King James Bible
"As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God."
Moses warns Israel by pointing to the Canaanite nations being conquered and destroyed as they enter the Promised Land. This vivid example serves as a sobering reminder that God's judgment is not limited to pagans but extends to any who rebel against Him. The same fate awaiting the idolatrous nations will befall Israel if they follow their path. This stark warning emphasizes that covenant relationship with God offers no immunity from judgment when His people abandon their calling. Disobedience to God's revealed will becomes the determining factor for destruction, not ethnicity or covenant status. The phrase 'voice of the LORD' recalls the personal nature of God's commands given at Sinai and through Moses, making rebellion a deliberate rejection of direct divine instruction.