Deuteronomy 4:1-28 ▼

1 And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances that I teach you? to observe, that you? may live and go in and possess the land that YHWH, God of your? fathers, is giving to you?.

2 You? shall not add to the word that I command you?, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHWH your? God that I command you?.

3 Your? eyes have seen what YHWH did at Baal-peor, for all the men who walked after Baal-Peor YHWH your God has destroyed from among you.

4 And you?, the ones clinging to YHWH your? God, are alive, all of you? today.

5 See, I have taught you? statutes and ordinances as YHWH my God commanded me, that you should act accordingly in the midst of the land that you? are going there to possess it.

6 Therefore, be careful and observe them, for that is your? wisdom and your? understanding in the eyes of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, “Surely a wise and understanding people is this great nation.”

7 For what is the great nation that has a god near to it as YHWH our God is to us in all that we call upon Him?

8 And what is the great nation that has righteous statutes and ordinances according to all this law that I set before you? this day?

9 Only take heed to yourself and keep yourself diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; and teach them to your sons and to the sons of your sons.

10 That day you stood before the face of YHWH your God in Horeb, when YHWH said to me, “Gather to Me the people and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their sons.”

11 And you? came near and stood under the mountain, and the mountain burned with the fire to the heart of the heavens, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness,

12 and YHWH spoke to you? out of the midst of the fire. You? heard the sound of the words, and you saw no form, only a voice.

13 And He declared to you? His covenant, which He commanded you? to perform—the Ten Words. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

14 And me YHWH commanded at that time to teach you? statutes and ordinances, that you? might observe them in the land that you? are passing over to possess.

15 And guard greatly your? souls, for you? did not see any form when YHWH spoke to you? at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,

16 lest you? act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female—

17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,

18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.

19 And lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens and you see the sun and the moon and the stars—all the host of the heavens—and you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which YHWH your God has given as a heritage to all the peoples under the whole heavens.

20 And YHWH has taken you? and brought you? out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to Him for a people, as an inheritance this day.

21 And YHWH was angry with me because of your? words, and He swore that I would not pass over the Jordan, that I would not enter into the good land that YHWH your God is giving to you as an inheritance,

22 but I must die in this land. I am not passing over the Jordan, and you? shall pass over and possess this good land.

23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you? forget the covenant of YHWH your? God that He made with you?, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything that YHWH your God has forbidden you.

24 For YHWH your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

25 When you beget sons and sons of sons and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the eyes of YHWH your God to provoke Him to anger,

26 I call to witness against you? this day the heavens and the earth that you? will surely perish quickly from the land to which you? are passing over the Jordan to possess. You? will not prolong your? days in it, but you? will be utterly destroyed.

27 And YHWH will scatter you? among the peoples, and you? will be left few in number among the nations to which YHWH will drive you?.

28 And you? will serve gods there—the work of the hands of man—wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.