Joshua 23

1 A long time [after many days, when a long season had passed] after the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had given Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] rest [to settle down and remain in one place] from all [everything, every single one] the enemies [adversaries, those who oppose] around [surrounding, encompassing] them, when Joshua [a leader, whose name means God is salvation] was old [advanced in years, elderly] and well along [stricken, full of years] in years, word study 2 he summoned [called out to, gathered] all Israel [the descendants of Jacob], including its elders [respected leaders, older men], leaders [heads, chiefs], judges [those who govern, vindicate], and officers [high-ranking officials, overseers]. “I am old [advanced in years, stricken in age] and well along in years [having entered into days, full of years],” he said, word study 3 “and you [as witnesses, having seen firsthand] have seen everything [all that has occurred, the entirety of God’s actions] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] has done [accomplished, brought about] to all [every one of] these nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrew groups] for your sake [on your behalf, because of you], because it was the LORD [the self-existent, eternal God] your God [the God of your covenant] who fought [engaged in battle, waged war] for you [in your place, on your behalf]. word study 4 See [behold, take notice], I have allotted [divided by lot, assigned] as an inheritance [a gift, a legacy] to your tribes [family groups, clans] these remaining [left over, spared] nations, including [along with, in addition to] all the nations I have already cut off [destroyed, conquered], from the Jordan [the river, a boundary] westward [toward the setting sun, in the direction of the Mediterranean Sea] to the Great Sea [the Mediterranean, a large body of water]. word study 5 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] will push [thrust, drive away] them out of your way and drive [expel, thrust] them out before you, so that you can take possession [occupy, inherit] of their land [territory, country], as the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of covenant] your God [Elohim, the God of promise] promised [spoke, commanded] you. word study 6 Be very [exceedingly, greatly] strong, then, so that you can keep [protect, attend to, guard] and obey [do, make] all that is written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book [scroll, document] of the Law [instruction, teachings] of Moses, not turning aside [removing, departing] from it to the right [Benjamin, the south] or to the left [north]. word study 7 So you are not to associate [have fellowship, mingle] with these nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] that remain [are left, spared] among you. You must not call on the names [invoke, mention] of their gods [idols, false deities] or swear [make an oath, vow] by them, and you must not serve [worship, obey] them or bow down [prostrate, pay homage] to them. word study 8 Instead [on the contrary, but rather], you shall hold fast [cling to, stick to, be devoted to] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Being], as [just as, in the same way] you have done [been faithful, obeyed] to this [very, present] day. word study 9 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has driven out [dispossessed, cast out] great [large, powerful] and powerful [mighty, strong] nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] before you, and to this day [until now, as far as this point in time] no one [no man, not a single person] can stand [remain, endure] against you. word study 10 One [a single individual, one man] of you can put a thousand [a large number, a multitude] to flight, because the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] fights [wages war, engages in battle] for you, just as He [the faithful Promise Keeper] promised [spoken, declared beforehand]. word study 11 Therefore [take good heed, be very watchful] watch yourselves carefully [over your souls, with great diligence], that you [continue to, exceedingly] love [have affection for, be devoted to] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God]. word study 12 For if you turn away [go back, reverse your direction] and cling [cleave, stick closely] to the rest [remainder, what is left] of these nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] that remain [are left, spared] among you, and if you intermarry [make marriages, become related] and associate [go in, mingle] with them [these people, they], word study 13 know for sure [with absolute certainty, beyond doubt] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] will no longer [not again, not any more] drive out [dispossess, remove] these nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] before you [from your presence, from your sight]. Instead, they will become [be, exist as] for you a snare [trap, pitfall] and a trap [snare, net], a scourge [whip, flog] in your sides [flanks, ribs] and thorns [prickly plants, troublesome things] in your eyes [sight, vision], until [as far as, till] you perish [be destroyed, die out] from this good [pleasant, beneficial] land [earth, ground] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] has given [provided, bestowed] you. word study 14 Now behold [look, see], today I am going the way [path, journey] of all the earth [land, world], and you know [are aware, understand] with all your heart [innermost being, mind] and soul [spirit, living being] that not one of the good [pleasant, beneficial] promises the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, Creator] made to you has failed [fallen, come to nothing]. Everything was fulfilled [accomplished, completed] for you; not one promise has failed [been broken, unkept]. word study 15 But just as every good thing [beneficial, pleasant] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] promised you has come to pass, likewise the LORD will bring upon you the calamity [evil, bad] He has threatened, until He has destroyed [annihilated, desolated] you from this good [prosperous, beneficial] land [earth, ground] He has given [bestowed, granted] you. word study 16 If you transgress [break, disobey] the covenant [promise, agreement] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God], which He commanded [gave orders, appointed] you, and go [walk, proceed] and serve [worship, work for] other [different, foreign] gods and bow down [prostrate, worship] to them, then the anger [indignation, wrath] of the LORD will burn [be kindled, ignited] against you, and you will quickly [hastily, swiftly] perish [be destroyed, lost] from this good [pleasant, beneficial] land He has given [provided, granted] you.” word study