All communion with the nations is forbidden,

1 ¶ When² the LORDº thy Godº shall bringºª thee into² the landº whither²² thou² goestºª to possessºª it, and hath cast outºª manyº nationsº beforeº² thee, the Hittites,º and the Girgashites,º and the Amorites,º and the Canaanites,º and the Perizzites,º and the Hivites,º and the Jebusites,º sevenº nationsº greaterº and mightierº than² thou; 2 And when the LORDº thy Godº shall deliverºª them beforeº thee; thou shalt smiteºª them, [and] utterly¹ª destroyºª them; thou shalt makeºª no² covenantº with them, nor² shew mercyºª unto them: 3 Neither² shalt thou make marriagesºª with them; thy daughterº thou shalt not² giveºª unto his son,º nor² his daughterº shalt thou takeºª unto thy son.º

for fear of idolatry,

4 For² they will turn awayºª² thy sonº from followingº² me, that they may serveºª otherº gods:º so will the angerº of the LORDº be kindledºª against you, and destroyºª thee suddenly.º 5 But²² thus² shall ye dealºª with them; ye shall destroyºª their altars,º and break downºª their images,º and cut downºª their groves,º and burnºª their graven imagesº with fire.º

for the holiness of the people,

6 For² thou² [art] an holyº peopleº unto the LORDº thy God:º the LORDº thy Godº hath chosenºª thee to be² a specialº peopleº unto himself, above all²² peopleº that² [are] upon² the faceº of the earth.º 7 The LORDº did not² set his loveºª upon you, nor chooseºª you, because ye were more¹ in number²² than any²² people;º for² ye² [were] the fewestº of all²² people:º 8 But² because the LORDº lovedº² you, and because he would keepºª²² the oathº which² he had swornºª unto your fathers,º hath the LORDº brought you outºª² with a mightyº hand,º and redeemedºª you out of the houseº² of bondmen,º from the handº² of Pharaohº kingº of Egypt.º

for the nature of God in his mercy and justice,

9 Knowºª therefore that² the LORDº thy God,º he² [is] God,º the faithfulºª God,º which keepethºª covenantº and mercyº with them that loveºª him and keepºª his commandmentsº to a thousandº generations;º 10 And repayethºª them that hateºª him to² their face,º to destroyºª them: he will not² be slackºª to him that hatethºª him, he will repayºª him to² his face.º 11 Thou shalt therefore keepºª² the commandments,º and the statutes,º and the judgments,º which² I² commandºª thee this day,º to doºª them.

12 ¶ Wherefore it shall come to pass,² ifº ye hearkenºª² to these² judgments,º and keep,ºª and doºª them, that the LORDº thy Godº shall keepºª unto thee² the covenantº and the mercyº which² he swareºª unto thy fathers:º 13 And he will loveºª thee, and blessºª thee, and multiplyºª thee: he will also blessºª the fruitº of thy womb,º and the fruitº of thy land,º thy corn,º and thy wine,º and thine oil,º the increaseº of thy kine,º and the flocksº of thy sheep,º in² the landº which² he swareºª unto thy fathersº to giveºª thee. 14 Thou shalt be² blessedºª above all²² people:º there shall not² be² maleº or female barrenº among you, or among your cattle.º 15 And the LORDº will take awayºª from² thee all² sickness,º and will putºª none²² of the evilº diseasesº of Egypt,º which² thou knowest,ºª upon thee; but will layºª them upon all² [them] that hate¹ª² thee. 16 And thou shalt consumeºª² all² the peopleº which² the LORDº thy Godº shall deliverºª thee; thine eyeº shall have no pityºª² upon² them: neither² shalt thou serveºª² their gods;º for² that² [will be] a snareº unto thee.

for the assuredness of victory which God will give over them.

17 If² thou shalt sayºª in thine heart,º These² nationsº [are] moreº than² I; howº canºª I dispossessºª them? 18 Thou shalt not² be afraidºª of² them: [but] shalt well¹ª rememberºª² what² the LORDº thy Godº didºª unto Pharaoh,º and unto all² Egypt;º 19 The greatº temptationsº which² thine eyesº saw,ºª and the signs,º and the wonders,º and the mightyº hand,º and the stretched outºª arm,º whereby² the LORDº thy Godº brought thee out:ºª so² shall the LORDº thy Godº doºª unto all² the peopleº of whom² thou² art afraid.º¹²² 20 Moreover² the LORDº thy Godº will sendºª² the hornetº among them, until² they that are left,ºª and hide¹ª themselves² fromº² thee, be destroyed.ºª 21 Thou shalt not² be affrightedºª atº² them: for² the LORDº thy Godº [is] amongº you, a mightyº Godº and terrible.ºª 22 And the LORDº thy Godº will put outºª² thoseº nationsº beforeº² thee by littleº and little:º thou mayestºª not² consumeºª them at once,º lest² the beastsº of the fieldº increaseºª upon² thee. 23 But the LORDº thy Godº shall deliverºª them unto² thee,¹ and shall destroyºª them with a mightyº destruction,º until² they be destroyed.ºª 24 And he shall deliverºª their kingsº into thine hand,º and thou shalt destroyºª² their nameº from under²² heaven:º there shall no² manº be able to standºª beforeº thee, until² thou have destroyedºª them. 25 The graven imagesº of their godsº shall ye burnºª with fire:º thou shalt not² desireºª the silverº or goldº [that is] on² them, nor takeºª [it] unto thee, lest² thou be snaredºª therein: for² it² [is] an abominationº to the LORDº thy God.º 26 Neither² shalt thou bringºª an abominationº into² thine house,º lest thou be² a cursed thingº like it:² [but] thou shalt utterly¹ª detestºª it, and thou shalt utterly¹ª abhorºª it; for² it² [is] a cursed thing.º