The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now after a long time, when the Lord had given Israel rest from wars on every side, and Joshua was old and full of years,
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Much later the Lord gave Israel security from their enemies around them. By that time Joshua was very old,
2 Joshua sent for all Israel, for their responsible men and their chiefs and their judges and their overseers, and said to them, I am old, and full of years:
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so he called all Israel, the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of the people, and said, "I am very old now.
3 You have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is the Lord your God who has been fighting for you.
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You have seen everything that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you. The Lord your God has been fighting for you.
4 Now I have given to you, as the heritage of your tribes, all these nations which are still in the land, together with those cut off by me, from Jordan as far as the Great Sea on the west
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I have assigned as the possession of your tribes the land of the nations that are still left, as well as of all the nations that I have already conquered, from the Jordan River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west
5 The Lord your God will send them away by force, driving them out before you; and you are to take their land for your heritage, as the Lord your God said to you.
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The Lord your God will make them retreat from you, and he will drive them away as you advance. You shall have their land, as the Lord your God has promised you.
6 So be very strong to keep and do whatever is recorded in the book of the law of Moses, not turning away from it to the right or to the left;
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So be careful to obey and do everything that is written in the book of the Law of Moses. Do not neglect any part of it,
7 Have nothing to do with these nations who still are living among you; let not their gods be named by you or used in your oaths; do not be their servants or give them worship:
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and then you will not associate with these peoples left among you or speak the names of their gods or use those names in taking vows or worship those gods or bow down to them.
8 But be true to the Lord your God as you have been till this day.
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Instead, be faithful to the Lord, as you have been till now.
9 For the Lord has sent out from before you nations great and strong: and they have all given way before you till this day.
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The Lord has driven great and powerful nations out as you advanced, and no one has ever been able to stand against you.
10 One man of you is able to put to flight a thousand; for it is the Lord your God who is fighting for you, as he has said to you.
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Any one of you can make a thousand men run away, because the Lord your God is fighting for you, just as he promised.
11 So keep watch on yourselves, and see that you have love for the Lord your God.
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Be careful, then, to love the Lord your God.
12 For if you go back, joining yourselves to the rest of these nations who are still among you, getting married to them and living with them and they with you:
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If you are disloyal and join with the nations that are still left among you and intermarry with them,
13 Then you may be certain that the Lord your God will not go on driving these nations out from before you; but they will become a danger and a cause of sin to you, a whip for your sides and thorns in your eyes, till you are cut off from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
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you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive these nations out as you advance. Rather, they will be as dangerous for you as a trap or a pit and as painful as a whip on your back or thorns in your eyes. And this will last until none of you are left in this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
14 Now I am about to go the way of all the earth: and you have seen and are certain, all of you, in your hearts and souls, that in all the good things which the Lord said about you, he has kept faith with you; everything has come true for you
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"Now my time has come to die. Every one of you knows in his heart and soul that the Lord your God has given you all the good things that he promised. Every promise he made has been kept; not one has failed
15 And you will see that, as all the good things which the Lord your God undertook to do for you, have come to you, so the Lord will send down on you all the evil things till he has made your destruction complete, and you are cut off from the good land which the Lord your God has given you.
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But just as he kept every promise that he made to you, so he will carry out every threat.
16 If the agreement of the Lord your God, which was given to you by his orders, is broken, and you become the servants of other gods and give them worship, then the wrath of the Lord will be burning against you, and you will quickly be cut off from the good land which he has given you.
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If you do not keep the covenant which the Lord your God commanded you to keep and if you serve and worship other gods, then in his anger he will punish you, and soon none of you will be left in this good land that he has given you."
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.