Holman Christian Standard Bible (58 page)
Read Holman Christian Standard Bible Online
Authors: B&H Publishing Group
Deuteronomy
Warning against Self-Righteousness
9
“Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go and drive out nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
2
The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them and you have heard it said about them, ‘Who can stand up to the sons of Anak? '
3
But understand that today the
Lord
your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the
Lord
has told you.
4
When the
Lord
your God drives them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The
Lord
brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.' Instead, the
Lord
will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
5
You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the
Lord
your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
6
Understand that the
Lord
your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
“Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go and drive out nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
2
The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them and you have heard it said about them, ‘Who can stand up to the sons of Anak? '
3
But understand that today the
Lord
your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the
Lord
has told you.
4
When the
Lord
your God drives them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The
Lord
brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.' Instead, the
Lord
will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
5
You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the
Lord
your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
6
Understand that the
Lord
your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
Israel's Rebellion and Moses' Intercession
7
“Remember and do not forget how you provoked the
Lord
your God in the wilderness. You have been rebelling against the
Lord
from the day you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place.
8
You provoked the
Lord
at Horeb, and He was angry enough with you to destroy you.
9
When I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant the
Lord
made with you, I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. I did not eat bread or drink water.
10
On the day of the assembly the
Lord
gave me the two stone tablets, inscribed by God's finger. The exact words were on them, which the
Lord
spoke to you from the fire on the mountain.
11
The
Lord
gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant, at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights.
“Remember and do not forget how you provoked the
Lord
your God in the wilderness. You have been rebelling against the
Lord
from the day you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place.
8
You provoked the
Lord
at Horeb, and He was angry enough with you to destroy you.
9
When I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant the
Lord
made with you, I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. I did not eat bread or drink water.
10
On the day of the assembly the
Lord
gave me the two stone tablets, inscribed by God's finger. The exact words were on them, which the
Lord
spoke to you from the fire on the mountain.
11
The
Lord
gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant, at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights.
12
“The
Lord
said to me, ‘Get up and go down immediately from here. For your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned from the way that I commanded them; they have made a cast image for themselves.'
13
The
Lord
also said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed, they are a stiff-necked people.
14
Leave Me alone, and I will destroy them and blot out their name under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.'
“The
Lord
said to me, ‘Get up and go down immediately from here. For your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned from the way that I commanded them; they have made a cast image for themselves.'
13
The
Lord
also said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed, they are a stiff-necked people.
14
Leave Me alone, and I will destroy them and blot out their name under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.'
15
“So I went back down the mountain, while it was blazing with fire, and the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.
16
I saw how you had sinned against the
Lord
your God; you had made a calf image for yourselves. You had quickly turned from the way the
Lord
had commanded for you.
17
So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands, shattering them before your eyes.
18
Then I fell down like the first time in the presence of the
Lord
for 40 days and 40 nights; I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you committed, doing what was evil in the
Lord
's sight and provoking Him to anger.
19
I was afraid of the fierce anger the
Lord
had directed against you, because He was about to destroy you. But again the
Lord
listened to me on that occasion.
20
The
Lord
was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. But I prayed for Aaron at that time also.
21
I took the sinful calf you had made, burned it up, and crushed it, thoroughly grinding it to powder as fine as dust. Then I threw it into the stream that came down from the mountain.
“So I went back down the mountain, while it was blazing with fire, and the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.
16
I saw how you had sinned against the
Lord
your God; you had made a calf image for yourselves. You had quickly turned from the way the
Lord
had commanded for you.
17
So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands, shattering them before your eyes.
18
Then I fell down like the first time in the presence of the
Lord
for 40 days and 40 nights; I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you committed, doing what was evil in the
Lord
's sight and provoking Him to anger.
19
I was afraid of the fierce anger the
Lord
had directed against you, because He was about to destroy you. But again the
Lord
listened to me on that occasion.
20
The
Lord
was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. But I prayed for Aaron at that time also.
21
I took the sinful calf you had made, burned it up, and crushed it, thoroughly grinding it to powder as fine as dust. Then I threw it into the stream that came down from the mountain.
22
“You continued to provoke the
Lord
at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah.
23
When the
Lord
sent you from Kadesh-barnea, He said, ‘Go up and possess the land I have given you'; you rebelled against the command of the
Lord
your God. You did not believe or obey Him.
24
You have been rebelling against the
Lord
ever since I have known you.
“You continued to provoke the
Lord
at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah.
23
When the
Lord
sent you from Kadesh-barnea, He said, ‘Go up and possess the land I have given you'; you rebelled against the command of the
Lord
your God. You did not believe or obey Him.
24
You have been rebelling against the
Lord
ever since I have known you.
25
“I fell down in the presence of the
Lord
40 days and 40 nights because the
Lord
had threatened to destroy you.
26
I prayed to the
Lord
:
“I fell down in the presence of the
Lord
40 days and 40 nights because the
Lord
had threatened to destroy you.
26
I prayed to the
Lord
:
Lord
God
, do not annihilate Your people, Your inheritance, whom You redeemed through Your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a strong hand.
27
Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Disregard this people's stubbornness, and their wickedness and sin.
28
Otherwise, those in the land you brought us from will say, ‘Because the
Lord
wasn't able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.'
29
But they are Your people, Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your great power and outstretched arm.
God
, do not annihilate Your people, Your inheritance, whom You redeemed through Your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a strong hand.
27
Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Disregard this people's stubbornness, and their wickedness and sin.
28
Otherwise, those in the land you brought us from will say, ‘Because the
Lord
wasn't able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.'
29
But they are Your people, Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your great power and outstretched arm.
Deuteronomy
The Covenant Renewed
10
“The
Lord
said to me at that time, ‘Cut two stone tablets like the first ones and come to Me on the mountain and make a wooden ark.
2
I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets you broke, and you are to place them in the ark.'
3
So I made an ark of acacia wood, cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and climbed the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.
4
Then on the day of the assembly, the
Lord
wrote on the tablets what had been written previously, the Ten Commandments that He had spoken to you on the mountain from the fire. The
Lord
gave them to me,
5
and I went back down the mountain and placed the tablets in the ark I had made. And they have remained there, as the
Lord
commanded me.”
“The
Lord
said to me at that time, ‘Cut two stone tablets like the first ones and come to Me on the mountain and make a wooden ark.
2
I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets you broke, and you are to place them in the ark.'
3
So I made an ark of acacia wood, cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and climbed the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.
4
Then on the day of the assembly, the
Lord
wrote on the tablets what had been written previously, the Ten Commandments that He had spoken to you on the mountain from the fire. The
Lord
gave them to me,
5
and I went back down the mountain and placed the tablets in the ark I had made. And they have remained there, as the
Lord
commanded me.”
6
The Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. Aaron died and was buried there, and Eleazar his son became priest in his place.
7
They traveled from there to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water.
The Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. Aaron died and was buried there, and Eleazar his son became priest in his place.
7
They traveled from there to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water.
8
“At that time the
Lord
set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the
Lord
's covenant, to stand before
•Yahweh
to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as it is today.
9
For this reason, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance like his brothers; the
Lord
is his inheritance, as the
Lord
your God told him.
“At that time the
Lord
set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the
Lord
's covenant, to stand before
•Yahweh
to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as it is today.
9
For this reason, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance like his brothers; the
Lord
is his inheritance, as the
Lord
your God told him.
10
“I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights like the first time. The
Lord
also listened to me on this occasion; He agreed not to annihilate you.
11
Then the
Lord
said to me, ‘Get up. Continue your journey ahead of the people, so that they may enter and possess the land I swore to give their fathers.'
“I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights like the first time. The
Lord
also listened to me on this occasion; He agreed not to annihilate you.
11
Then the
Lord
said to me, ‘Get up. Continue your journey ahead of the people, so that they may enter and possess the land I swore to give their fathers.'
What God Requires
12
“And now, Israel, what does the
Lord
your God ask of you except to
•fear
the
Lord
your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the
Lord
your God with all your heart and all your soul?
13
Keep the
Lord
's commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.
14
The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the
Lord
your God, as does the earth and everything in it.
15
Yet the
Lord
was devoted to your fathers and loved them. He chose their descendants after them — He chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today.
16
Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don't be stiff-necked any longer.
17
For the
Lord
your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe.
18
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.
19
You also must love the foreigner, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
20
You are to fear Yahweh your God and worship Him. Remain faithful to Him and take oaths in His name.
21
He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome works your eyes have seen.
22
Your fathers went down to Egypt, 70 people in all, and now the
Lord
your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.
“And now, Israel, what does the
Lord
your God ask of you except to
•fear
the
Lord
your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the
Lord
your God with all your heart and all your soul?
13
Keep the
Lord
's commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.
14
The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the
Lord
your God, as does the earth and everything in it.
15
Yet the
Lord
was devoted to your fathers and loved them. He chose their descendants after them — He chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today.
16
Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don't be stiff-necked any longer.
17
For the
Lord
your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe.
18
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.
19
You also must love the foreigner, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
20
You are to fear Yahweh your God and worship Him. Remain faithful to Him and take oaths in His name.
21
He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome works your eyes have seen.
22
Your fathers went down to Egypt, 70 people in all, and now the
Lord
your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.
Deuteronomy
Remember and Obey
11
“Therefore, love the
Lord
your God and always keep His mandate and His statutes, ordinances, and commands.
2
You must understand today that it is not your children who experienced or saw the discipline of the
Lord
your God:
“Therefore, love the
Lord
your God and always keep His mandate and His statutes, ordinances, and commands.
2
You must understand today that it is not your children who experienced or saw the discipline of the
Lord
your God:
His greatness, strong hand, and outstretched arm;
3
His signs and the works He did in Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land;
4
what He did to Egypt's army, its horses and chariots, when He made the waters of the
•Red
Sea flow over them as they pursued you, and He destroyed them completely;
5
what He did to you in the wilderness until you reached this place;
6
and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when in the middle of the whole Israelite camp the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing with them.
3
His signs and the works He did in Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land;
4
what He did to Egypt's army, its horses and chariots, when He made the waters of the
•Red
Sea flow over them as they pursued you, and He destroyed them completely;
5
what He did to you in the wilderness until you reached this place;
6
and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when in the middle of the whole Israelite camp the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing with them.
7
Your own eyes have seen every great work the
Lord
has done.
Your own eyes have seen every great work the
Lord
has done.
8
“Keep every command I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to cross into and possess the land you are to inherit,
9
and so that you may live long in the land the
Lord
swore to your fathers to give them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10
For the land you are entering to possess is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated by hand as in a vegetable garden.
11
But the land you are entering to possess is a land of mountains and valleys, watered by rain from the sky.
12
It is a land the
Lord
your God cares for. He is always watching over it from the beginning to the end of the year.
“Keep every command I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to cross into and possess the land you are to inherit,
9
and so that you may live long in the land the
Lord
swore to your fathers to give them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10
For the land you are entering to possess is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated by hand as in a vegetable garden.
11
But the land you are entering to possess is a land of mountains and valleys, watered by rain from the sky.
12
It is a land the
Lord
your God cares for. He is always watching over it from the beginning to the end of the year.
13
“If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the
Lord
your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul,
14
I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil.
15
I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied.
16
Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship, and bow down to other gods.
17
Then the
Lord
's anger will burn against you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land the
Lord
is giving you.
“If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the
Lord
your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul,
14
I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil.
15
I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied.
16
Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship, and bow down to other gods.
17
Then the
Lord
's anger will burn against you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land the
Lord
is giving you.
18
“Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads.
19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
20
Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
21
so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the
Lord
swore to give your fathers.
22
For if you carefully observe every one of these commands I am giving you to follow — to love the
Lord
your God, walk in all His ways, and remain faithful to Him —
23
the
Lord
will drive out all these nations before you, and you will drive out nations greater and stronger than you are.
24
Every place the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.
25
No one will be able to stand against you; the
Lord
your God will put fear and dread of you in all the land where you set foot, as He has promised you.
“Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads.
19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
20
Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
21
so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the
Lord
swore to give your fathers.
22
For if you carefully observe every one of these commands I am giving you to follow — to love the
Lord
your God, walk in all His ways, and remain faithful to Him —
23
the
Lord
will drive out all these nations before you, and you will drive out nations greater and stronger than you are.
24
Every place the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.
25
No one will be able to stand against you; the
Lord
your God will put fear and dread of you in all the land where you set foot, as He has promised you.
A Blessing and a Curse
26
“Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse:
27
there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the
Lord
your God I am giving you today,
28
and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the
Lord
your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods you have not known.
29
When the
Lord
your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.
30
Aren't these mountains across the Jordan, beyond the western road in the land of the Canaanites, who live in the
•Arabah
, opposite Gilgal, near the oaks of Moreh?
31
For you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the
Lord
your God is giving you. When you possess it and settle in it,
32
be careful to follow all the statutes and ordinances I set before you today.
“Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse:
27
there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the
Lord
your God I am giving you today,
28
and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the
Lord
your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods you have not known.
29
When the
Lord
your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.
30
Aren't these mountains across the Jordan, beyond the western road in the land of the Canaanites, who live in the
•Arabah
, opposite Gilgal, near the oaks of Moreh?
31
For you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the
Lord
your God is giving you. When you possess it and settle in it,
32
be careful to follow all the statutes and ordinances I set before you today.
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