< Deuteronomy 4 >

1 And now, O Israel, hear the commandments and judgments which I teach thee: that doing them, thou mayst live, and entering in mayst possess the land which the Lord the God of your fathers will give you.
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do [them], that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.
2 You shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it: keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [aught] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
3 Your eyes have seen all that the Lord hath done against Beelphegor, how he hath destroyed all his worshippers from among you.
Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.
4 But you that adhere to the Lord your God, are all alive until this present day.
But ye who adhered to the LORD your God, [are] alive every one of you this day.
5 You know that I have taught you statutes and justices, as the Lord my God hath commanded me: so shall you do them in the land which you shall possess:
Behold, I have taught you statutes, and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
6 And you shall observe, and fulfill them in practice. For this is your wisdom, and understanding in the sight of nations, that hearing all these precepts, they may say: Behold a wise and understanding people, a great nation.
Keep therefore and do [them]; for this [is] your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which will hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation [is] a wise and understanding people.
7 Neither is there any other nation so great, that hath gods so nigh them, as our God is present to all our petitions.
For what nation [is there so] great, which [hath] God [so] nigh to them, as the LORD our God [is] in all [things that] we call upon him [for]?
8 For what other nation is there so renowned that hath ceremonies, and just judgments, and all the law, which I will set forth this day before your eyes?
And what nation [is there so] great, that hath statutes and judgments [so] righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
9 Keep thyself therefore, and thy soul carefully. Forget not the words that thy eyes have seen, and let them not go out of thy heart all the days of thy life. Thou shalt teach them to thy sons and to thy grandsons,
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou shouldst forget the things which thy eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them to thy sons, and thy sons' sons:
10 From the day in which thou didst stand before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord spoke to me, saying: Call together the people unto me, that they may hear my words, and may learn to fear me all the time that they live on the earth, and may teach their children.
[Specially] the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, Assemble the people to me, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and [that] they may teach their children.
11 And you came to the foot of the mount, which burned even unto heaven: and there was darkness, and a cloud and obscurity in it.
And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
12 And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of his words, but you saw not any form at all.
And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only [ye heard] a voice.
13 And he shewed you his covenant, which he commanded you to do, and the ten words that he wrote in two tables of stone.
And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, [even] ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
14 And he commanded me at that time that I should teach you the ceremonies and judgments which you shall do in the land, that you shall possess.
And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
15 Keep therefore your souls carefully. You saw not any similitude in the day that the Lord God spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire:
Take ye therefore good heed to yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day [that] the LORD spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire;
16 Lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female,
Lest ye corrupt [yourselves], and make to you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 The similitude of any beasts, that are upon the earth, or of birds, that fly under heaven,
The likeness of any beast that [is] on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
18 Or of creeping things, that move on the earth, or of fishes, that abide in the waters under the earth:
The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that [is] in the waters beneath the earth:
19 Lest perhaps lifting up thy eyes to heaven, thou see the sun and the moon, and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error thou adore and serve them, which the Lord thy God created for the service of all the nations, that are under heaven.
And lest thou shouldst lift up thy eyes to heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, [even] all the host of heaven, shouldst be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided to all nations under the whole heaven.
20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace of Egypt, to make you his people of inheritance, as it is this present day.
But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, [even] from Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as [ye are] this day.
21 And the Lord was angry with me for your words, and he swore that I should not pass over the Jordan, nor enter into the excellent land, which he will give you.
Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not enter that good land which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance:
22 Behold I die in this land, I shall not pass over the Jordan: you shall pass, and possess the goodly land.
But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.
23 Beware lest thou ever forget the covenant of the Lord thy God, which he hath made with thee: and make to thyself a graven likeness of those things which the Lord hath forbid to be made:
Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing] which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
24 Because the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God.
25 If you shall beget sons and grandsons, and abide in the land, and being deceived, make to yourselves any similitude, committing evil before the Lord your God, to provoke him to wrath:
When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt [yourselves], and make a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
26 I call this day heaven and earth to witness, that you shall quickly perish out of the land, which, when you have passed over the Jordan, you shall possess. You shall not dwell therein long, but the Lord will destroy you,
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from the land to which ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong [your] days upon it, but shall be utterly destroyed.
27 And scatter you among all nations, and you shall remain a few among the nations, to which the Lord shall lead you.
And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
28 And there you shall serve gods, that were framed with men’s hands: wood and stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 And when thou shalt seek there the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him: yet so, if thou seek him with all thy heart, and all the affliction of thy soul.
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou shalt seek him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.
30 After all the things aforesaid shall and thee, in the latter time thou shalt return to the Lord thy God, and shalt hear his voice.
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things have come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou shalt turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient to his voice;
31 Because the Lord thy God is a merciful God: he will not leave thee, nor altogether destroy thee, nor forget the covenant, by which he swore to thy fathers.
(For the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God; ) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers, which he swore to them.
32 Ask of the days of old, that have been before thy time from the day that God created man upon the earth, from one end of heaven to the other end thereof, if ever there was done the like thing, or it hath been known at any time,
For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and [ask] from the one side of heaven to the other, whether there hath been [any such thing] as this great thing [is], or hath been heard like it?
33 That a people should hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire, as thou hast heard, and lived:
Did [ever] people hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
34 If God ever did so as to go, and take to himself a nation out of the midst of nations by temptations, signs, and wonders, by fight, and a strong hand, and stretched out arm, and horrible visions according to all the things that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, before thy eyes.
Or hath God essayed to go [and] take him a nation from the midst of [another] nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an out-stretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
35 That thou mightest know that the Lord he is God, and there is no other besides him.
To thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none besides him.
36 From heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might teach thee. And upon earth he shewed thee his exceeding great fire, and thou didst hear his words out of the midst of the fire,
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee; and upon earth he showed thee his great fire; and thou heardst his words from the midst of the fire.
37 Because he loved thy fathers, and chose their seed after them. And he brought thee out of Egypt, going before thee with his great power,
And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out of Egypt in his sight with his mighty power.
38 To destroy at thy coming very great nations, and stronger than thou art, and to bring thee in, and give thee their land for a possession, as thou seest at this present day.
To drive out nations from before thee, greater and mightier than thou [art], to bring thee in, to give thee their land [for] an inheritance, as [it is] this day.
39 Know therefore this day, and think in thy heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, and there is no other.
Know therefore this day, and consider [it] in thy heart, that the LORD he [is] God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: [there is] none else.
40 Keep his precepts and commandments, which I command thee: that it may be well with thee, and thy children after thee, and thou mayst remain a long time upon the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee.
Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes and his commandments which I command thee this day, that it may be well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong [thy] days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.
41 Then Moses set aside three cities beyond the Jordan at the east side,
Then Moses set apart three cities on the side of Jordan, towards the sun-rising;
42 That any one might flee to them who should kill his neighbour unwillingly, and was not his enemy a day or two before, and that he might escape to some one of these cities:
That the slayer might flee thither, who should kill his neighbor unawares, and when he had not hated him in times past; and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:
43 Bosor in the wilderness, which is situate in the plains of the tribe of Ruben: and Ramoth in Galaad, which is in the tribe of Gad: and Golan in Basan, which is in the tribe of Manasses.
[Namely], Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.
44 This is the law, that Moses set before the children of Israel,
And this [is] the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
45 And these are the testimonies and ceremonies and judgments, which he spoke to the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt,
These [are] the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, after they came forth from Egypt,
46 Beyond the Jordan in the valley over against the temple of Phogor, in the land of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, that dwelt in Hesebon, whom Moses slew. And the children of Israel coming out of Egypt,
On the east side of Jordan, in the valley over against Beth-Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they had come forth from Egypt:
47 Possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Basan, of the two kings of the Amorrhites, who were beyond the Jordan towards the rising of the sun:
And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who [were] on the side of Jordan, towards the sun-rising;
48 From Aroer, which is situate upon the bank of the torrent Amen, unto mount Sion, which is also called Hermon,
From Aroer, which [is] by the bank of the river Arnon, even to mount Sion, which [is] Hermon,
49 All the plain beyond the Jordan at the east side, unto the see of the wilderness, and unto the foot of mount Phasga.
And all the plain on the side of Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.

< Deuteronomy 4 >