Joshua 23 (NLT)

16 verses · New Living Translation · Dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought)

The NLT renders the original texts into clear, natural English, prioritizing meaning over word-for-word correspondence. It is excellent for devotional reading and for those new to the Bible, making ancient truths immediately understandable.

Joshua Chapter 23 contains 16 verses and is presented here in the New Living Translation (NLT), which uses a dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) approach. Read the full text below, compare with other translations, or navigate to any of the 24 chapters in Joshua.

NIVKJVESVMSGNASB
← Chapter 22Chapter 24 →

1The years passed, and the LORD had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old,

2called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, “I am now a very old man.

3You have seen everything the LORD your God has done for you during my lifetime. The LORD your God has fought for you against your enemies.

4I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered — from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

5This land will be yours, for the LORD your God will himself drive out all the people living there now. You will take possession of their land, just as the LORD your God promised you.

6“So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.

7Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them.

8Rather, cling tightly to the LORD your God as you have done until now.

9“For the LORD has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you.

10Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the LORD your God fights for you, just as he has promised.

11So be very careful to love the LORD your God.

12“But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them,

13then know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the LORD your God has given you.

14“Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the LORD your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!

15But as surely as the LORD your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you.

16If you break the covenant of the LORD your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.”

← Chapter 22Read in NIVChapter 24 →

About This Translation

What is Joshua 23 in the NLT?

Joshua 23 in the New Living Translation (NLT) contains 16 verses. The NLT uses a dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) approach, first published in 1996 (rev. 2015).

How does the NLT translate Joshua 23 differently?

The New Living Translation uses dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought), balancing accuracy with modern readability. Compare this with the NIV (dynamic equivalence) version of Joshua 23 for a different perspective.

How many verses are in Joshua 23 (NLT)?

Joshua Chapter 23 contains 16 verses in the New Living Translation. The book of Joshua has 24 chapters total.

Joshua (NLT) — All 24 Chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324