Add parallel Print Page Options

Now therefore shema, Yisroel, unto the chukkim and unto the mishpatim, which I melammed (teach) you, to do them, in order that ye may live, and go in and possess ha’aretz which Hashem Elohei Avoteichem giveth you.

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye take anything from it, that ye may be shomer mitzvot of the commandments of Hashem Eloheichem which I command you.

Your eyes have seen what Hashem did because of Baal Peor; for all the men that followed Baal Peor, Hashem Eloheicha hath destroyed them from among you.

But ye that did have deveykus (cleaving) unto Hashem Eloheichem are alive every one of you today.

Behold, I have taught you chukkim and mishpatim, even as Hashem Elohai commanded me, that ye should do so in ha’aretz whither ye go to possess it.

Be shomer therefore and do them; for this is your chochmah and your binah in the sight of the peoples, which shall hear all these chukkim, and say, Surely HaGoy HaGadol is a wise and understanding people.

For what nation is there so great, who hath elohim so near unto them, as Hashem Eloheinu is in all things for which we call upon Him?

And what nation is there so great, that hath chukkim and mishpatim tzaddikim as all this torah, which I set before you today?

Only be shomer over thyself, and be shomer over thy nefesh diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy lev kol yamim of thy life; but teach them to thy banim, and the banim of thy banim;

10 Specially the yom that thou stoodest before Hashem Eloheicha in Chorev, when Hashem said unto me, Gather Me the people together, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me kol hayamim that they shall live upon ha’adamah and that they may teach their children.

11 And ye came near and stood at the foot of the mountain; the mountain burned with eish unto the midst of Shomayim, with choshech, and anan, and thick darkness.

12 And Hashem spoke unto you out of the midst of the eish; ye heard the voice of the devarim, but saw no temunah (form, semblance); only ye heard a voice.

13 And He declared unto you His Brit, which He commanded you to do, even Aseres HaDevarim; and He wrote them upon shnei luchot avanim (two tablets of stone).

14 And Hashem commanded me at that time to teach you chukkim and mishpatim, that ye might do them in ha’aretz whither ye go over to possess it.

15 Be shomer over yourselves, therefore; for ye saw no manner of temunah on the yom that Hashem spoke unto you in Chorev out of the midst of the eish;

16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a pesel, the temunah of any semel, the likeness of zachar or nekevah,

17 The likeness of any behemah that is on ha’aretz, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,

18 The likeness of anything that creepeth on the adamah, the likeness of any dag (fish) that is in the waters below;

19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto Shomayim, and when thou seest the shemesh, and the yarei’ach, and the kokhavim, even all the tz’va HaShomayim, shouldest be driven to hishtachaveh (bow down, worship) them, and serve them which Hashem Eloheicha hath divided unto kol HaGoyim under kol HaShomayim.

20 But Hashem hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Mitzrayim, to be unto Him an Am Nachalah (a people of inheritance), as ye are yom hazeh.

21 Furthermore Hashem was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over Yarden, and that I should not go in unto that ha’aretz hatovah, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah (inheritance);

22 But I must die in this land, I must not go over Yarden; but ye shall go over, and possess that ha’aretz hatovah.

23 Be shomer over yourselves, lest ye forget the Brit Hashem Eloheichem, which He cut with you, and make you a pesel (idol, image), or the likeness of anything, which Hashem Eloheicha hath forbidden thee.

24 For Hashem Eloheicha is a consuming eish, even an El Kannah.

25 When thou shalt father banim, and bnei banim, and ye shall have remained long in Ha’Aretz, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a pesel, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of Hashem Eloheicha, to provoke Him to anger;

26 I call Shomayim and HaAretz to witness against you today, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off Ha’Aretz whereunto ye go over Yarden to possess it; ye shall not prolong your yamim upon it, but shall be utterly shmad.

27 And Hashem shall scatter you among the amim; ye shall be left few in number among the Goyim, whither Hashem shall lead you.

28 And there ye shall serve elohim, the work of men’s hands, etz (wood) and even (stone), which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

29 But if from thence thou shalt seek Hashem Eloheicha, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy lev and with all thy nefesh.

30 When thou art in tzar (tribulation), and all these things are come upon thee, even in the acharit hayamim, if thou turn to Hashem Eloheicha and shalt be obedient unto His voice;

31 For Hashem Eloheicha is an El Rachum; He will not abandon thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the Brit Avoteicha which He swore unto them.

32 For ask now of the yamim that are past, which were before thee, since the yom that Elohim bara man upon Ha’Aretz, and ask from the one side of Shomayim unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

33 Did ever people hear the kol Elohim speaking out of the midst of the eish, as thou hast heard, and live?

34 Or hath Elohim tried to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by massot (trials), by otot, by mofetim, by milchamah, by a yad chazakah, by an out- stretched zero’a, by great terrors, according to all that Hashem Eloheicha did for you in Mitzrayim before your eyes?

35 Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that Hashem He is HaElohim; there is none else beside Him.

36 Out of Shomayim He made thee to hear His voice, that He might discipline thee; upon Ha’Aretz He showed thee His eish hagedolah; and thou heardest His devarim out of the midst of the eish.

37 And because He loved Avoteicha, therefore He chose their zera after them, and brought thee out in His sight with His ko’ach hagadol out of Mitzrayim;

38 To drive out Goyim from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for a nachalah, as it is yom hazeh.

39 Know therefore today, and consider it in thine lev, that Hashem He is HaElohim in Shomayim above, and upon Ha’Aretz beneath: there is no other.

40 Thou shalt be shomer over His chukkim, therefore, and His mitzvot, which I command thee today, that it may go well with thee, and with thy banim after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy yamim upon Ha’Aretz, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee, kol hayamim.

41 Then Moshe separated and set apart three towns on this side of the Yarden toward the rising of the shemesh;

42 That the rotze’ach might flee thither, which should kill his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these towns he might live:

43 Namely, Betzer in the midbar, in the flatland, of the Reuveni; and Ramot in Gil‘ad, of the Gadi; and Golan in Bashan, of the Menashi.

44 And this is the torah which Moshe set before the Bnei Yisroel;

45 These are the edot, and the chukkim, and the mishpatim, which Moshe spoke unto the Bnei Yisroel, after they came forth out of Mitzrayim.

46 On this side of the Yarden, in the valley over against Beit Peor, in Eretz Sichon Melech HaEmori, who dwelt at Cheshbon, whom Moshe and the Bnei Yisroel struck down, after they were come forth out of Mitzrayim;

47 And they possessed his land, and Eretz Og Melech HaBashan, two melachim of HaEmori, which were on this side of the Yarden toward the rising of the shemesh;

48 From Aroer, which is by the edge of the Wadi Arnon, even unto Mt Siyon, which is Chermon,

49 And all the Aravah on this side of the Yarden eastward, even unto the Dead Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah.

Obedience Commanded

Now, Israel, hear the decrees(A) and laws I am about to teach(B) you. Follow them so that you may live(C) and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add(D) to what I command you and do not subtract(E) from it, but keep(F) the commands(G) of the Lord your God that I give you.

You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor.(H) The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

See, I have taught(I) you decrees and laws(J) as the Lord my God commanded(K) me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering(L) to take possession of it. Observe(M) them carefully, for this will show your wisdom(N) and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”(O) What other nation is so great(P) as to have their gods near(Q) them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws(R) as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Only be careful,(S) and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach(T) them to your children(U) and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb,(V) when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn(W) to revere(X) me as long as they live in the land(Y) and may teach(Z) them to their children.” 11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain(AA) while it blazed with fire(AB) to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.(AC) 12 Then the Lord spoke(AD) to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form;(AE) there was only a voice.(AF) 13 He declared to you his covenant,(AG) the Ten Commandments,(AH) which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws(AI) you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Idolatry Forbidden

15 You saw no form(AJ) of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb(AK) out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,(AL) 16 so that you do not become corrupt(AM) and make for yourselves an idol,(AN) an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,(AO) 18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. 19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,(AP) the moon and the stars(AQ)—all the heavenly array(AR)—do not be enticed(AS) into bowing down to them and worshiping(AT) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. 20 But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace,(AU) out of Egypt,(AV) to be the people of his inheritance,(AW) as you now are.

21 The Lord was angry with me(AX) because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. 22 I will die in this land;(AY) I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.(AZ) 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant(BA) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol(BB) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,(BC) a jealous God.(BD)

25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt(BE) and make any kind of idol,(BF) doing evil(BG) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses(BH) against you(BI) this day that you will quickly perish(BJ) from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter(BK) you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive(BL) among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made gods(BM) of wood and stone,(BN) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.(BO) 29 But if from there you seek(BP) the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart(BQ) and with all your soul.(BR) 30 When you are in distress(BS) and all these things have happened to you, then in later days(BT) you will return(BU) to the Lord your God and obey him. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful(BV) God; he will not abandon(BW) or destroy(BX) you or forget(BY) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

The Lord Is God

32 Ask(BZ) now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth;(CA) ask from one end of the heavens to the other.(CB) Has anything so great(CC) as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of God[a] speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?(CD) 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation,(CE) by testings,(CF) by signs(CG) and wonders,(CH) by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,(CI) or by great and awesome deeds,(CJ) like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.(CK) 36 From heaven he made you hear his voice(CL) to discipline(CM) you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. 37 Because he loved(CN) your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,(CO) 38 to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance,(CP) as it is today.

39 Acknowledge(CQ) and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.(CR) 40 Keep(CS) his decrees and commands,(CT) which I am giving you today, so that it may go well(CU) with you and your children after you and that you may live long(CV) in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.

Cities of Refuge(CW)

41 Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, 42 to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if they had unintentionally(CX) killed a neighbor without malice aforethought. They could flee into one of these cities and save their life. 43 The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth(CY) in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

Introduction to the Law

44 This is the law Moses set before the Israelites. 45 These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt 46 and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon(CZ) king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. 47 They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 48 This land extended from Aroer(DA) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion[b](DB) (that is, Hermon(DC)), 49 and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea,[c] below the slopes of Pisgah.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:33 Or of a god
  2. Deuteronomy 4:48 Syriac (see also 3:9); Hebrew Siyon
  3. Deuteronomy 4:49 Hebrew the Sea of the Arabah