Joshua 23

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Now long after Yahweh had given Israel rest from al the enemies surrounding them -- Joshua was oldnow, far advanced in years-	1 A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well 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 Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well 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 and you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who 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 Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to 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 push them back before you, and drive them out of your sight; and you shall possess 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 be very steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand 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 that you may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down yourselves to them,
8 On the contrary, you must be loyal to Yahweh your God as you have been til now.	8 but cleave to the LORD your God as you have done to this day.
9 Yahweh has dispossessed great and powerful nations before you, and no one so far has been able toresist you.	9 For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations; and as for you, no man has been able to withstand you to this day.
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 man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he promised you.
11 Be very careful, as you value your life, to love Yahweh your God.	11 Take good heed to yourselves, therefore, 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 turn back, and join the remnant of these nations left here among you, and make marriages with them, so that you marry their women and they yours,
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 assuredly that the LORD your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you; but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on your sides, and thorns in your eyes, till you perish from off 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 "And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed.
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 all the good things which the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off 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 commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you."