Deuteronomy 7
1 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to take possession of, he will drive out many nations before you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations larger and stronger than you.
2 When the LORD your God hands them over to you and you defeat them, devote them completely to destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
3 Do not intermarry with them: do not give your daughter to their son, and do not take their daughter for your son.
4 For he would turn your son away from me, and they would serve other gods. Then the LORD’s anger would burn against you, and he would destroy you quickly.
5 Instead, do this to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their carved images in the fire.
6 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God. The LORD your God chose you to be his own treasured people, out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
7 It was not because you were more numerous than all the peoples that the LORD set his love on you and chose you; you were the smallest of all the peoples.
8 It was because the LORD loves you and keeps the oath he swore to your ancestors. That is why the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 Know, then, that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his covenant and steadfast love for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.
10 But he repays those who hate him to their face, destroying them. He does not delay in dealing with anyone who hates him; he repays them to their face.
11 So keep the command, the decrees, and the laws that I am commanding you today, and put them into practice.
12 Because you listen to these laws, keep them, and put them into practice, the LORD your God will keep for you the covenant and steadfast love he swore to your ancestors.
13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your soil: your grain, new wine, and olive oil, the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks, in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.”
14 “You will be blessed above all peoples. No man or woman among you will be barren, nor will any of your animals be barren.
15 The LORD will keep every disease away from you. He will not bring on you any of the terrible diseases of Egypt that you knew, but will bring them on all who hate you.
16 You will consume all the peoples the LORD your God is handing over to you. Do not look on them with pity, and do not serve their gods, for that would be a trap for you.
17 Perhaps you will say in your heart, ‘These nations are more numerous than I am. How can I drive them out?’
18 Do not be afraid of them. Remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt.
19 You saw the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear.
20 The LORD your God will also send hornets against them, until those who remain and those who hide from you perish.
21 Do not be terrified of them, because the LORD your God is among you—a great and awesome God.
22 The LORD your God will drive these nations out before you little by little. You will not be able to destroy them quickly, or the wild animals may multiply against you.
23 The LORD your God will hand them over to you and throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed.
24 He will hand their kings over to you, and you will erase their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.
25 Burn their gods’ carved images in the fire. Do not covet the silver or gold on them or take it for yourself, so that you are not trapped by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God.
26 Do not bring anything detestable into your house, or you will become devoted to destruction like it. Utterly despise it and detest it, for it is devoted to destruction.”
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app