^20:16As for the cities of these peoples that¹⁸ the Lord your God is going to give you as an inheritance, you must not allow a single living thing¹⁹ to survive. ^20:17Instead you must utterly annihilate them²⁰—the Hittites,²¹ Amorites,²² Canaanites,²³ Perizzites,²⁴ Hivites,²⁵ and Jebusites²⁶—just as the Lord your God has commanded you, ^20:18so that they cannot teach you all the abhorrent ways they worship²⁷ their gods, causing you to sin against the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

18 The antecedent of the relative pronoun is “cities.”
19 Heb “any breath.”
20 The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation seeks to reflect with “utterly.” Cf. “completely wipe out.” The Hebrew verb refers to placing persons or things so evil and/or impure as to be irredeemable under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. See also the note on the phrase “the divine judgment” in .
21 Hittite. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 b.c.) they were at their zenith, establishing outposts and colonies near and far. Some elements were obviously in Canaan at the time of the Conquest (1400–1350 b.c.).
22 Amorite. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200 b.c. or thereabouts.
23 Canaanite. These were the indigenous peoples of the land of Palestine, going back to the beginning of recorded history ( 3000 b.c.). The OT identifies them as descendants of Ham (Gen 10:6), the only Hamites to have settled north and east of Egypt.
24 Perizzite. This probably refers to a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).
25 Hivite. These are usually thought to be the same as the Hurrians, a people well-known in ancient Near Eastern texts. They are likely identical to the Horites (see note on “Horites” in ).
26 The adds “Girgashites” here at the end of the list in order to list the full (and usual) complement of seven (see note on “seven” in ). Jebusite. These people inhabited the hill country, particularly in and about Jerusalem (cf. Num 13:29; Josh 15:8; 2 Sam 5:6; 24:16).
27 Heb “to do according to all their abominations which they do for their gods.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded, that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the Lord your God.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

However, you must not let any living thing survive among the cities of these people the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. You must completely destroy them—the Hethite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite—as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they won’t teach you to do all the detestable acts they do for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.

NLTNew Living Translation

In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you. This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But from the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance, you shall not let anything live that breathes. Rather, you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, just as Yahweh your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do like all their detestable things that they do for their gods and thereby you sin against Yahweh your God.

KJV 1900King James Version

But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God.

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