1
“When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.
2
When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.
3
You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters,
4
for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.
5
This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.
6
For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.
7
“The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!
[a].
The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in 7:26 .