Speak not thou in thine heart (after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out before thee) saying, For my [a]righteousness the Lord hath brought me in, to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations, the Lord hath cast them out before thee.

For thou entrust not to inherit their land for thy righteousness, or for their upright heart, but for the wickedness of those nations, the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee, and that he might perform the word which the Lord thy God sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness: for thou art a [b]stiff-necked people.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 9:4 Man of himself can deserve nothing but God’s anger, and if God spare any it cometh of his great mercy.
  2. Deuteronomy 9:6 Like stubborn oxen which will not endure their master’s yoke.

After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself,(A) “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness(B) of these nations(C) that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity(D) that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness(E) of these nations,(F) the Lord your God will drive them out(G) before you, to accomplish what he swore(H) to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.(I) Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.(J)

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