Joshua’s Charge to Leaders

1And it came to pass a long time after when YHWH had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old; he had entered into days. 2And Joshua called for all Israel, for its elders, and for its heads, and for its judges, and for its officers, and he said to them, “I have become old; I have entered into days. 3And You⁺ have seen all that YHWH your⁺ God has done to all these nations before your⁺ faces, for YHWH your⁺ God is He who has fought for you⁺.

4See, I have divided by lot to you⁺ these remaining nations, to be an inheritance for your⁺ tribes, from the Jordan, and with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea† toward the setting of the sun. 5And YHWH your⁺ God, He will expel them from before you⁺ and drive them out of your⁺ sight; and you⁺ shall possess their land as YHWH your⁺ God has spoken to you⁺.

6And be very courageous to keep and to do everything written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, 7and lest you go among these nations, these remaining among you⁺, and the name of their gods you⁺ shall not mention nor cause one to swear by them, and you⁺ shall not serve them and not bow down to them. 8For but to YHWH your⁺ God you⁺ shall hold fast, as you⁺ have done to this day.

9And YHWH has driven out from before you⁺ great and mighty nations; and as for you⁺, a man has not been able to stand against you⁺ to this day. 10One man of you⁺ shall chase a thousand, for YHWH your⁺ God is He who is fighting for you⁺ as He promised to you⁺. 11And exceedingly take heed to yourselves that you love YHWH your⁺ God. 12For if you⁺ at all turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations, these that remain among you⁺, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you⁺, 13then know for sure that YHWH your⁺ God will no longer drive out these nations from before you⁺, and they shall be to you⁺ snares and traps and scourges on your⁺ sides, and thorns in your⁺ eyes, until you⁺ perish from this good land that YHWH your⁺ God has given to you⁺.

14And behold, I am going this day the way of all the earth, and you⁺ know in all your⁺ hearts and in all your⁺ souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things that YHWH your⁺ God has spoken concerning you⁺. All have come to pass for you⁺; not one word has failed. 15And it will come to pass that as have come upon you⁺ all the good things that YHWH your⁺ God has spoken to you⁺, so YHWH will bring upon you⁺ all the word of evil, until He has destroyed you⁺ from this good land that YHWH your⁺ God has given to you⁺. 16In your⁺ transgressing the covenant of YHWH your⁺ God that He commanded you⁺, and have gone and served other gods and bowed down to them, the anger of YHWH will burn against you⁺, and you⁺ shall perish quickly from the good land that He has given to you⁺.”