Chapter 9

Unmerited Success. ¹ Hear, O Israel! You are now about to cross the Jordan to enter in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than yourselves, having large cities fortified to the heavens,^{(A) 2} the Anakim, a people great and tall.^(B) You yourselves know of them and have heard it said of them, “Who can stand up against the Anakim?” ³ Know, then, today that it is the Lord, your God, who will cross over before you as a consuming fire; he it is who will destroy them and subdue them before you, so that you can dispossess and remove them quickly, as the Lord promised you.^(C)

²⁷ I will have the terror of me precede you, so that I will throw into panic every nation you reach.^(A) I will make all your enemies turn from you in flight, ²⁸ and ahead of you I will send hornets^[a] to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.

⁶ I will establish peace in the land, and you will lie down to rest with no one to cause you anxiety. I will rid the country of ravenous beasts, and no sword shall sweep across your land. ⁷ You will rout your enemies, and they shall fall before your sword. ⁸ Five of you will put a hundred of your foes to flight, and a hundred of you will put to flight ten thousand, till your enemies fall before your sword.^(A)