"I will not drivethem out beforeyou in a singleyear,that the landmay not becomedesolateand the beastsof the fieldbecometoonumerousfor you.
"I will drivethem out beforeyou littleby little,untilyou becomefruitfuland takepossessionof the land.
"For I will driveout nationsbeforeyou and enlargeyour borders,and nomanshall covetyour landwhen you goup threetimesa yearto appearbeforethe LORDyour God.
"The LORDyour Godwill clearawaythesenationsbeforeyou littleby little;you will not be ableto putan endto them quickly,for the wildbeastswould growtoonumerousfor you.
Now as for the Jebusites,the inhabitantsof Jerusalem,the sonsof Judahcouldnot drivethem out; so the Jebusiteslivewith the sonsof Judahat Jerusalemuntilthisday.
But they did not driveout the Canaaniteswho livedin Gezer,so the Canaaniteslivein the midstof Ephraimto thisday,and they becameforcedlaborers.
