Deuteronomy 28

1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth:

It shall happen, if you shall sh'ma ·hear obey· sh'ma ·hear obey· Adonai your God’s voice, to observe to do all his mitzvot ·instructions· which I enjoin you today, that Adonai your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

2 and all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God.

All these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you, if you sh'ma ·hear obey· Adonai your God’s voice.

3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.

4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy beasts, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock.

You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock.

5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough.

Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed.

6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out.

7 Jehovah will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways.

Adonai will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways.

8 Jehovah will command the blessing upon thee in thy barns, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto; and he will bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.

Adonai will enjoin the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to. He will bless you in the land which Adonai your God gives you.

9 Jehovah will establish thee for a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, and walk in his ways.

Adonai will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you shall keep the mitzvot ·instructions· of Adonai your God, and walk in his ways.

10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of Jehovah; and they shall be afraid of thee.

All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by Adonai’s name, and they will be afraid of you.

11 And Jehovah will make thee plenteous for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Adonai will grant you abundant prosperity, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Adonai swore to your fathers to give you.

12 Jehovah will open unto thee his good treasure the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Adonai will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow.

13 And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do [them],

Adonai will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath; if you sh'ma ·hear obey· the mitzvot ·instructions· of Adonai your God, which I enjoin you today, to observe and to do,

14 and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I enjoin you today, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other deities to abad ·serve· them.

15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.

But it shall come to pass, if you will not sh'ma ·hear obey· Adonai your God’s voice, to observe to do all his mitzvot ·instructions· and his statutes which I enjoin you today, that all these curses will come on you, and overtake you.

16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field.

17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.

18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock.

The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed.

19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

You will be cursed when you come in, and you will be cursed when you go out.

20 Jehovah will send upon thee cursing, discomfiture, and rebuke, in all that thou puttest thy hand unto to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the evil of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

Adonai will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke, in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed, and until you perish quickly; because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me.

21 Jehovah will make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest in to possess it.

Adonai will make the pestilence cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land, where you go in to possess it.

22 Jehovah will smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with fiery heat, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

Adonai will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with tzara'at mildew. They will pursue you until you perish.

23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

Your sky that is over your head will be bronze, and the earth that is under you will be iron.

24 Jehovah will make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

Adonai will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky, until you are destroyed.

25 Jehovah will cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them, and shalt flee seven ways before them: and thou shalt be tossed to and from among all the kingdoms of the earth.

Adonai will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and will flee seven ways before them. You will be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.

26 And thy dead body shall be food unto all birds of the heavens, and unto the beasts of the earth; and there shall be none to frighten them away.

Your dead body will be food to all birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth; and there will be no one to frighten them away.

27 Jehovah will smite thee with the boil of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scurvy, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

Adonai will strike you with the boils of Egypt [Abode of slavery], with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you cannot be healed.

28 Jehovah will smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart;

Adonai will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart.

29 and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and robbed alway, and there shall be none to save thee.

You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you.

30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not use the fruit thereof.

You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit.

31 Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to save thee.

Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.

32 Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people; and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day: and there shall be nought in the power of thy hand.

Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look, and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand.

33 The fruit of thy ground, and all thy labors, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway;

A nation which you don’t know eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always;

34 so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

so that the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad.

35 Jehovah will smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore boil, whereof thou canst not be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the crown of thy head.

Adonai will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil, of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.

36 Jehovah will bring thee, and thy king whom thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation that thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.

Adonai will bring you, and your king whom you will set over yourselves, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers. There you will abad ·serve· other deities of wood and stone.

37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all the peoples whither Jehovah shall lead thee away.

You will become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where Adonai will lead you away.

38 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in; for the locust shall consume it.

You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in; for the locust will consume it.

39 Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress them, but thou shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather [the grapes]; for the worm shall eat them.

You will plant vineyards and dress them, but you will neither drink of the wine, nor harvest, because worms will eat them.

40 Thou shalt have olive-trees throughout all thy borders, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast [its fruit].

You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives will drop off.

41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be thine; for they shall go into captivity.

You will father sons and daughters, but they will not be yours; for they will go into captivity.

42 All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.

Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground.

43 The sojourner that is in the midst of thee shall mount up above thee higher and higher; and thou shalt come down lower and lower.

The foreigner who is among you will mount up above you higher and higher, and you will come down lower and lower.

44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.

He will lend to you, and you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.

45 And all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:

All these curses will come on you, and will pursue you, and overtake you, until you are destroyed; because you didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey· Adonai your God’s voice, to keep his mitzvot ·instructions· and his statutes which he enjoined you.

46 and they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.

They will be for a sign and for a wonder to you and to your offspring forever.

47 Because thou servedst not Jehovah thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things;

Because you didn’t abad ·serve· Adonai your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things;

48 therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies that Jehovah shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

therefore you will abad ·serve· your enemies whom Adonai sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck, until he has destroyed you.

49 Jehovah will bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

Adonai will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies; a nation whose language you will not sh'ma ·hear understand obey·;

50 a nation of fierce countenance, that shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young,

a nation of fierce facial expressions, that does not respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young,

51 and shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy ground, until thou be destroyed; that also shall not leave thee grain, new wine, or oil, the increase of thy cattle, or the young of thy flock, until they have caused thee to perish.

and they will eat the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also won’t leave you grain, new wine, or oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.

52 And they shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fortified walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land; and they shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which Jehovah thy God hath given thee.

They will besiege you in all your gates, until your high and fortified walls come down, in which you trusted, throughout all your land. They will besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land, which Adonai your God has given you.

53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, whom Jehovah thy God hath given thee, in the siege and in the distress wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee.

You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Adonai your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you.

54 The man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children whom he hath remaining;

The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye will be evil toward his brother, toward the wife whom he loves, and toward the remnant of his children whom he has remaining;

55 so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat, because he hath nothing left him, in the siege and in the distress wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in all thy gates.

so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left to him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in all your gates.

56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,

The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil toward the husband that she loves, toward her son, toward her daughter,

57 and toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly, in the siege and in the distress wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates.

58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, JEHOVAH THY GOD;

If you will not observe to do all the words of this Torah ·Teaching· that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, Yahweh Eloheinu ·He sustains breathing Your God·;

59 then Jehovah will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

then Adonai will make your plagues fearful, and the plagues of your offspring, even great plagues, and of long duration, and severe sicknesses, and of long duration.

60 And he will bring upon thee again all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.

He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt [Abode of slavery], which you were afraid of; and they will cling to you.

61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will Jehovah bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in the book of this Torah ·Teaching·, Adonai will bring them on you, until you are destroyed.

62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God.

You will be left few in number, even though you were as the stars of the sky for multitude; because you didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey· Adonai your God’s voice.

63 And it shall come to pass, that, as Jehovah rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Jehovah will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest in to possess it.

It will happen that as Adonai rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Adonai will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you. You will be plucked from off of the land where you go in to possess it.

64 And Jehovah will scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers, even wood and stone.

Adonai will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. There you will abad ·serve· other deities, which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone.

65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of thy foot: but Jehovah will give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul;

Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Adonai will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul.

66 and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear night and day, and shalt have no assurance of thy life.

Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day, and will have no assurance of your life.

67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would it were morning! for the fear of thy heart which thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

In the morning you will say, “I wish it were evening!” and at evening you will say, “I wish it were morning!” for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see.

68 And Jehovah will bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall sell yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

Adonai will bring you into Egypt [Abode of slavery] again with ships, by the way of which I told to you that you would never see it again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you.