Deuteronomy 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Great Commandment
6 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long.(A) 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.(B)
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a](C) 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.(D) 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.(E) 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem[b] on your forehead,(F) 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.(G)
Caution against Disobedience
10 “When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build,(H) 11 houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill,(I) 12 take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 The Lord your God you shall fear, him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear.(J) 14 Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, 15 because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.(K)
16 “Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.(L) 17 You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his decrees and his statutes that he has commanded you.(M) 18 Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors,(N) 19 thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.
20 “When your children ask you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’(O) 21 then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 The Lord displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. 23 He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case.(P) 25 If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.’(Q)
Deuteronomy 6
Young's Literal Translation
6 `And this [is] the command, the statutes and the judgments which Jehovah your God hath commanded to teach you, to do in the land which ye are passing over thither to possess it,
2 so that thou dost fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all His statutes and His commands, which I am commanding thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all days of thy life, and so that thy days are prolonged.
3 `And thou hast heard, O Israel, and observed to do, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest multiply exceedingly, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath spoken to thee, [in] the land flowing with milk and honey.
4 `Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God [is] one Jehovah;
5 and thou hast loved Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might,
6 and these words which I am commanding thee to-day have been on thine heart,
7 and thou hast repeated them to thy sons, and spoken of them in thy sitting in thine house, and in thy walking in the way, and in thy lying down, and in thy rising up,
8 and hast bound them for a sign upon thy hand, and they have been for frontlets between thine eyes,
9 and thou hast written them on door-posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
10 `And it hath been, when Jehovah thy God doth bring thee in unto the land which He hath sworn to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to thee -- cities great and good, which thou hast not built,
11 and houses full of all good things which thou hast not filled, and wells digged which thou hast not digged, vineyards and olive-yards which thou hast not planted, and thou hast eaten, and been satisfied;
12 `Take heed to thyself lest thou forget Jehovah who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants;
13 Jehovah thy God thou dost fear, and Him thou dost serve, and by His name thou dost swear;
14 ye do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who [are] round about you;
15 for a zealous God [is] Jehovah thy God in thy midst -- lest the anger of Jehovah thy God burn against thee, and He hath destroyed thee from off the face of the ground.
16 `Ye do not try Jehovah your God as ye tried in Massah;
17 ye do diligently keep the commands of Jehovah your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He hath commanded thee,
18 and thou hast done that which is right and good in the eyes of Jehovah, so that it is well with thee, and thou hast gone in and possessed the good land which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers,
19 to drive away all thine enemies from thy presence, as Jehovah hath spoken.
20 `When thy son asketh thee hereafter, saying, What [are] the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?
21 then thou hast said to thy son, Servants we have been to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Jehovah bringeth us out of Egypt by a high hand;
22 and Jehovah giveth signs and wonders, great and sad, on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes;
23 and us He hath brought out thence, in order to bring us in, to give to us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.
24 And Jehovah commandeth us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God, for good to ourselves all the days, to keep us alive, as [at] this day;
25 and righteousness it is for us, when we observe to do all this command before Jehovah our God, as He hath commanded us.
Deuteronomy 6
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
6 These are the precepts, and ceremonies, and judgments, which the Lord your God commanded that I should teach you, and that you should do them in the land into which you pass over to possess it:
2 That thou mayst fear the Lord thy God, and keep all his commandments and precepts, which I command thee, and thy sons, and thy grandsons, all the days of thy life, that thy days may be prolonged.
3 Hear, O Israel, and observe to do the things which the Lord hath commanded thee, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst be greatly multiplied, as the Lord the God of thy fathers hath promised thee a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.
5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength.
6 And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart:
7 And thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising.
8 And thou shalt bind them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be and shall move between thy eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them in the entry, and on the doors of thy house.
10 And when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land, for which he swore to thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and shall have given thee great and goodly cities, which thou didst not build,
11 Houses full of riches, which thou didst not set up, cisterns which thou didst not dig, vineyards and oliveyards, which thou didst not plant,
12 And thou shalt have eaten and be full:
13 Take heed diligently lest thou forget the Lord, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve him only, and thou shalt swear by his name.
14 You shall not go after the strange gods of all the nations, that are round about you:
15 Because the Lord thy God is a jealous God in the midst of thee: lest at any time the wrath of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and take thee away from the face of the earth.
16 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, as thou temptedst him in the place of temptation.
17 Keep the precepts of the Lord thy God, and the testimonies and ceremonies which he hath commanded thee.
18 And do that which is pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with thee: and going in thou mayst possess the goodly land, concerning which the Lord swore to thy fathers,
19 That he would destroy all thy enemies before thee, as he hath spoken.
20 And when thy son shall ask thee to morrow, saying: What mean these testimonies, and ceremonies and judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded us?
21 Thou shalt say to him: We were bondmen of Pharao in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand.
22 And he wrought signs and wonders great and very grievous in Egypt against Pharao, and all his house, in our sight,
23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in and give us the land, concerning which he swore to our fathers.
24 And the Lord commanded that we should do all these ordinances, and should fear the Lord our God, that it might be well with us all the days of our life, as it is at this day.
25 And he will be merciful to us, if we keep and do all his precepts before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.
Deuteronomy 6
1599 Geneva Bible
6 1 An exhortation to fear God, and keep his commandments, 5 Which is, to love him with all thine heart. 7 The same must be taught to the posterity. 16 Not to tempt God. 25 Righteousness is contained in the Law.
1 These now are the commandments, ordinances, and [a]laws, which the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2 That thou mightest [b]fear the Lord thy God, and keep all his ordinances, and his commandments which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son all the days of thy life, even that thy days may be prolonged:
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and take heed to do it, that it may go well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily [c]in the land that floweth with milk and honey, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
4 Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is Lord only,
5 And (A)thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 (B)And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.
7 And thou shalt [d]rehearse them continually unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thine house, and as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up:
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be [e]as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 Also thou shalt write them upon the [f]posts of thine house, and upon thy gates.
10 And when the Lord thy God hath brought thee into the land, which he sware unto thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to thee, with great and goodly cities which thou buildedst not,
11 And houses full of all manner of goods which thou filledst not, and wells dug which thou dug not, vineyards and olive trees which thou plantedst not, and when thou hast eaten and art full,
12 [g]Beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage:
13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt [h]swear by his Name.
14 Ye shall not walk after other gods, after any of the gods of the people which are round about you.
15 (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you:) lest the wrath of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from the face of the earth.
16 ¶ Ye shall not [i]tempt the Lord your God, as ye did tempt him in Massah:
17 But ye shall keep diligently the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his ordinances, which he hath commanded thee.
18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the [j]sight of the Lord: that thou mayest prosper, and that thou mayest go in, and possess that good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,
19 To cast out all thine enemies before thee, as the Lord hath said.
20 When [k]thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What mean these testimonies, and ordinances, and Laws, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?
21 Then shalt thou say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt: but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders great and evil upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household before our eyes,
23 And [l]brought us out from thence, to bring us in, and to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
24 Therefore the Lord hath commanded us, to do all these ordinances, and to fear the Lord our God, that it may go ever well with us, and that he may preserve us alive at this present.
25 Moreover, this shall be our [m]righteousness before the Lord our God, if we take heed to keep all these commandments, as he hath commanded us.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 6:1 Or, judgments.
- Deuteronomy 6:2 A reverent face and love of God is the first beginning to keep God’s commandments.
- Deuteronomy 6:3 Which hath abundance of all things appertaining to man’s life.
- Deuteronomy 6:7 Some read, thou shalt whet them upon thy children: to wit, that they may print them more deeply in memory.
- Deuteronomy 6:8 Or, signs of remembrance.
- Deuteronomy 6:9 That when thou entrest in, thou mayest remember them.
- Deuteronomy 6:12 Let not wealth and ease cause thee forget God’s mercies, whereby thou wast delivered out of misery.
- Deuteronomy 6:13 We must fear God, serve him only, and confess his Name, which is done by swearing lawfully.
- Deuteronomy 6:16 By doubting of his power, refusing lawful means, and abusing his graces.
- Deuteronomy 6:18 Here he condemneth all man’s good intentions.
- Deuteronomy 6:20 God requireth not only that we serve him all our life, but also that we take pains that our posterity may set forth his glory.
- Deuteronomy 6:23 Nothing ought to move us more to true obedience than the great benefits which we have received of God.
- Deuteronomy 6:25 But because none could fully obey the law, we must have our recourse to Christ to be justified by faith.
Deuteronomy 6
Authorized (King James) Version
6 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2 that thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
10 And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15 (for the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. 17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. 18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, 19 to cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken. 20 And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? 21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: 22 and the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: 23 and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.
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