約書亞記23:1-16

23:1 耶和華使以色列人安靜，不與四圍的一切仇敵爭戰，已經多日。約書亞年紀老邁，
23:2 就把以色列眾人的長老、族長、審判官，並官長都召了來，對他們說：「我年紀已經老邁。
23:3 耶和華─你們的上帝因你們的緣故向那些國所行的一切事，你們親眼看見了，因那為你們爭戰的是耶和華─你們的上帝。
23:4 我所剪除和所剩下的各國，從約旦河起到日落之處的大海，我已經拈鬮分給你們各支派為業。
23:5 耶和華─你們的上帝必將他們從你們面前趕出去，使他們離開你們，你們就必得他們的地為業，正如耶和華─你們的上帝所應許的。
23:6 所以，你們要大大壯膽，謹守遵行寫在摩西律法書上的一切話，不可偏離左右。
23:7 不可與你們中間所剩下的這些國民攙雜。他們的神，你們不可提他的名，不可指著他起誓，也不可事奉、叩拜；
23:8 只要照著你們到今日所行的，專靠耶和華─你們的上帝。
23:9 因為耶和華已經把又大又強的國民從你們面前趕出；直到今日，沒有一人在你們面前站立得住。
23:10 你們一人必追趕千人，因耶和華─你們的上帝照他所應許的，為你們爭戰。
23:11 你們要分外謹慎，愛耶和華─你們的上帝。
23:12 你們若稍微轉去，與你們中間所剩下的這些國民聯絡，彼此結親，互相往來，
23:13 你們要確實知道，耶和華─你們的上帝必不再將他們從你們眼前趕出；他們卻要成為你們的網羅、機檻、肋上的鞭、眼中的刺，直到你們在耶和華─你們上帝所賜的這美地上滅亡。
23:14 「我現在要走世人必走的路。你們是一心一意地知道，耶和華─你們上帝所應許賜福與你們的話沒有一句落空，都應驗在你們身上了。
23:15 耶和華─你們上帝所應許的一切福氣怎樣臨到你們身上，耶和華也必照樣使各樣禍患臨到你們身上，直到把你們從耶和華─你們上帝所賜的這美地上除滅。
23:16 你們若違背耶和華─你們上帝吩咐你們所守的約，去事奉別神，叩拜他，耶和華的怒氣必向你們發作，使你們在他所賜的美地上速速滅亡。」

 

 After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, ² summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. ³ You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. ⁴ Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

⁶ “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. ⁷ Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. ⁸ But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

⁹ “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. ¹⁰ One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. ¹¹ So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

¹² “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, ¹³ then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴ “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. ¹⁵ But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. ¹⁶ If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.”

 

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    以色列人雖然進了迦南地，但是他們並沒有完全將當地的人趕走，這也是讓約書亞非常掛念的事，於是他對他們警戒說：「你們要確實知道，耶和華─你們的上帝必不再將他們從你們眼前趕出；他們卻要成為你們的網羅、機檻、肋上的鞭、眼中的刺，直到你們在耶和華─你們上帝所賜的這美地上滅亡。」

 

    也因為這樣約書亞更進一步說：「我現在要走世人必走的路。你們是一心一意地知道，耶和華─你們上帝所應許賜福與你們的話沒有一句落空，都應驗在你們身上了。耶和華─你們上帝所應許的一切福氣怎樣臨到你們身上，耶和華也必照樣使各樣禍患臨到你們身上，直到把你們從耶和華─你們上帝所賜的這美地上除滅。你們若違背耶和華─你們上帝吩咐你們所守的約，去事奉別神，叩拜他，耶和華的怒氣必向你們發作，使你們在他所賜的美地上速速滅亡。」

 

    約書亞這樣的交代也讓我們感受到：人之將亡，其言也善！而這更是傳道人對教會信徒諄諄教誨，因為在現今的世代邪惡，魔鬼更是猖狂的做困獸之鬥，信徒稍微一疏忽就被罪惡所吞沒！因此，上帝的僕人要不斷地勸誡弟兄姊妹，提醒弟兄姊妹要倚靠主恩典來勝過魔鬼的試探！