Deuteronomy 7

The Privilege of Holiness

7"When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.H3068H430H935H776H935H3423H5394H7227H1471H6440H2850H1622H567H3669H6522H2340H2983H7651H1471H7227H60992When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.H3068H430H5414H6440H5221H2763H2763H3772H1285H26033You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters,H2859H1323H5414H1121H1323H3947H11214for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.H5493H1121H310H5647H312H430H639H3068H2734H8045H41185This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.H6213H5422H4196H7665H4676H1438H842H8313H6456H7846For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.H6918H5971H3068H430H3068H430H977H5459H5971H5971H6440H1277"The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!H3068H2836H977H7230H5971H4592H59718Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.H3068H160H8104H7621H7650H1H3068H3318H2389H3027H6299H1004H5650H3027H6547H4428H47149Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.H3045H3068H430H430H539H410H8104H1285H2617H157H8104H4687H505H175510But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.H7999H8130H6440H6H309H8130H7999H644011Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today.H8104H4687H2706H4941H6680H3117H621312"If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the LORD your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors.H6118H8085H4941H8104H6213H3068H430H8104H1285H2617H7650H113He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats.H157H1288H7235H1288H6529H990H6529H127H1715H8492H3323H7698H504H6251H6629H127H7650H1H541414You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless, and all your livestock will bear young.H1288H5971H6135H6135H92915And the LORD will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all your enemies!H3068H5493H2483H7760H7451H4064H4714H3045H5414H813016"You must destroy all the nations the LORD your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.H398H5971H3068H430H5414H5869H2347H5647H430H417017Perhaps you will think to yourselves, 'How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?'H559H3824H1471H7227H349H3201H342318But don't be afraid of them! Just remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt.H3372H2142H2142H3068H430H6213H6547H471419Remember the great terrors the LORD your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The LORD your God will use this same power against all the people you fear.H1419H4531H5869H7200H226H4159H2389H3027H5186H2220H3068H430H3318H3068H430H6213H5971H3373H644020And then the LORD your God will send terror

to drive out the few survivors still hiding from you!H3068H430H7971H6880H7604H5641H6440H621"No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the LORD your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.H6206H6440H3068H430H7130H1419H410H337222The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you.H3068H430H5394H411H1471H6440H4592H4592H3201H3615H4118H2416H7704H723523But the LORD your God will hand them over to you. He will throw them into complete confusion until they are destroyed.H3068H430H5414H6440H1949H1419H4103H804524He will put their kings in your power, and you will erase their names from the face of the earth. No one will be able to stand against you, and you will destroy them all.H5414H4428H3027H6H8034H8064H376H3320H6440H804525"You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the LORD your God.H6456H430H8313H784H2530H3701H2091H3947H3369H8441H3068H43026Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction.H935H8441H1004H2764H8262H8262H8581H8581H2764