Deuteronomy 4
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1Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.1"Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
2Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.2You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the LORD your God I am giving you.
3You saw with your own eyes what the LORD did at Baal Peor. The LORD your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor,3Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed every one of you who followed Baal of Peor.
4but all of you who held fast to the LORD your God are still alive today.4But you who have remained faithful to the LORD your God are all alive today.
5See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it.5Look, I have taught you statutes and ordinances as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to possess.
6Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."6Carefully follow them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, 'This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people.'
7What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?7For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call to him?
8And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?8And what great nation has righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?
9Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.9"Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don't forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don't slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
10Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children."10The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people before me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days they live on the earth and may instruct their children.'
11You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.11You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire into the heavens and enveloped in a totally black cloud.
12Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.12Then the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You kept hearing the sound of the words, but didn't see a form; there was only a voice.
13He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.13He declared his covenant to you. He commanded you to follow the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets.
14And the LORD directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.14At that time the LORD commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to follow in the land you are about to cross into and possess.
15You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,15"Diligently watch yourselves--because you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb--
16so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,16so you don't act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of any figure: a male or female form,
17or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,17or the form of any animal on the earth, any winged creature that flies in the sky,
18or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below.18any creature that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the waters under the earth.
19And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars--all the heavenly array--do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.19When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars--all the stars in the sky--do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them. The LORD your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.
20But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.20But the LORD selected you and brought you out of Egypt's iron furnace to be a people for his inheritance, as you are today.
21The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance.21"The LORD was angry with me on your account. He swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
22I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.22I won't be crossing the Jordan because I am going to die in this land. But you are about to cross over and take possession of this good land.
23Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden.23Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you, and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of anything he has forbidden you.
24For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.24For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time--if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and arousing his anger,25"When you have children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, and if you act corruptly, make an idol in the form of anything, and do what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, angering him,
26I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.26I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will quickly perish from the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not live long there, but you will certainly be destroyed.
27The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.27The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be reduced to a few survivors among the nations where the LORD your God will drive you.
28There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.28There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see, hear, eat, or smell.
29But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.29But from there, you will search for the LORD your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.
30When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.30When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, in the future you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.
31For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.31He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them by oath, because the LORD your God is a compassionate God.
32Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?32"Indeed, ask about the earlier days that preceded you, from the day God created mankind on the earth and from one end of the heavens to the other: Has anything like this great event ever happened, or has anything like it been heard of?
33Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?33Has a people heard God's voice speaking from the fire as you have, and lived?
34Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?34Or has a god attempted to go and take a nation as his own out of another nation, by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
35You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.35You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him.
36From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.36He let you hear his voice from heaven to instruct you. He showed you his great fire on earth, and you heard his words from the fire.
37Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,37Because he loved your fathers, he chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by his presence and great power,
38to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.38to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you in and give you their land as an inheritance, as is now taking place.
39Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.39Today, recognize and keep in mind that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.
40Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.40Keep his statutes and commands, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper and so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time."
41Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan,41Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east.
42to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if they had unintentionally killed a neighbor without malice aforethought. They could flee into one of these cities and save their life.42Someone could flee there who committed manslaughter, killing his neighbor accidentally without previously hating him. He could flee to one of these cities and stay alive:
43The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.43Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau land, belonging to the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead, belonging to the Gadites; or Golan in Bashan, belonging to the Manassites.
44This is the law Moses set before the Israelites.44This is the law Moses gave the Israelites.
45These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt45These are the decrees, statutes, and ordinances Moses proclaimed to them after they came out of Egypt,
46and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt.46across the Jordan in the valley facing Beth-peor in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites. He lived in Heshbon, and Moses and the Israelites defeated him after they came out of Egypt.
47They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan.47They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings who were across the Jordan to the east,
48This land extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon),48from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon)
49and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah.49and all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Dead Sea below the slopes of Pisgah.
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The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Deuteronomy 3
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