An Exhortation to Obedience (Deuteronomy 11:1–7)
1 DRA 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. BSB BSB: Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
2 DRA 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. BSB BSB: You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you.
3 DRA Your eyes have seen all that the Lord hath done against Beelphegor, how he hath destroyed all his worshippers from among you. BSB BSB: Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor.
4 DRA But you that adhere to the Lord your God, are all alive until this present day. BSB BSB: But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive to this day, every one of you.
5 DRA 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: BSB BSB: See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land that you are about to enter and possess.
6 DRA 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. BSB BSB: Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
7 DRA Neither is there any other nation so great, that hath gods so nigh them, as our God is present to all our petitions. BSB BSB: For what nation is great enough to have a god as near to them as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him?
8 DRA 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? BSB BSB: And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?
9 DRA 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, BSB BSB: Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.
10 DRA 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. BSB BSB: The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, “Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children.”
11 DRA 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. BSB BSB: You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire to the heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.
12 DRA 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. BSB BSB: And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
13 DRA And he shewed you his covenant, which he commanded you to do, and the ten words that he wrote in two tables of stone. BSB BSB: He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.
14 DRA 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. BSB BSB: At that time the LORD commanded me to teach you the statutes and ordinances you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.
A Warning against Idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:29–32; Ezekiel 6:1–7)
15 DRA 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: BSB BSB: So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful
16 DRA Lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female, BSB BSB: that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,
17 DRA The similitude of any beasts, that are upon the earth, or of birds, that fly under heaven, BSB BSB: of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air,
18 DRA Or of creeping things, that move on the earth, or of fishes, that abide in the waters under the earth: BSB BSB: or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below.
19 DRA 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. BSB BSB: When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
20 DRA 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. BSB BSB: Yet the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of His inheritance, as you are today.
21 DRA 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. BSB BSB: The LORD, however, was angry with me on account of you, and He swore that I would not cross the Jordan to enter the good land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
22 DRA Behold I die in this land, I shall not pass over the Jordan: you shall pass, and possess the goodly land. BSB BSB: For I will not be crossing the Jordan, because I must die in this land. But you shall cross over and take possession of that good land.
23 DRA 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: BSB BSB: Be careful that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God that He made with you; do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything He has forbidden you.
24 DRA Because the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. BSB BSB: For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 DRA 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: BSB BSB: After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger—
26 DRA 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, BSB BSB: I call heaven and 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 long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
27 DRA And scatter you among all nations, and you shall remain a few among the nations, to which the Lord shall lead you. BSB BSB: Then the 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.
28 DRA 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. BSB BSB: And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
29 DRA 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. BSB BSB: But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
30 DRA 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. BSB BSB: When 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 listen to His voice.
31 DRA 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. BSB BSB: For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath.
The LORD Alone Is God 32 DRA 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, BSB BSB: Indeed, ask now from one end of the heavens to the other about the days that long preceded you, from the day that God created man on earth: Has anything as great as this ever happened or been reported?
33 DRA That a people should hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire, as thou hast heard, and lived: BSB BSB: Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
34 DRA 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. BSB BSB: Or has any god tried to take as his own a nation out of another nation—by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors—as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, before your eyes?
35 DRA That thou mightest know that the Lord he is God, and there is no other besides him. BSB BSB: You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.
36 DRA 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, BSB BSB: He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.
37 DRA 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, BSB BSB: Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by His presence and great power,
38 DRA 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. BSB BSB: to drive out before you nations greater and mightier than you, and to bring you into their land and give it to you for your inheritance, as it is this day.
39 DRA 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. BSB BSB: Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.
40 DRA 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. BSB BSB: Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.
Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 19:1–14; Joshua 20:1–9)
41 DRA Then Moses set aside three cities beyond the Jordan at the east side, BSB BSB: Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east
42 DRA 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: BSB BSB: to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities:
43 DRA 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. BSB BSB: Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau belonging to the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the Gadites, or Golan in Bashan belonging to the Manassites.
Introduction to the Law 44 DRA This is the law, that Moses set before the children of Israel, BSB BSB: This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites.
45 DRA And these are the testimonies and ceremonies and judgments, which he spoke to the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt, BSB BSB: These are the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that Moses proclaimed to them after they had come out of Egypt,
46 DRA 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, BSB BSB: while they were in the valley across the Jordan facing Beth-peor in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt.
47 DRA 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: BSB BSB: They took possession of the land belonging to Sihon and to Og king of Bashan—the two Amorite kings across the Jordan to the east—
48 DRA From Aroer, which is situate upon the bank of the torrent Amen, unto mount Sion, which is also called Hermon, BSB BSB: extending from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon),
49 DRA All the plain beyond the Jordan at the east side, unto the see of the wilderness, and unto the foot of mount Phasga. BSB BSB: including all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan and as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.