Deuteronomy 4

Israel Urged to Obey God’s Law

1“NowH6258, IsraelH3478, listenH8085 to the statutesH2706 and the judgmentsH4941 whichH834 1I am teachingH3925 you to performH6213, soH4616 thatH4616 2you will liveH2421 and goH935 inH935 and takeH3423 possessionH3423 of the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068, the GodH430 of your fathersH1, is givingH5414 you. 23You shall not addH3254 to the wordH1697 whichH834 4I am commandingH6680 you, norH3808 takeH1639 awayH1639 from it, so that you may keepH8104 the commandmentsH4687 of the LordH3068 your GodH430 whichH834 I am commandingH6680 you. 35Your eyesH5869 have seenH7200 whatH834 the LordH3068 has doneH6213 in the case of Baal-peorH1187, for allH3605 the menH376 whoH834 followedH1980H310 Baal-peorH1187, the LordH3068 your GodH430 has destroyedH8045 6them from amongH7130 you. 4But you who clungH1695 to the LordH3068 your GodH430 are aliveH2416 todayH3117, everyH3605 oneH3605 of you.

5“SeeH7200, I have taughtH3925 you statutesH2706 and judgmentsH4941 7justH3512 asH3512 the LordH3068 my GodH430 commandedH6680 me, that you are to doH6213 theseH3651 thingsH3651 in the landH776 whereH834H8033 you are enteringH935 to takeH3423 possessionH3423 of it. 6So keepH8104 and doH6213 them, 8for that is your wisdomH2451 and your understandingH998 in the sightH5869 of the peoplesH5971 whoH834 will hearH8085 allH3605 theseH428 statutesH2706 and sayH559, ‘SurelyH7534 thisH2088 greatH1419 nationH1471 is a wiseH2450 and understandingH995 peopleH5971.’ 7For 9whatH4310 greatH1419 nationH1471 is there that has a godH430 10so nearH7138 to it as is the LordH3068 our GodH430 11wheneverH3605 we callH7121 on Him? 8Or whatH4310 greatH1419 nationH1471 is there that has 12statutesH2706 and judgmentsH4941 as righteousH6662 as thisH2088 wholeH3605 LawH8451 whichH834 I am settingH5414 beforeH6440 you todayH3117?

9“OnlyH7534 13beH8104 carefulH8104 for yourself and watchH8104 overH8104 your soulH5315 diligentlyH3966, soH6435 thatH6435 you do notH6435 forgetH7911 the thingsH1697 whichH834 your eyesH5869 have seenH7200 and they do notH6435 departH5493 fromH5493 your heartH3824 14allH3605 the daysH3117 of your lifeH2425; but 15makeH3045 them knownH3045 to your sonsH1121 and your grandsonsH1121. 10Remember the dayH3117 you stoodH5975 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430 at HorebH2722, when the LordH3068 saidH559 to me, ‘AssembleH6950 the peopleH5971 to Me, that I may have them hearH8085 My wordsH1697 16soH834 thatH834 they may learnH3925 to 17fearH3372 Me allH3605 the daysH3117 that they liveH2416 on the earthH127, and that they may 18teachH3925 their childrenH1121.’ 11You cameH7126 forwardH7126 and stoodH5975 atH8478 theH8478 footH8478 ofH8478 the mountainH2022, 19and the mountainH2022 was burningH1197 with fireH784 to the heartH3820 of the heavensH8064: darknessH2822, cloudH6051, and thickH6205 gloomH6205. 12Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to you from the midstH8432 of the fireH784; you heardH8085 the soundH6963 of wordsH1697, but you sawH7200 noH369 formH8544--there was onlyH2108 a voiceH6963. 13So He declaredH5046 to you His covenantH1285 whichH834 He commandedH6680 you to performH6213, that is, 20the TenH6235 21CommandmentsH1697; and 22He wroteH3789 them on twoH8147 tabletsH3871 of stoneH68. 14The LordH3068 commandedH6680 me at that timeH6256 to teachH3925 you statutesH2706 and judgmentsH4941, so that you would performH6213 them in the landH776 whereH834H8033 you are goingH5674 overH5674 to takeH3423 possessionH3423 of it.

15“So 23beH8104 veryH3966 carefulH8104 24yourselvesH5315, sinceH3588 you did not seeH7200 anyH3605 25formH8544 on the dayH3117 the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to you at HorebH2722 from the midstH8432 of the fireH784, 16soH6435 thatH6435 you do notH6435 26actH7843 corruptlyH7843 and 27makeH6213 a carvedH6459 imageH6459 for yourselves in the formH8544 of anyH3605 figureH5566, a representationH8403 of maleH2145 orH176 femaleH5347, 17a representationH8403 of anyH3605 animalH929 that is on the earthH776, a representationH8403 of 28anyH3605 wingedH3671 birdH6833 that fliesH5774 in the skyH8064, 18a representationH8403 of anythingH3605 that crawlsH7430 on the groundH127, or a representationH8403 of anyH3605 fishH1710 that is in the waterH4325 belowH4480H8478 the earthH776. 19And be careful not to raiseH5375 your eyesH5869 to heavenH8064 and lookH7200 at the sunH8121, the moonH3394, and the starsH3556, 29allH3605 the heavenlyH8064 30lightsH6635, 31and allow yourself to be drawnH5080 awayH5080 and worshipH2331 them and serveH5647 them, things whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has allottedH2505 to allH3605 the peoplesH5971 underH8478 the wholeH3605 heavenH8064. 20But the LordH3068 has takenH3947 you and broughtH3318 you outH3318 of 32the ironH1270 furnaceH3564, from EgyptH4714, to 33be a peopleH5971 of His own possessionH5159, as todayH2088H3117.

21“34Now the LordH3068 was angryH599 with me on your accountH1697, and He sworeH7650 that I would not crossH5674 the JordanH3383, and that I would not enterH935 the goodH2896 landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159. 22For 35I am going to dieH4191 in thisH2088 landH776; I am not crossingH5674 the JordanH3383, but you are going to crossH5674, and you will takeH3423 possessionH3423 of thisH2088 36goodH2896 landH776. 23So beH8104 carefulH8104 37yourselves, 38that you do not forgetH7911 the covenantH1285 of the LordH3068 your GodH430 whichH834 He madeH3772 with you, and 39makeH6213 for yourselves a carvedH6459 imageH6459 in the formH8544 of anythingH3605 against whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has commandedH6680 you. 24For the LordH3068 your GodH430 is a 40consumingH398 fireH784, a 41jealousH7067 GodH410.

25“WhenH3588 you fatherH3205 childrenH1121 and have 42grandchildrenH1121, and you growH3462 oldH3462 in the landH776, and you 43actH7843 corruptlyH7843, and 44makeH6213 45an idolH6459 in the formH8544 of anythingH3605, and 46doH6213 whatH7451 isH7451 evilH7451 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068 your GodH430 to provokeH3707 Him toH3707 angerH3707, 26I 47callH5749 heavenH8064 and earthH776 asH5749 witnessesH5749 against you todayH3117, that you will 48certainlyH6 perishH6 quicklyH4118 from the landH776 whereH834H8033 you are goingH5674 overH5674 the JordanH3383 to takeH3423 possessionH3423 of it. You will not 49liveH748 longH748H3117 on it, but will be utterlyH8045 destroyedH8045. 27The LordH3068 will 50scatterH6327 you among the peoplesH5971, and you will be leftH7604 fewH4962 in numberH4557 among the nationsH1471 whereH834H8033 the LordH3068 drivesH5090 you. 2851ThereH8033 you will serveH5647 godsH430, the workH4639 of humanH120 handsH3027, 52woodH6086 and stoneH68, 53whichH834 neitherH3808 seeH7200 norH3808 hearH8085, norH3808 eatH398 norH3808 smellH7381 anything. 2954But from thereH8033 you will seekH1245 the LordH3068 your GodH430, and you will findH4672 Him ifH3588 you searchH1875 for Him 55with allH3605 your heartH3824 and allH3605 your soulH5315. 30When you 56are in distressH6862 and allH3605 theseH428 thingsH1697 happenH4672 toH4672 you, 57in the latterH319 daysH3117 58you will returnH7725 to the LordH3068 your GodH430 and listenH8085 to His voiceH6963. 31For the LordH3068 your GodH430 is a 59compassionateH7349 GodH410; 60He will not abandonH7503 you norH3808 61destroyH7843 you, norH3808 62forgetH7911 the covenantH1285 with your fathersH1 whichH834 He sworeH7650 to them.

32“IndeedH3588, 63askH7592 nowH4994 about the earlierH7223 daysH3117 that were 64beforeH6440 your time, sinceH4480 the 65dayH3117 that GodH430 createdH1254 66mankindH120 on the earthH776, and inquire 67from one endH7097 of the heavensH8064 to the otherH7097H8064. 68Has anything been doneH1961 like thisH2088 greatH1419 thingH1697, orH176 has anything been heardH8085 likeH3644 it? 3369Has any peopleH5971 heardH8085 the voiceH6963 of GodH430 speakingH1696 from the midstH8432 of the fireH784, as you have heardH8085 it, and survivedH2421? 3470OrH176 has a godH430 venturedH5254 to goH935 to takeH3947 for himself a nationH1471 from withinH7130 another nationH1471 71by trialsH4531, by signsH226 and wondersH4159, by warH4421, 72by a mightyH2389 handH3027, by an outstretchedH5186 armH2220, and by greatH1419 terrorsH4172, 73justH3605 as the LordH3068 your GodH430 didH6213 for you in EgyptH4714 before your eyesH5869? 35You were shownH7200 these things so that you might knowH3045 that the LordH3068, He is GodH430; 74thereH369 isH369 noH369 otherH5750 besidesH4480H905 Him. 3675Out of the heavensH8064 He let you hearH8085 His voiceH6963 76to disciplineH3256 you; and on earthH776 He let you seeH7200 His greatH1419 fireH784, and you heardH8085 His wordsH1697 from the midstH8432 of the fireH784. 3777BecauseH8478H3588 He lovedH157 your fathersH1, He choseH977 78their descendantsH2233 afterH310 them. And He 7980personallyH6440 broughtH3318 you from EgyptH4714 by His greatH1419 powerH3581, 38drivingH3423 outH3423 from beforeH6440 you nationsH1471 greaterH1419 and mightierH6099 thanH4480 you, to bringH935 you inH935 and 81to giveH5414 you their landH776 as an inheritanceH5159, as it is todayH2088H3117. 39Therefore knowH3045 todayH3117, and takeH7725 it to your heartH3824, that 82the LordH3068, He is GodH430 in heavenH8064 aboveH4480H4605 and on the earthH776 belowH4480H8478; thereH369 isH369 noH369 otherH5750. 4083So you shall keepH8104 His statutesH2706 and His commandmentsH4687 whichH834 I am 84givingH6680 you todayH3117, so that 85it may goH3190 wellH3190 for you and for your childrenH1121 afterH310 you, and 86that you may 87liveH748 longH748H3117 on the landH127 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you for allH3605 timeH3117.”

4188ThenH227 MosesH4872 setH914 apartH914 threeH7969 citiesH5892 acrossH5676 the JordanH3383 to the 89eastH4217H8121, 42for 90one to fleeH5127 thereH8033 whoH834 unintentionallyH1847H1097 killedH7523 his neighborH7453, withoutH3808 havingH8130 hatredH8130 for him in timeH8032 pastH8543; and by fleeingH5127 to oneH259 of theseH411 citiesH5892 he might liveH2421: 4391BezerH1221 in the wildernessH4057 on the plateauH776H4334 for the ReubenitesH7206, RamothH7216 in GileadH1568 for the GaditesH1425, and GolanH1474 in BashanH1316 for the ManassitesH4520.

44Now thisH2088 is the LawH8451 whichH834 MosesH4872 setH7760 beforeH6440 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; 45theseH428 are the testimoniesH5713 and the statutesH2706, and the ordinancesH4941 whichH834 MosesH4872 spokeH1696 to the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, when they cameH3318 outH3318 of EgyptH4714, 46acrossH5676 the JordanH3383, in the valleyH1516 92oppositeH4136 Beth-peorH1047, in the landH776 of 93SihonH5511 kingH4428 of the AmoritesH567 whoH834 livedH3427 in HeshbonH2809, whomH834 MosesH4872 and the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 94defeatedH5221 when they cameH3318 outH3318 of EgyptH4714. 47And they tookH3423 possessionH3423 of his landH776 and the landH776 of 95OgH5747 kingH4428 of BashanH1316, the twoH8147 kingsH4428 of the AmoritesH567, who were acrossH5676 the JordanH3383 to the 96eastH4217H8121, 48from 97AroerH6177, whichH834 is on the edgeH8193 of the 98ValleyH5158 of ArnonH769, even as farH5704 as 99MountH2022 SionH7865 (that is, HermonH2768), 49with allH3605 the ArabahH6160 acrossH5676 the JordanH3383 to the eastH4217, even as farH5704 as the seaH3220 of the ArabahH6160, 100atH8478 theH8478 footH8478 ofH8478 the slopesH794 of PisgahH6449.