TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 23
Translation and Transliteration of
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1Much later, after Hashem had given Yisrael rest from all the enemies around them, and when Yehoshua was old and well advanced in years,
אוַיְהִי מִיָּמִים רַבִּים אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר־הֵנִיחַ יְהֹוָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל־אֹיְבֵיהֶם מִסָּבִיב וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים׃
2Yehoshua summoned all Yisrael, their elders and commanders, their magistrates and officials, and said to them: “I have grown old and am advanced in years.
בוַיִּקְרָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לִזְקֵנָיו וּלְרָאשָׁיו וּלְשֹׁפְטָיו וּלְשֹׁטְרָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי בָּאתִי בַּיָּמִים׃
3You have seen all that Hashem your God has done to all those nations on your account, for it was Hashem your God who fought for you.
גוְאַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לְכָל־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה מִפְּנֵיכֶם כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא הַנִּלְחָם לָכֶם׃
4See, I have allotted to you, by your tribes, [the territory of] these nations that still remain, and that of all the nations that I have destroyed, from the Yarden to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
דרְאוּ הִפַּלְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּנַחֲלָה לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּן וְכָל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִכְרַתִּי וְהַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
5Hashem your God Himself will thrust them out on your account and drive them out to make way for you, and you shall possess their land as Hashem your God promised you.
הוַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא יֶהְדֳּפֵם מִפְּנֵיכֶם וְהוֹרִישׁ אֹתָם מִלִּפְנֵיכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֶת־אַרְצָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לָכֶם׃
6“But be most resolute to observe faithfully all that is written in the Book of the Teaching of Moshe, without ever deviating from it to the right or to the left,
va-kha-zak-TEM m'-OD lish-MOR v'-la-a-SOT AYT kol ha-ka-TUV b'-SAY-fer to-RAT mo-SHEH l'-vil-TEE sur mi-ME-nu ya-MEEN us-MOL
ווַחֲזַקְתֶּם מְאֹד לִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כָּל־הַכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה לְבִלְתִּי סוּר־מִמֶּנּוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול׃
23:6 But be most resolute
Hesder students studying Torah in Shiloh
Throughout Sefer Yehoshua, the instructions to be “strong” and “resolute” are delivered repeatedly, both to Yehoshua himself and the Children of Israel as a whole. Significantly, this command applies both to spiritual tasks, such as the exhortation in this verse to observe the entire Torah of Moshe, and to physical tasks such as fighting battles to conquer the Land of Israel (see, e.g., Joshua 1:6). A complete national life requires both spiritual and physical fortitude. In today’s Israeli army, many soldiers exemplify this devotion to both Torah study and military service by enlisting in the Hesder program that combines high level Torah study with mandatory army service. The students and graduates of these academies are exemplary soldiers as well as scholars, thereby serving as role models for all.
7and without intermingling with these nations that are left among you. Do not utter the names of their gods or swear by them; do not serve them or bow down to them.
זלְבִלְתִּי־בוֹא בַּגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה הַנִּשְׁאָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אִתְּכֶם וּבְשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם לֹא־תַזְכִּירוּ וְלֹא תַשְׁבִּיעוּ וְלֹא תַעַבְדוּם וְלֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם׃
8But hold fast to Hashem your God as you have done to this day.
חכִּי אִם־בַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם תִּדְבָּקוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃
9“Hashem has driven out great, powerful nations on your account, and not a man has withstood you to this day.
טוַיּוֹרֶשׁ יְהֹוָה מִפְּנֵיכֶם גּוֹיִם גְּדֹלִים וַעֲצוּמִים וְאַתֶּם לֹא־עָמַד אִישׁ בִּפְנֵיכֶם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃
10A single man of you would put a thousand to flight, for Hashem your God Himself has been fighting for you, as He promised you.
יאִישׁ־אֶחָד מִכֶּם יִרְדָּף־אָלֶף כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא הַנִּלְחָם לָכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָכֶם׃
11For your own sakes, therefore, be most mindful to love Hashem your God.
יאוְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃
12For should you turn away and attach yourselves to the remnant of those nations—to those that are left among you—and intermarry with them, you joining them and they joining you,
יבכִּי אִם־שׁוֹב תָּשׁוּבוּ וּדְבַקְתֶּם בְּיֶתֶר הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה הַנִּשְׁאָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אִתְּכֶם וְהִתְחַתַּנְתֶּם בָּהֶם וּבָאתֶם בָּהֶם וְהֵם בָּכֶם׃
13know for certain that Hashem your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you; they shall become a snare and a trap for you, a scourge to your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that Hashem your God has given you.
יגיָדוֹעַ תֵּדְעוּ כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה מִלִּפְנֵיכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ וּלְשֹׁטֵט בְּצִדֵּיכֶם וְלִצְנִנִים בְּעֵינֵיכֶם עַד־אֲבָדְכֶם מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃
14“I am now going the way of all the earth. Acknowledge with all your heart and soul that not one of the good things that Hashem your God promised you has failed to happen; they have all come true for you, not a single one has failed.
ידוְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ הַיּוֹם בְּדֶרֶךְ כָּל־הָאָרֶץ וִידַעְתֶּם בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶם כִּי לֹא־נָפַל דָּבָר אֶחָד מִכֹּל הַדְּבָרִים הַטּוֹבִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם עֲלֵיכֶם הַכֹּל בָּאוּ לָכֶם לֹא־נָפַל מִמֶּנּוּ דָּבָר אֶחָד׃
15But just as every good thing that Hashem your God promised you has been fulfilled for you, so Hashem can bring upon you every evil thing until He has wiped you off this good land that Hashem your God has given you.
טווְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר־בָּא עֲלֵיכֶם כָּל־הַדָּבָר הַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲלֵיכֶם כֵּן יָבִיא יְהֹוָה עֲלֵיכֶם אֵת כָּל־הַדָּבָר הָרָע עַד־הַשְׁמִידוֹ אוֹתְכֶם מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃
16If you break the covenant that Hashem your God enjoined upon you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then Hashem's anger will burn against you, and you shall quickly perish from the good land that He has given you.”
טזבְּעָבְרְכֶם אֶת־בְּרִית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם וְחָרָה אַף־יְהֹוָה בָּכֶם וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם׃
