YuēShūyàjì 23

1 Yēhéhuá shǐ Yǐsèliè rén ānjìng , bù yǔ sìwéi de yīqiè chóudí zhēng zhàn , yǐjing duō rì . Yuēshūyà niánjì lǎomaì ,

2 Jiù bǎ Yǐsèliè zhòngrén de zhǎnglǎo , zúzhǎng , shĕnpàn guān , bìng guān zhǎng dōu zhào le lái , duì tāmen shuō , wǒ niánjì yǐjing lǎomaì .

3 Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén yīn nǐmen de yuángù xiàng nàxiē guó suǒ xíng de yīqiè shì , nǐmen qīnyǎn kànjian le , yīn nà wèi nǐmen zhēng zhàn de shì Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén .

4 Wǒ suǒ jiǎnchú hé suǒ shèngxia de gè guó , cóng Yuēdànhé qǐ dào rìluò zhī chù de dà hǎi , wǒ yǐjing niānjiū fēn gĕi nǐmen gè zhīpaì wèi yè .

5 Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén bìjiāng tāmen cóng nǐmen miànqián gǎn chū qù , shǐ tāmen líkāi nǐmen , nǐmen jiù bì dé tāmende dì wèi yè , zhēng rú Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén suǒ yīngxǔ de .

6 Suǒyǐ , nǐmen yào dàdà zhuàng dǎn , jǐn shǒu zūnxíng xiĕ zaì Móxī lǜfǎ shū shàng de yīqiè huà , bùkĕ piānlí zuǒyòu .

7 Bùkĕ yǔ nǐmen zhōngjiān suǒ shèngxia de zhèxie guó mín chānzá . tāmende shén , nǐmen bùkĕ tí tāde míng , bùkĕ zhǐ zhe tā qǐshì , yĕ bùkĕ shìfèng , kòu baì .

8 Zhǐyào zhào zhe nǐmen dào jīnrì suǒ xíng de , zhuān kào Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén .

9 Yīnwei Yēhéhuá yǐjing bǎ yòu dà yòu qiáng de guó mín cóng nǐmen miànqián gǎn chū . zhídào jīnrì , méiyǒu yī rén zaì nǐmen miànqián shān lì dé zhù .

10 Nǐmen yī rén bì zhuīgǎn qiā rén , yīn Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén zhào tā suǒ yīngxǔ de , wèi nǐmen zhēng zhàn .

11 Nǐmen yào fēn waì jǐnshèn , aì Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén .

12 Nǐmen ruò shāowēi zhuǎn qù , yǔ nǐmen zhōngjiān suǒ shèngxia de zhèxie guó mín liánluò , bǐcǐ jié qīn , hùxiāng wǎng lái ,

13 Nǐmen yào quèshí zhīdào , Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén bì bú zaì jiāng tāmen cóng nǐmen yǎnqián gǎn chū . tāmen què yào chéngwéi nǐmen de wǎngluó , jī jiàn , lē shàng de biān , yǎn zhōng de cī , zhídào nǐmen zaì Yēhéhuá nǐmen shén suǒ cì de zhè mĕi dì shàng mièwáng .

14 Wǒ xiànzaì yào zǒu shìrén bì zǒu de lù . nǐmen shì yī xīn yī yì dì zhīdào , Yēhéhuá nǐmen shén suǒ yīngxǔ cì fú yǔ nǐmen de huà méiyǒu yī jù luō kōng , dōu yìngyàn zaì nǐmen shēnshang le .

15 Yēhéhuá nǐmen shén suǒ yīngxǔ de yīqiè fúqi zĕnyàng líndào nǐmen shēnshang , Yēhéhuá yĕ bì zhàoyàng shǐ gèyàng huòhuàn líndào nǐmen shēnshang , zhídào bǎ nǐmen cóng Yēhéhuá nǐmen shén suǒ cì de zhè mĕi dì shàng chúmiĕ .

16 Nǐmen ruò wéibeì Yēhéhuá nǐmen shén fēnfu nǐmen suǒ shǒu de yuē , qù shìfèng bié shén , kòu baì tā , Yēhéhuá de nùqì bì xiàng nǐmen fā zuò , shǐ nǐmen zaì tā suǒ cì de mĕi dì shàng sù sù mièwáng .

YuēShūyàjì 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

Joshua's exhortation before his death. (1-10) Joshua warns the people of idolatry. (11-16)

Verses 1-10 Joshua was old and dying, let them observe what he said now. He put them in mind of the great things God had done for them in his days. He exhorted them to be very courageous. Keep with care, do with diligence, and regard with sincerity what is written. Also, very cautiously to endeavour that the heathen idolatry may be forgotten, so that it may never be revived. It is sad that among Christians the names of the heathen gods are so commonly used, and made so familiar as they are. Joshua exhorts them to be very constant. There might be many things amiss among them, but they had not forsaken the Lord their God; the way to make people better, is to make the best of them.

Verses 11-16 Would we cleave to the Lord, we must always stand upon our guard, for many a soul is lost through carelessness. Love the Lord your God, and you will not leave him. Has God been thus true to you? Be not you false to him. He is faithful that has promised, ( Hebrews 10:23 ) . The experience of every Christian witnesses the same truth. Conflicts may have been severe and long, trials great and many; but at the last he will acknowledge that goodness and mercy followed him all the days of his life. Joshua states the fatal consequences of going back; know for a certainty it will be your ruin. The first step would be, friendship with idolaters; the next would be, marrying with them; the end of that would be, serving their gods. Thus the way of sin is down-hill, and those who have fellowship with sinners, cannot avoid having fellowship with sin. He describes the destruction he warns them of. The goodness of the heavenly Canaan, and the free and sure grant God has made of it, will add to the misery of those who shall for ever be shut out from it. Nothing will make them see how wretched they are, so much, as to see how happy they might have been. Let us watch and pray against temptation. Let us trust in God's faithfulness, love, and power; let us plead his promises, and cleave to his commandments, then we shall be happy in life, in death, and for ever.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 23

Joshua being old, convenes the states of Israel a little before his death, Jos 23:1,2; and in his address to them observes what God had done for them, and would do, Jos 23:3-5; and exhorts them to keep the commandments of God, and cleave to him, and not to mix with the Gentiles, and join with them in idolatrous practices, and then it would be well with them, Jos 23:6-11; but otherwise should they join with them, and depart from the Lord, who had so faithfully and punctually performed every good thing he had promised them, they might expect all evils and calamities, utter ruin and destruction, to befall them, Jos 23:12-16.