An Exhortation to Obedience (Deuteronomy 11:1–7)
1 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS But ye who adhered to the LORD your God, are alive every one of you this day. BSB BSB: But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive to this day, every one of you.
5 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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 ? 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 WBS 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? BSB BSB: And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?
9 WBS 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: 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 WBS 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.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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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; 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 WBS Lest ye corrupt yourselves , and make to you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness 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 WBS The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, BSB BSB: of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air,
18 WBS The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth: BSB BSB: or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below.
19 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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: 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 WBS But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. BSB BSB: For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 WBS 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: 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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; 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 WBS (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. 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 WBS 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? 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 WBS Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? BSB BSB: Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
34 WBS 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? 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 WBS To thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS Then Moses set apart three cities on the side of Jordan, towards the sun-rising; BSB BSB: Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east
42 WBS 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: 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 WBS 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.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 WBS And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. BSB BSB: This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites.
45 WBS These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, after they came forth from Egypt, BSB BSB: These are the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that Moses proclaimed to them after they had come out of Egypt,
46 WBS 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: 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 WBS 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; 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 WBS From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even to mount Sion, which is Hermon, BSB BSB: extending from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon),
49 WBS And all the plain on the side of Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah. 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.