Driving Out the Nations

7 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess^(A) and drives out before you many nations^(B)—the Hittites,^(C) Girgashites,^(D) Amorites,^(E) Canaanites, Perizzites,^(F) Hivites^(G) and Jebusites,^(H) seven nations larger and stronger than you— ² and when the Lord your God has delivered^(I) them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy^(J) them totally.^[a](K) Make no treaty^(L) with them, and show them no mercy.^{(M) 3} Do not intermarry with them.^(N) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ⁴ for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods,^(O) and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy^(P) you. ⁵ This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles^[b](Q) and burn their idols in the fire.^(R)

²⁵ The images of their gods you are to burn^(A) in the fire. Do not covet^(B) the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared^(C) by it, for it is detestable^(D) to the Lord your God.

³³ Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare^(A) to you.”

¹² Be careful not to make a treaty^(A) with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare^(B) among you.

² and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land,^(A) but you shall break down their altars.^(B)’ Yet you have disobeyed^(C) me. Why have you done this? ³ And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you;^(D) they will become traps^(E) for you, and their gods will become snares^(F) to you.’”