¹³ then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out^(A) these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares^(B) and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes,^(C) until you perish from this good land,^(D) which the Lord your God has given you.

²¹ I will no longer drive out^(A) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. ²² I will use them to test^(B) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” ²³ The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.^(C)