Joshua’s Charge to Leaders

1Now 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. 2Joshua 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. 3And 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. 4And 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, 5the 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. 6Even 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. 7Otherwise, 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. 8Instead, cling to the Lord your God, just as you have done even to this day. 9And 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. 10One 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. 11Even so, be very diligent and careful in this: that you love the Lord your God. 12But 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, 13even 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.

14Lo, 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. 15Therefore, 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, 16when 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.”