has delivered to 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 Lo, today I am entering the way of the entire earth, and you shall know with all your mind that, out of all the words that the Lord has promised to fulfill for you, not one will pass by unfulfilled.
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 Therefore, just as he has fulfilled in deed what he has promised, and all prosperous things have arrived, so will he bring upon you whatever evils were threatened, until he takes you away and scatters you from this excellent land, which he has delivered to 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 when you will have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he has formed with you, and will have served strange gods, and will have adored them. And then the fury of the Lord will rise up quickly and speedily against you, and you will be taken away from this excellent land, which he has delivered to you.”