Reasons for Loyal Obedience

20 “ ‘Look, I am about to send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, because he will not forgive your transgression, for my name is in him. 22 But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23 When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amoritesn and the Hittiteso and the Perizzitesp and the Canaanitesq and the Hivitesr and the Jebusites,s I will wipe them out.

24 “ ‘You will not bow to their gods, and you will not serve them, and you will not act according to their actions, because you will utterly demolish them, and you will utterly break their stone pillars. 25 And you will serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove sickness from among you. 26 There will be no one suffering miscarriage or infertile in your land. I will make full the number of your days.t

27 “ ‘I will release my terror before you, and I will throw into confusion all the people against whom you come, and I will ⌊make all your enemies turn their back to you⌋.u 28 And I will send the hornet before you, and it will drive out the Hivites,v the Canaanites,w and the Hittitesx from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become a desolation and ⌊the wild animals⌋y multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you are fruitful and take possession of the land.

31 “ ‘And I will set your boundary from the ⌊Red Sea⌋z and up to the sea of the Philistines and from the desert up to the river,a because I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out from before you. 32 You will not make a covenant with them and with their gods. 33 They will not live in your land, lest they cause you to sin against me when you serve their gods, for it will be a snare to you.’ ”