Exodus 23:20–33

God’s Angel to Prepare the Way

²⁰“See, I am sending an angel^x ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.^{y 21}Pay attention to him and listen^z to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive^a your rebellion,^b since my Name^c is in him. ²²If you listen carefully to what he says and do^d all that I say, I will be an enemy^e to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. ²³My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,^f and I will wipe them out. ²⁴Do not bow down before their gods or worship^g them or follow their practices.^h You must demolishⁱ them and break their sacred stones^j to pieces. ²⁵Worship the Lord your God,^k and his blessing^l will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness^m from among you, ²⁶and none will miscarry or be barrenⁿ in your land. I will give you a full life span.^o

²⁷“I will send my terror^p ahead of you and throw into confusion^q every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.^{r 28}I will send the hornet^s ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites^t out of your way. ²⁹But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals^u too numerous for you. ³⁰Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession^v of the land.

³¹“I will establish your borders from the Red Sea^a to the Mediterranean Sea,^b and from the desert to the Euphrates River.^w I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out^x before you. ³²Do not make a covenant^y with them or with their gods. ³³Do 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^z to you.”