You will take the land from the people you find there. You must destroy all of their carved statues and idols. You must destroy all of their high places. [378]
Solomon built a place for worshiping Chemosh. Chemosh was that horrible idol of the Moabite people. Solomon built that worship place on a hill next to Jerusalem. On that same hill, Solomon built a worship place for Molech. Molech was that horrible idol of the Ammonite people.
“Don’t worship the gods of those people. Don’t ever bow down to those gods. You must never live the way those people live. You must destroy their idols. [151] And you must break the stones that help them remember their gods. [152]
Israel, you are blessed.
No other nation is like you.
The Lord saved you.
The Lord is like a strong shield protecting you.
The Lord is like a powerful sword.
Your enemies will be afraid of you.
And you will trample their holy places!”
Long ago the Lord commanded his servant Moses to do this. Then Moses commanded Joshua to do this. So Joshua obeyed God. Joshua did everything that the Lord had commanded Moses.
There are still some people living among us that are not people of Israel. Those people worship their own gods. Don’t become friends with those people. Don’t serve or worship their gods.
The men of Israel said to these Hivite men, “Maybe you are trying to trick us. Maybe you live near us. We can’t make a peace agreement with you until we know where you are from.”
But in return, you must never make any agreement with the people living in that land. You must destroy their altars. [14] I told you that. But you didn’t obey me!