Joshua 23

¹Forsothe whanne myche tyme was passid after that the Lord had youe pees to Israel, for alle naciouns `in cumpas weren suget; and whanne Josue was thanne of long lijf, and `of ful eld age, Josue clepide al Israel,

²and the grettere men in birthe, and the princes, and dukis, and maistris, and seide to hem, Y `wexide elde, and Y am of grettere age;

³and ye seen alle thingis whiche youre Lord God hath do to alle naciouns `bi cumpas, hou he fauyt for you.

⁴And now for he departide to you bi lot al the lond, fro the eest part of Jordan `til to the grete see, and many naciouns ben left yit,

⁵youre Lord God `schal distrie hem, and schal take awei fro youre face; and ye schulen welde the lond, as he bihiyte to you.

⁶Oneli be ye coumfortid, and be ye bisy, that ye kepe alle thingis that ben writun in the book of Moises lawe, and bowe not awei fro tho, nether to the riyt side nether to the left side,

⁷lest aftir that ye han entrid to the hethene men, that schulen be among you, ye swere in the name of `the goddis of hem, and ye serue tho goddis, and worschipe hem.

⁸But cleue ye to youre Lord God, which thing ye han do `til in to this dai;

⁹and thanne the Lord God schal do awei in youre siyt grete folkis, and strongeste; and noon schal mow ayenstonde you.

¹⁰Oon of you schal pursue a thousynde men of enemyes, for youre Lord God schal fiyte for you, as he bihiyte.

¹¹Be ye war bifore moost diligentli of this thing oneli, that ye loue youre Lord God.

¹²That if ye wolen cleue to the errouris of these folkis that dwellen among you, and wolen medle mariagis with hem, and couple frenschipis,

¹³wite ye riyt now, that `youre Lord God schal not do awei hem bifor youre face, but thei schulen be to you in to a dich, and a snare, and in to hirtyng of youre side, and in to stakis in youre iyen, til youre Lord God take awei you, and distrie fro this beste loond, which he yaf to you.

¹⁴Lo! Y entre to dai in to the weye of al erthe; and ye schulen knowe `with al soule, that of al wordis whiche the Lord bihiyte hym silf to yyue to you, not oon passide in veyn.

¹⁵Therfor as he fillide in werk that, that he bihiyte, and alle thingis bifelden `bi prosperite, so he schal brynge on you whateuer thing of yuelis he manaasside, til he take awei you, and distrie fro this beste lond, which he yaf to you.

¹⁶For ye braken the couenaunt of `youre Lord God, which he made with you, and serueden alien goddis, and worschipeden hem, sone and swiftli the strong veniaunce of the Lord schal rise `on to you; and ye schulen be takun awei fro this beste lond, which he yaf to you.

Joshua 23

¹And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

²And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:

³And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.

⁴Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.

⁵And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.

⁶Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

⁷That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:

⁸But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.

⁹For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.

¹⁰One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

¹¹Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.

¹²Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:

¹³Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

¹⁴And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

¹⁵Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

¹⁶When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.