וַיְהִי מִיָּמִים רַבִּים אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הֵנִיחַ ה' לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל אֹיְבֵיהֶם מִסָּבִיב וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים

It was many days after the Lord granted respite to Israel from all its surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old, advanced in years. It can be inferred from the continuation of the narrative that Joshua was already over one hundred years old, and that many years had passed since the conquest of the land.

וַיִּקְרָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל לִזְקֵנָיו וּלְרָאשָׁיו וּלְשֹׁפְטָיו וּלְשֹׁטְרָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי בָּאתִי בַּיָּמִים

Joshua summoned all Israel: their elders, their heads, their judges, and their officers, and he said to them: I have grown old, advanced in years. Joshua gathered mainly the leaders, through whom he delivered his message to the entire people.

וְאַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לְכָל הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה מִפְּנֵיכֶם כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא הַנִּלְחָם לָכֶם

You have seen everything that the Lord your God did to all these nations for you, for it is the Lord your God who fought for you. You yourselves saw the hand of God that accompanied you in order to save you at every juncture.

רְאוּ הִפַּלְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַגּוֹיִם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּנַחֲלָה לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם מִן הַיַּרְדֵּן וכָל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִכְרַתִּי וְהַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

See, I have allotted to you the lands of these remaining nations as an inheritance, which were divided according to your tribes, and the lands of all the nations that I have eliminated from the Jordan to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, the sea that lies to the west, the Mediterranean.

וַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא יֶהְדֳּפֵם מִפְּנֵיכֶם וְהוֹרִישׁ אֹתָם מִלִּפְנֵיכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֶת אַרְצָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לָכֶם

The Lord your God, He will push them, the remaining nations, away from before you, and dispossess them from before you; you will take possession of all the areas and enclaves where the Canaanites are still dwelling in their land, as the Lord your God has spoken to you.

וַחֲזַקְתֶּם מְאֹד לִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כָּל הַכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה לְבִלְתִּי סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול

You shall be very resolute in observing and performing everything that is written in the book of the Torah of Moses, not deviating from it right or left,

לְבִלְתִּי בוֹא בַּגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה הַנִּשְׁאָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אִתְּכֶם וּבְשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ וְלֹא תַשְׁבִּיעוּ וְלֹא תַעַבְדוּם וְלֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם

and by doing so, not assimilating into these insignificant nations that remain with you. You shall not mention the names of their gods, and not administer an oath, even to them, by the names of their gods, and of course you shall not serve them and not prostrate yourselves before them;

כִּי אִם בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם תִּדְבָּקוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

rather, cleave to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.

וַיּוֹרֶשׁ ה' מִפְּנֵיכֶם גּוֹיִם גְּדֹלִים וַעֲצוּמִים וְאַתֶּם לֹא עָמַד אִישׁ בִּפְנֵיכֶם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

In reward for that behavior, the Lord dispossessed great and mighty nations from before you; as for you, no man has stood against you and defeated you in battle to this day.

אִישׁ אֶחָד מִכֶּם יִרְדָּף אָלֶף כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא הַנִּלְחָם לָכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָכֶם

One man from you would pursue one thousand, for the Lord your God, it is He who fought for you, as He has spoken to you.

וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

Therefore, you shall greatly beware for your lives, to love the Lord your God.

כִּי אִם שׁוֹב תָּשׁוּבוּ וּדְבַקְתֶּם בְּיֶתֶר הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה הַנִּשְׁאָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אִתְּכֶם וְהִתְחַתַּנְתֶּם בָּהֶם וּבָאתֶם בָּהֶם וְהֵם בָּכֶם

For if you go back, if you abandon the path of God, and cleave to the rest of these nations that remain among you, marry into them, and assimilate into them, and they into you;

יָדוֹעַ תֵּדְעוּ כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה מִלִּפְנֵיכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ וּלְשֹׁטֵט בְּצִדֵּיכֶם וְלִצְנִנִים בְּעֵינֵיכֶם עַד אֲבָדְכֶם מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

know that the Lord your God will not continue to dispossess these nations from before you, and they will be a snare and a trap for you, a blow from a staff; alternatively, this means that they will roam and plunder freely. They will be in your side [betzideikhem], as they will be a contemptible presence in the margins of your society. Some maintain that betzideikhem is derived from tzediya, hunting, and it means that they will lie in wait to cause you to falter. And they will also be as sharp thorns in your eyes until you perish from upon this good land that the Lord your God has given you. You may not and cannot intermingle with the nations forever. If you do not remove them, they will continue to hate you always, and you will forfeit your grace in the eyes of God.

וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ הַיּוֹם בְּדֶרֶךְ כָּל הָאָרֶץ וִידַעְתֶּם בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁכֶם כִּי לֹא נָפַל דָּבָר אֶחָד מִכֹּל הַדְּבָרִים הַטּוֹבִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם עֲלֵיכֶם הַכֹּל בָּאוּ לָכֶם לֹא נָפַל מִמֶּנּוּ דָּבָר אֶחָד

Behold, I am going today, or in the near future, in the way of all the world, I will die; you shall know with all your heart and with all your soul that not one matter of all the good matters that the Lord your God spoke concerning you was not fulfilled; everything, the miracles, salvation, divine assistance, and the conquest of the land, has come upon you, therefore not one matter was not fulfilled.

וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּא עֲלֵיכֶם כָּל הַדָּבָר הַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲלֵיכֶם כֵּן יָבִיא ה' עֲלֵיכֶם אֵת כָּל הַדָּבָר הָרָע עַד הַשְׁמִידוֹ אוֹתְכֶם מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

It shall be, just as all the good matters of which the Lord your God spoke to you came upon you, if you do not follow His ways so shall the Lord bring upon you all the evil matters He warned you about, until He has destroyed you from upon this good land that the Lord your God has given you.

בְּעָבְרְכֶם אֶת בְּרִית ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם וְחָרָה אַף ה' בָּכֶם וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם

All this will occur when you violate the covenant of the Lord your God that He has commanded you, and you go and serve other gods, and prostrate yourselves before them; the wrath of the Lord will be enflamed against you, and you will perish quickly from upon the good land that He has given you.