Joshua 23:6-13

6Be very strong. Be careful that you obey everything that Moses wrote in the Book of the Law. Do not turn away from any of those rules.

7Do not become friends of the nations that live near you. Do not call out to their gods. Do not use the names of their gods to make a promise. You must not serve them or worship them.

8But you must always serve the Lord your God, as you have until now.

9The Lord has chased out in front of you nations that are great and strong. None of them has been strong enough to win against you.

10Because the Lord your God fights on your behalf, one of you can chase away 1,000 men! The Lord has promised to do this for you.

11You must be very careful that you continue to love the Lord your God.

12You must not turn away from him to join with the other nations that still live near you. Do not marry any of them. Do not live in the way that they live.

13If you do that, the Lord your God will not chase them out in front of you any more. Instead, those nations will become a danger for you. They will be like a trap that catches you. They will be like sticks that beat your backs, and like sharp thorns in your eyes. They will bring trouble to you until none of you remain in this good land that the Lord your God has given to you.