We will be innocent if we carefully keep all these commandments<n id="1" /> before the <sc>Lordsc> our God, just as he demands.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Understand, therefore, that it is not because of your righteousness that the <sc>Lordsc> your God is about to give you this good land as a possession, for you are a stubborn<n id="1" /> people!p>

You must by all means<n id="1" /> return to him at sunset the item he gave you as security so that he may sleep in his outer garment and bless you for it; it will be considered a just<n id="2" /> deed by the <sc>Lordsc> your God.p>

<p class="poetry">He has selected the best part for himself,p> <p class="poetry">for the portion of the ruler<n id="1" /> is set aside<n id="2" /> there;p> <p class="poetry">he came with the leaders<n id="3" /> of the people,p> <p class="poetry">he obeyed the righteous laws of the <sc>Lordsc>p> <p class="poetry">and his ordinances with Israel.p>

Do not think to yourself after the <sc>Lordsc> your God has driven them out before you, &#8220;Because of my own righteousness the <sc>Lordsc> has brought me here to possess this land.&#8221; It is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out ahead of you.

It is not because of your righteousness, or even your inner uprightness,<n id="1" /> that you have come here to possess their land. Instead, because of the wickedness of these nations the <sc>Lordsc> your God is driving them out ahead of you in order to confirm the promise he<n id="2" /> made on oath to your ancestors,<n id="3" /> to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.