Category: Deuteronomy

Introduction to Moses’ First Address

1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valleynear Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.

2 Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinaito Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.

3 But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month,Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything theLordhad commanded him to say.

4 This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

5 While the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully explained theLord’s instructions as follows.

The Command to Leave Sinai

6 “When we were at Mount Sinai, theLordour God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough.

7 It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills,the Negev, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, and all the way to the great Euphrates River.

8 Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land theLordswore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’”

Moses Appoints Leaders from Each Tribe

9 Moses continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself.

10 TheLordyour God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars!

11 And may theLord, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised!

12 But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering?

13 Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

14 “Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’

15 So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.

16 “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions

17 and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’

18 “At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do.

Scouts Explore the Land

19 “Then, just as theLordour God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness, as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amorites. When we arrived at Kadesh-barnea,

20 I said to you, ‘You have now reached the hill country of the Amorites that theLordour God is giving us.

21 Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as theLord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’

22 “But you all came to me and said, ‘First, let’s send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.’

23 “This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose twelve scouts, one from each of your tribes.

24 They headed for the hill country and came to the valley of Eshcol and explored it.

25 They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, ‘The land theLordour God has given us is indeed a good land.’

Israel’s Rebellion against the Lord

26 “But you rebelled against the command of theLordyour God and refused to go in.

27 You complained in your tents and said, ‘TheLordmust hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered.

28 Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’

29 “But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them!

30 TheLordyour God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.

31 And you saw how theLordyour God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’

32 “But even after all he did, you refused to trust theLordyour God,

33 who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

34 “When theLordheard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly swore,

35 ‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,

36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed theLordcompletely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’

37 “And theLordwas also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land!

38 Instead, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Israel as they take possession of it.

39 I will give the land to your little ones—your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it.

40 As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.’

41 “Then you confessed, ‘We have sinned against theLord! We will go into the land and fight for it, as theLordour God has commanded us.’ So your men strapped on their weapons, thinking it would be easy to attack the hill country.

42 “But theLordtold me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’

43 “This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against theLord’s command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight.

44 But the Amorites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Seir to Hormah.

45 Then you returned and wept before theLord, but he refused to listen.

46 So you stayed there at Kadesh for a long time.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/1-cf4055ca70e1983834faa4eeda5e6c01.mp3?version_id=116—

Remembering Israel’s Wanderings

1 “Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea,just as theLordhad instructed me, and we wandered around in the region of Mount Seir for a long time.

2 “Then at last theLordsaid to me,

3 ‘You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north.

4 Give these orders to the people: “You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful.

5 Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land.

6 If you need food to eat or water to drink, pay them for it.

7 For theLordyour God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, theLordyour God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”’

8 “So we bypassed the territory of our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We avoided the road through the Arabah Valley that comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber.

“Then as we turned north along the desert route through Moab,

9 theLordwarned us, ‘Do not bother the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, or start a war with them. I have given them Ar as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”

10 (A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants.

11 Both the Emites and the Anakites are also known as the Rephaites, though the Moabites call them Emites.

12 In earlier times the Horites had lived in Seir, but they were driven out and displaced by the descendants of Esau, just as Israel drove out the people of Canaan when theLordgave Israel their land.)

13 Moses continued, “Then theLordsaid to us, ‘Get moving. Cross the Zered Brook.’ So we crossed the brook.

14 “Thirty-eight years passed from the time we first left Kadesh-barnea until we finally crossed the Zered Brook! By then, all the men old enough to fight in battle had died in the wilderness, as theLordhad vowed would happen.

15 TheLordstruck them down until they had all been eliminated from the community.

16 “When all the men of fighting age had died,

17 theLordsaid to me,

18 ‘Today you will cross the border of Moab at Ar

19 and enter the land of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot. But do not bother them or start a war with them. I have given the land of Ammon to them as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”

20 (That area was once considered the land of the Rephaites, who had lived there, though the Ammonites call them Zamzummites.

21 They were also as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites. But theLorddestroyed them so the Ammonites could occupy their land.

22 He had done the same for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, for he destroyed the Horites so they could settle there in their place. The descendants of Esau live there to this day.

23 A similar thing happened when the Caphtorites from Creteinvaded and destroyed the Avvites, who had lived in villages in the area of Gaza.)

24 Moses continued, “Then theLordsaid, ‘Now get moving! Cross the Arnon Gorge. Look, I will hand over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and I will give you his land. Attack him and begin to occupy the land.

25 Beginning today I will make people throughout the earth terrified because of you. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble with dread and fear.’”

Victory over Sihon of Heshbon

26 Moses continued, “From the wilderness of Kedemoth I sent ambassadors to King Sihon of Heshbon with this proposal of peace:

27 ‘Let us travel through your land. We will stay on the main road and won’t turn off into the fields on either side.

28 Sell us food to eat and water to drink, and we will pay for it. All we want is permission to pass through your land.

29 The descendants of Esau who live in Seir allowed us to go through their country, and so did the Moabites, who live in Ar. Let us pass through until we cross the Jordan into the land theLordour God is giving us.’

30 “But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to allow us to pass through, because theLordyour God made Sihon stubborn and defiant so he could help you defeat him, as he has now done.

31 “Then theLordsaid to me, ‘Look, I have begun to hand King Sihon and his land over to you. Begin now to conquer and occupy his land.’

32 “Then King Sihon declared war on us and mobilized his forces at Jahaz.

33 But theLordour God handed him over to us, and we crushed him, his sons, and all his people.

34 We conquered all his towns and completely destroyedeveryone—men, women, and children. Not a single person was spared.

35 We took all the livestock as plunder for ourselves, along with anything of value from the towns we ransacked.

36 “TheLordour God also helped us conquer Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and the town in the gorge, and the whole area as far as Gilead. No town had walls too strong for us.

37 However, we avoided the land of the Ammonites all along the Jabbok River and the towns in the hill country—all the places theLordour God had commanded us to leave alone.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/2-78a2daf7c0e3c24e1ac2b2f044e5e146.mp3?version_id=116—

Victory over Og of Bashan

1 “Next we turned and headed for the land of Bashan, where King Og and his entire army attacked us at Edrei.

2 But theLordtold me, ‘Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory over Og and his entire army, and I will give you all his land. Treat him just as you treated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.’

3 “So theLordour God handed King Og and all his people over to us, and we killed them all. Not a single person survived.

4 We conquered all sixty of his towns—the entire Argob region in his kingdom of Bashan. Not a single town escaped our conquest.

5 These towns were all fortified with high walls and barred gates. We also took many unwalled villages at the same time.

6 We completely destroyedthe kingdom of Bashan, just as we had destroyed King Sihon of Heshbon. We destroyed all the people in every town we conquered—men, women, and children alike.

7 But we kept all the livestock for ourselves and took plunder from all the towns.

8 “So we took the land of the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River—all the way from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon.

9 (Mount Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians, and the Amorites call it Senir.)

10 We had now conquered all the cities on the plateau and all Gilead and Bashan, as far as the towns of Salecah and Edrei, which were part of Og’s kingdom in Bashan.

11 (King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide.It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)

Land Division East of the Jordan

12 “When we took possession of this land, I gave to the tribes of Reuben and Gad the territory beyond Aroer along the Arnon Gorge, plus half of the hill country of Gilead with its towns.

13 Then I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan—Og’s former kingdom—to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (This entire Argob region of Bashan used to be known as the land of the Rephaites.

14 Jair, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh, conquered the whole Argob region in Bashan, all the way to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. Jair renamed this region after himself, calling it the Towns of Jair,as it is still known today.)

15 I gave Gilead to the clan of Makir.

16 But I also gave part of Gilead to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The area I gave them extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge in the south to the Jabbok River on the Ammonite frontier.

17 They also received the Jordan Valley, all the way from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea,with the Jordan River serving as the western boundary. To the east were the slopes of Pisgah.

18 “At that time I gave this command to the tribes that would live east of the Jordan: ‘Although theLordyour God has given you this land as your property, all your fighting men must cross the Jordan ahead of your Israelite relatives, armed and ready to assist them.

19 Your wives, children, and numerous livestock, however, may stay behind in the towns I have given you.

20 When theLordhas given security to the rest of the Israelites, as he has to you, and when they occupy the land theLordyour God is giving them across the Jordan River, then you may all return here to the land I have given you.’

Moses Forbidden to Enter the Land

21 “At that time I gave Joshua this charge: ‘You have seen for yourself everything theLordyour God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan.

22 Do not be afraid of the nations there, for theLordyour God will fight for you.’

23 “At that time I pleaded with theLordand said,

24 ‘O SovereignLord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do?

25 Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’

26 “But theLordwas angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more.

27 But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River.

28 Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.’

29 So we stayed in the valley near Beth-peor.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/3-990aaccec8dab29f6d6193631dcef747.mp3?version_id=116—

Moses Urges Israel to Obey

1 “And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that theLord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.

2 Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of theLordyour God that I am giving you.

3 “You saw for yourself what theLorddid to you at Baal-peor. There theLordyour God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor.

4 But all of you who were faithful to theLordyour God are still alive today—every one of you.

5 “Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as theLordmy God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

6 Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’

7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as theLordour God is near to us whenever we call on him?

8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?

9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

10 Never forget the day when you stood before theLordyour God at Mount Sinai,where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’

11 “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness.

12 And theLordspoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice.

13 He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets.

14 It was at that time that theLordcommanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

A Warning against Idolatry

15 “But be very careful! You did not see theLord’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai.

16 So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman,

17 an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky,

18 a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea.

19 And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. TheLordyour God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.

20 Remember that theLordrescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.

21 “But theLordwas angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land theLordyour God is giving you as your special possession.

22 You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not. Instead, I will die here on the east side of the river.

23 So be careful not to break the covenant theLordyour God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for theLordyour God has forbidden this.

24 TheLordyour God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.

25 “In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols of any kind. This is evil in the sight of theLordyour God and will arouse his anger.

26 “Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against you. If you break my covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will live there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed.

27 For theLordwill scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive.

28 There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

29 But from there you will search again for theLordyour God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.

30 “In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to theLordyour God and listen to what he tells you.

31 For theLordyour God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.

There Is Only One God

32 “Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?

33 Has any nation ever heard the voice of Godspeaking from fire—as you did—and survived?

34 Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what theLordyour God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.

35 “He showed you these things so you would know that theLordis God and there is no other.

36 He let you hear his voice from heaven so he could instruct you. He let you see his great fire here on earth so he could speak to you from it.

37 Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power.

38 He drove out nations far greater than you, so he could bring you in and give you their land as your special possession, as it is today.

39 “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: TheLordis God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

40 If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land theLordyour God is giving you for all time.”

Eastern Cities of Refuge

41 Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River.

42 Anyone who killed another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, could flee there to live in safety.

43 These were the cities: Bezer on the wilderness plateau for the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad; Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh.

Introduction to Moses’ Second Address

44 This is the body of instruction that Moses presented to the Israelites.

45 These are the laws, decrees, and regulations that Moses gave to the people of Israel when they left Egypt,

46 and as they camped in the valley near Beth-peor east of the Jordan River. (This land was formerly occupied by the Amorites under King Sihon, who ruled from Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites destroyed him and his people when they came up from Egypt.

47 Israel took possession of his land and that of King Og of Bashan—the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan.

48 So Israel conquered the entire area from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge all the way to Mount Sirion,also called Mount Hermon.

49 And they conquered the eastern bank of the Jordan River as far south as the Dead Sea,below the slopes of Pisgah.)

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/4-7919fe58a46955b10232ba8f4854d4ed.mp3?version_id=116—

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community

1 Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, “Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them!

2 “TheLordour God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai.

3 TheLorddid not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today.

4 At the mountain theLordspoke to you face to face from the heart of the fire.

5 I stood as an intermediary between you and theLord, for you were afraid of the fire and did not want to approach the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said:

6 “I am theLordyour God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

7 “You must not have any other god but me.

8 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

9 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, theLordyour God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.

10 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on thosewho love me and obey my commands.

11 “You must not misuse the name of theLordyour God. TheLordwill not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as theLordyour God has commanded you.

13 You have six days each week for your ordinary work,

14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to theLordyour God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do.

15 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but theLordyour God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why theLordyour God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.

16 “Honor your father and mother, as theLordyour God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land theLordyour God is giving you.

17 “You must not murder.

18 “You must not commit adultery.

19 “You must not steal.

20 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

21 “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

22 “TheLordspoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

23 “But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me.

24 They said, ‘Look, theLordour God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live!

25 But now, why should we risk death again? If theLordour God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire.

26 Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive?

27 Go yourself and listen to what theLordour God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’

28 “TheLordheard the request you made to me. And he said, ‘I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right.

29 Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.

30 Go and tell them, “Return to your tents.”

31 But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.’”

32 So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of theLordyour God, following his instructions in every detail.

33 Stay on the path that theLordyour God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/5-fc3033891c669eb7558b180c9e9e3723.mp3?version_id=116—

A Call for Wholehearted Commitment

1 “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that theLordyour God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy,

2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear theLordyour God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.

3 Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as theLord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

4 “Listen, O Israel! TheLordis our God, theLordalone.

5 And you must love theLordyour God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.

9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

10 “TheLordyour God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build.

11 The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land,

12 be careful not to forget theLord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

13 You must fear theLordyour God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.

14 “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations,

15 for theLordyour God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth.

16 You must not test theLordyour God as you did when you complained at Massah.

17 You must diligently obey the commands of theLordyour God—all the laws and decrees he has given you.

18 Do what is right and good in theLord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that theLordswore to give your ancestors.

19 You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as theLordsaid you would.

20 “In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that theLordour God has commanded us to obey?’

21 “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but theLordbrought us out of Egypt with his strong hand.

22 TheLorddid miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people.

23 He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors.

24 And theLordour God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day.

25 For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands theLordour God has given us.’

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/6-c53d68c556001f6f1830168ca0ff3b4b.mp3?version_id=116—

The Privilege of Holiness

1 “When theLordyour God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.

2 When theLordyour God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroythem. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.

3 You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters,

4 for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of theLordwill burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.

5 This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.

6 For you are a holy people, who belong to theLordyour God. Of all the people on earth, theLordyour God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

7 “TheLorddid not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!

8 Rather, it was simply that theLordloves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why theLordrescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

9 Understand, therefore, that theLordyour God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

10 But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.

11 Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today.

12 “If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, theLordyour God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors.

13 He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats.

14 You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless, and all your livestock will bear young.

15 And theLordwill protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all your enemies!

16 “You must destroy all the nations theLordyour God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.

17 Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?’

18 But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what theLordyour God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt.

19 Remember the great terrors theLordyour God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. TheLordyour God will use this same power against all the people you fear.

20 And then theLordyour God will send terrorto drive out the few survivors still hiding from you!

21 “No, do not be afraid of those nations, for theLordyour God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.

22 TheLordyour God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you.

23 But theLordyour God will hand them over to you. He will throw them into complete confusion until they are destroyed.

24 He will put their kings in your power, and you will erase their names from the face of the earth. No one will be able to stand against you, and you will destroy them all.

25 “You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to theLordyour God.

26 Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/7-a1f0717283106d01c5b0feb6c69bff42.mp3?version_id=116—

A Call to Remember and Obey

1 “Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land theLordswore to give your ancestors.

2 Remember how theLordyour God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.

3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of theLord.

4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell.

5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, theLordyour God disciplines you for your own good.

6 “So obey the commands of theLordyour God by walking in his ways and fearing him.

7 For theLordyour God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills.

8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.

9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills.

10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise theLordyour God for the good land he has given you.

11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget theLordyour God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.

12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in,

13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful!

14 Do not become proud at that time and forget theLordyour God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock!

16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.

17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’

18 Remember theLordyour God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

19 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget theLordyour God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed.

20 Just as theLordhas destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey theLordyour God.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/8-aeaf10f9075102a16cae5cddd3714fdf.mp3?version_id=116—

Victory by God’s Grace

1 “Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!

2 The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’

3 But recognize today that theLordyour God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as theLordhas promised.

4 “After theLordyour God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘TheLordhas given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way.

5 It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. TheLordyour God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

6 You must recognize that theLordyour God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people.

Remembering the Gold Calf

7 “Remember and never forget how angry you made theLordyour God out in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until now, you have been constantly rebelling against him.

8 Even at Mount Sinaiyou made theLordso angry he was ready to destroy you.

9 This happened when I was on the mountain receiving the tablets of stone inscribed with the words of the covenant that theLordhad made with you. I was there for forty days and forty nights, and all that time I ate no food and drank no water.

10 TheLordgave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain.

11 “At the end of the forty days and nights, theLordhanded me the two stone tablets inscribed with the words of the covenant.

12 Then theLordsaid to me, ‘Get up! Go down immediately, for the people you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted gold and made an idol for themselves!’

13 “TheLordalso said to me, ‘I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are.

14 Leave me alone so I may destroy them and erase their name from under heaven. Then I will make a mighty nation of your descendants, a nation larger and more powerful than they are.’

15 “So while the mountain was blazing with fire I turned and came down, holding in my hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.

16 There below me I could see that you had sinned against theLordyour God. You had melted gold and made a calf idol for yourselves. How quickly you had turned away from the path theLordhad commanded you to follow!

17 So I took the stone tablets and threw them to the ground, smashing them before your eyes.

18 “Then, as before, I threw myself down before theLordfor forty days and nights. I ate no bread and drank no water because of the great sin you had committed by doing what theLordhated, provoking him to anger.

19 I feared that the furious anger of theLord, which turned him against you, would drive him to destroy you. But again he listened to me.

20 TheLordwas so angry with Aaron that he wanted to destroy him, too. But I prayed for Aaron, and theLordspared him.

21 I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.

22 “You also made theLordangry at Taberah,Massah,and Kibroth-hattaavah.

23 And at Kadesh-barnea theLordsent you out with this command: ‘Go up and take over the land I have given you.’ But you rebelled against the command of theLordyour God and refused to put your trust in him or obey him.

24 Yes, you have been rebelling against theLordas long as I have known you.

25 “That is why I threw myself down before theLordfor forty days and nights—for theLordsaid he would destroy you.

26 I prayed to theLordand said, ‘O SovereignLord, do not destroy them. They are your own people. They are your special possession, whom you redeemed from Egypt by your mighty power and your strong hand.

27 Please overlook the stubbornness and the awful sin of these people, and remember instead your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

28 If you destroy these people, the Egyptians will say, “The Israelites died because theLordwasn’t able to bring them to the land he had promised to give them.” Or they might say, “He destroyed them because he hated them; he deliberately took them into the wilderness to slaughter them.”

29 But they are your people and your special possession, whom you brought out of Egypt by your great strength and powerful arm.’

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/9-d4bf65e6a0ff2fdca031e2348fc83d79.mp3?version_id=116—

A New Copy of the Covenant

1 “At that time theLordsaid to me, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. Also make a wooden Ark—a sacred chest to store them in. Come up to me on the mountain,

2 and I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the ones you smashed. Then place the tablets in the Ark.’

3 “So I made an Ark of acacia wood and cut two stone tablets like the first two. Then I went up the mountain with the tablets in my hand.

4 Once again theLordwrote the Ten Commandmentson the tablets and gave them to me. They were the same words theLordhad spoken to you from the heart of the fire on the day you were assembled at the foot of the mountain.

5 Then I turned and came down the mountain and placed the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant, which I had made, just as theLordcommanded me. And the tablets are still there in the Ark.”

6 (The people of Israel set out from the wells of the people of Jaakanand traveled to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried. His son Eleazar ministered as high priest in his place.

7 Then they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from there to Jotbathah, a land with many brooks and streams.

8 At that time theLordset apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of theLord’s Covenant, and to stand before theLordas his ministers, and to pronounce blessings in his name. These are their duties to this day.

9 That is why the Levites have no share of property or possession of land among the other Israelite tribes. TheLordhimself is their special possession, as theLordyour God told them.)

10 “As for me, I stayed on the mountain in theLord’s presence for forty days and nights, as I had done the first time. And once again theLordlistened to my pleas and agreed not to destroy you.

11 Then theLordsaid to me, ‘Get up and resume the journey, and lead the people to the land I swore to give to their ancestors, so they may take possession of it.’

A Call to Love and Obedience

12 “And now, Israel, what does theLordyour God require of you? He requires only that you fear theLordyour God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.

13 And you must always obey theLord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

14 “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to theLordyour God.

15 Yet theLordchose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today.

16 Therefore, change your heartsand stop being stubborn.

17 “For theLordyour God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.

18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.

19 So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

20 You must fear theLordyour God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone.

21 He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.

22 When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now theLordyour God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/DEU/10-428615239f96fff1921a8d30e4f22df1.mp3?version_id=116—