約書亞的訣別之言
1此後很長時間，耶和華使以色列人四境太平，沒有戰事。約書亞年事已高， 2他召來全體以色列人，包括長老、族長、審判官和官長，對他們說：「我已經老了， 3你們都親眼看見你們的上帝耶和華怎樣為了你們而對付列邦，親自為你們爭戰。 4從約旦河到西邊地中海的這片土地，無論是已征服的還是沒有征服的，我已經用抽籤的方式分給你們各支派作產業。 5你們的上帝耶和華必把列邦從你們面前驅離趕走，讓你們佔據他們的土地，正如你們的上帝耶和華的應許。 6所以，你們要剛強，謹遵摩西律法書上所記載的一切，不可有半點偏離。 7不可與你們中間剩下的異族混雜，不可提他們的神明或憑它們起誓，不可供奉和祭拜他們的神明。 8你們要一如既往地倚靠你們的上帝耶和華， 9因為祂為你們趕走了強大的外族人，至今無人敵得過你們。 10你們一個人能打敗他們一千人，因為你們的上帝耶和華照著祂的應許為你們爭戰。 11所以你們要特別謹慎，愛你們的上帝耶和華。 12如果你們悖逆，跟你們當中剩下的異族人聯合，通婚往來， 13毫無疑問，你們的上帝耶和華必不再為你們趕走他們。相反，他們還要成為設在你們當中的圈套和陷阱，你們的肉中刺、眼中釘，直到你們在你們的上帝耶和華所賜給你們的這塊美好的土地上滅亡。
14「我快要走完人世的路程了。你們深知你們的上帝耶和華賜給你們的一切美好應許，沒有一句落空，都已經應驗了。 15正如你們的上帝耶和華已成就祂應許給你們的一切福氣，祂也會照樣降各樣災禍給你們，直到把你們從祂所賜的這美好土地上毀滅。 16你們如果違背你們的上帝耶和華吩咐你們遵守的約，去供奉、祭拜其他神明，祂必向你們發怒，使你們在祂所賜的這美好土地上迅速滅亡。」
Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders
1After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, 2summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. 3You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. 4Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.
6“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.
9“The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11So be very careful to love the Lord your God.
12“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, 13then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.
14“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. 15But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. 16If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.”
