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A New Copy of the Covenant

10 “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. Also make a wooden Ark—a sacred chest to store them in. Come up to me on the mountain, and I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the ones you smashed. Then place the tablets in the Ark.’

“So I made an Ark of acacia wood and cut two stone tablets like the first two. Then I went up the mountain with the tablets in my hand. Once again the Lord wrote the Ten Commandments[a] on the tablets and gave them to me. They were the same words the Lord had spoken to you from the heart of the fire on the day you were assembled at the foot of the mountain. Then I turned and came down the mountain and placed the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant, which I had made, just as the Lord commanded me. And the tablets are still there in the Ark.”

(The people of Israel set out from the wells of the people of Jaakan[b] and traveled to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried. His son Eleazar ministered as high priest in his place. Then they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from there to Jotbathah, a land with many brooks and streams. At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to stand before the Lord as his ministers, and to pronounce blessings in his name. These are their duties to this day. That is why the Levites have no share of property or possession of land among the other Israelite tribes. The Lord himself is their special possession, as the Lord your God told them.)

10 “As for me, I stayed on the mountain in the Lord’s presence for forty days and nights, as I had done the first time. And once again the Lord listened to my pleas and agreed not to destroy you. 11 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and resume the journey, and lead the people to the land I swore to give to their ancestors, so they may take possession of it.’

A Call to Love and Obedience

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

14 “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. 15 Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. 16 Therefore, change your hearts[c] and stop being stubborn.

17 “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. 18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. 19 So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20 You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. 21 He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. 22 When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky!

11 “You must love the Lord your God and always obey his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands. Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm. They didn’t see the miraculous signs and wonders he performed in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his land. They didn’t see what the Lord did to the armies of Egypt and to their horses and chariots—how he drowned them in the Red Sea[d] as they were chasing you. He destroyed them, and they have not recovered to this very day!

“Your children didn’t see how the Lord cared for you in the wilderness until you arrived here. They didn’t see what he did to Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab, a descendant of Reuben) when the earth opened its mouth in the Israelite camp and swallowed them, along with their households and tents and every living thing that belonged to them. But you have seen the Lord perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes!

The Blessings of Obedience

“Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey! 10 For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 Rather, the land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain— 12 a land that the Lord your God cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year!

13 “If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, 14 then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. 15 He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.

16 “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. 17 If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you.

18 “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.

22 “Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him. 23 Then the Lord will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land. 24 Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.[e] 25 No one will be able to stand against you, for the Lord your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land.

26 “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! 27 You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. 28 But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.

29 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal. 30 (These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley,[f] near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh.) 31 For you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take that land and are living in it, 32 you must be careful to obey all the decrees and regulations I am giving you today.

The Lord’s Chosen Place for Worship

12 “These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live.

“When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods!

“Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored. There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your herds and flocks. There you and your families will feast in the presence of the Lord your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the Lord your God has blessed you.

“Your pattern of worship will change. Today all of you are doing as you please, because you have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. 10 But you will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you. When he gives you rest from all your enemies and you’re living safely in the land, 11 you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.

12 “You must celebrate there in the presence of the Lord your God with your sons and daughters and all your servants. And remember to include the Levites who live in your towns, for they will receive no allotment of land among you. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings just anywhere you like. 14 You may do so only at the place the Lord will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you.

15 “But you may butcher your animals and eat their meat in any town whenever you want. You may freely eat the animals with which the Lord your God blesses you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you now eat gazelle and deer. 16 But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.

17 “But you may not eat your offerings in your hometown—neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor any offering to fulfill a vow, nor your voluntary offerings, nor your sacred offerings. 18 You must eat these in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the Lord your God in all you do. 19 And be very careful never to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

20 “When the Lord your God expands your territory as he has promised, and you have the urge to eat meat, you may freely eat meat whenever you want. 21 It might happen that the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—is a long way from your home. If so, you may butcher any of the cattle, sheep, or goats the Lord has given you, and you may freely eat the meat in your hometown, as I have commanded you. 22 Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you do now with gazelle and deer. 23 But never consume the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the lifeblood with the meat. 24 Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water. 25 Do not consume the blood, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what pleases the Lord.

26 “Take your sacred gifts and your offerings given to fulfill a vow to the place the Lord chooses. 27 You must offer the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat. 28 Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord your God.

29 “When the Lord your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land, 30 do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’ 31 You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.

32 [g]“So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.

Footnotes

  1. 10:4 Hebrew the ten words.
  2. 10:6 Or set out from Beeroth of Bene-jaakan.
  3. 10:16 Hebrew circumcise the foreskin of your hearts.
  4. 11:4 Hebrew sea of reeds.
  5. 11:24 Hebrew to the western sea.
  6. 11:30 Hebrew the Arabah.
  7. 12:32 Verse 12:32 is numbered 13:1 in Hebrew text.

The Tablets Rewritten

10 “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘(A)Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first two, and come up to Me on the mountain, and (B)make an [a]ark of wood for yourself. Then (C)I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed to pieces, and (D)you shall put them in the ark.’ So (E)I made an ark of acacia wood and (F)cut out two tablets of stone like the first two, and I went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. Then He wrote on the tablets, like the first writing, (G)the Ten [b]Commandments (H)which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire (I)on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. Then I turned and (J)came down from the mountain, and I (K)put the tablets in the ark which I had made; (L)and they are there, just as the Lord commanded me.”

(Now the sons of Israel set out from [c]Beeroth (M)Bene-jaakan to Moserah. (N)There Aaron died and there he was buried, and his son Eleazar served as priest in his place. (O)From there they set out to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of streams of water. (P)At that time the Lord singled out the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord (Q)to serve Him and to bless in His name, until this day. (R)Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him.)

10 (S)I, moreover, stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the Lord listened to me that time also; the Lord was not willing to destroy you. 11 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, proceed on your journey ahead of the people, so that they may go in and take possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’

12 (T)And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to [d]fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and (U)love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with (V)all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lords commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, (W)to the Lord your God belong heaven and the [e]highest heavens, (X)the earth and all that is in it. 15 (Y)Yet the Lord set His affection on your fathers, to love them, and He chose their [f]descendants after them, you over all the other peoples, as it is this day. 16 (Z)So circumcise [g]your heart, and do not (AA)stiffen your neck any longer. 17 (AB)For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the (AC)Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, (AD)who does not show partiality, nor (AE)take a bribe. 18 He executes justice for (AF)the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. 19 (AG)So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and (AH)cling to Him, and (AI)you shall swear by His name. 21 He is (AJ)your glory and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. 22 (AK)Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, (AL)and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Rewards of Obedience

11 “You shall therefore (AM)love the Lord your God, and always (AN)keep His directive, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments. Know this day (AO)that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known and who have not seen the [h]discipline of the Lord your God—His greatness, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm, and (AP)His signs and His works which He did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land; and what He did to Egypt’s army, to its horses and its chariots, (AQ)when He made the water of the [i]Red Sea [j]engulf them while they were pursuing you, and the Lord [k]completely eliminated them; and what He did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place; and (AR)what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and (AS)every living thing that [l]followed them, among all Israel— but your own eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord which He did.

“You shall therefore keep every commandment which I am commanding you today, (AT)so that you may be strong and go in and take possession of the land into which you are about to cross to possess it; and (AU)so that you may prolong your days on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and to their [m]descendants, (AV)a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it [n]by your foot like a vegetable garden. 11 But (AW)the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, 12 a land for which the Lord your God cares; (AX)the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it, from the [o]beginning even to the end of the year.

13 “And it shall come about, (AY)if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, (AZ)to love the Lord your God and to serve Him (BA)with all your heart and all your soul, 14 that [p](BB)He will provide rain for your land in its season, the [q](BC)early and [r]late rain, so that you may gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 [s](BD)He will also provide grass in your field for your cattle, and (BE)you will eat and be satisfied. 16 [t](BF)Beware that your hearts are not easily deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods, and worship them. 17 Otherwise, (BG)the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will (BH)shut up the sky (BI)so that there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce; then (BJ)you will quickly perish from the good land which the Lord is giving you.

18 (BK)You shall therefore take these words of mine to [u]heart and to soul; and you shall tie them as a sign on your [v]hand, and they shall be as [w]frontlets [x]on your forehead. 19 (BL)You shall also teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. 20 (BM)And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that (BN)your days and the days of your sons may be increased on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as [y](BO)long as the heavens are above the earth. 22 For if you are (BP)careful to keep all of this commandment which I am commanding you to do, (BQ)to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and (BR)cling to Him, 23 then the Lord will [z](BS)dispossess all these nations from you, and you will [aa](BT)dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. 24 (BU)Every place on which the sole of your foot steps shall be yours; (BV)your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as [ab]the western sea. 25 (BW)No one will be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will [ac]instill the dread of you and the fear of you in all the land on which you set foot, just as He has spoken to you.

26 (BX)See, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the (BY)blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; 28 and the (BZ)curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, [ad]by following other gods which you have not known.

29 “And it shall come about, when the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, (CA)that you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Are they not across the Jordan, west of the road toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite (CB)Gilgal, beside (CC)the [ae]oaks of Moreh? 31 For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and (CD)you shall possess it and live in it, 32 and you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am placing before you today.

Laws of the Sanctuary

12 “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully [af]follow in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess [ag](CE)as long as you live on the [ah]earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you are going to dispossess serve their gods, on the (CF)high mountains, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. And (CG)you shall tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones to pieces, and burn their [ai]Asherim in the fire, and cut to pieces the carved images of their gods; and you shall (CH)eliminate their name from that place. You shall not act this way toward the Lord your God. (CI)But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there. You shall bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, (CJ)your tithes, the [aj]contribution of your hand, your vowed offerings, your [ak]voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. There you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and (CK)rejoice in all [al]your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

“You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, (CL)everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes; for you have not as yet come to (CM)the resting place and the (CN)inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. 10 When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and (CO)He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security, 11 (CP)then it shall come about that the place in which the Lord your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring everything that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the [am]contribution of your hand, and all your choice vowed offerings which you will vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall (CQ)rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the (CR)Levite who is within your gates, since (CS)he has no portion or inheritance with you.

13 (CT)Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in any cultic place that you see, 14 but only in the place which the Lord chooses in one of your tribes: there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do everything that I command you.

15 (CU)However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, [an]whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as (CV)the gazelle and the deer. 16 (CW)Only you shall not eat the blood; (CX)you are to pour it out on the ground like water. 17 (CY)You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, new wine, or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your vowed offerings which you vow, or your [ao]voluntary offerings, or the [ap]contribution of your hand. 18 But (CZ)you shall eat them before the Lord your God in (DA)the place which the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female slaves, and the (DB)Levite who is within your gates; and you shall (DC)rejoice before the Lord your God in all [aq]your undertakings. 19 (DD)Be careful that you do not abandon the Levite [ar]as long as you live in your land.

20 “When the Lord your God extends your border (DE)as He has [as]promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because [at]you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, [au]whatever you desire. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter animals from your herd and flock which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates [av]whatever you desire. 22 Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you may eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it. 23 Only be sure (DF)not to eat the blood, for the blood is the [aw]life, and you shall not eat the [ax]life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. 25 You shall not eat it, so that (DG)it may go well for you and your sons after you, since (DH)you will be doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 (DI)Only your holy things which you may have and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses. 27 And (DJ)you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and (DK)you shall eat the flesh.

28 “Be careful and listen to all these words which I am commanding you, so that (DL)it may go well for you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

29 “When (DM)the Lord your God cuts off from you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and live in their land, 30 be careful that you are not ensnared [ay]to follow them, after they are destroyed from your presence, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ 31 (DN)You shall not behave this way toward the Lord your God, because every abominable act which the Lord hates, they have done for their gods; for (DO)they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods.

32 [az](DP)Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; (DQ)you shall not add to nor take anything away from it.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 10:1 I.e., sacred chest
  2. Deuteronomy 10:4 Lit Words
  3. Deuteronomy 10:6 Or the wells of the sons of Jaakan
  4. Deuteronomy 10:12 Or revere
  5. Deuteronomy 10:14 Lit heaven of heavens
  6. Deuteronomy 10:15 Lit seed
  7. Deuteronomy 10:16 Lit the foreskin of your heart,
  8. Deuteronomy 11:2 Or instruction
  9. Deuteronomy 11:4 Lit Sea of Reeds
  10. Deuteronomy 11:4 Lit flow over their faces
  11. Deuteronomy 11:4 Lit to this day
  12. Deuteronomy 11:6 Lit was at their feet
  13. Deuteronomy 11:9 Lit seed
  14. Deuteronomy 11:10 I.e., use of foot to facilitate irrigation
  15. Deuteronomy 11:12 Lit beginning of the year
  16. Deuteronomy 11:14 As in some ancient versions; MT I
  17. Deuteronomy 11:14 I.e., autumn
  18. Deuteronomy 11:14 I.e., spring
  19. Deuteronomy 11:15 As in some ancient versions; MT I
  20. Deuteronomy 11:16 Lit Watch yourselves
  21. Deuteronomy 11:18 Lit your heart
  22. Deuteronomy 11:18 Or forearm
  23. Deuteronomy 11:18 Or phylacteries
  24. Deuteronomy 11:18 Lit between your eyes
  25. Deuteronomy 11:21 Lit the days of the heavens
  26. Deuteronomy 11:23 Or drive out
  27. Deuteronomy 11:23 Or drive out
  28. Deuteronomy 11:24 I.e., the Mediterranean
  29. Deuteronomy 11:25 Lit give...over all
  30. Deuteronomy 11:28 Lit to follow
  31. Deuteronomy 11:30 Or terebinths
  32. Deuteronomy 12:1 Lit perform
  33. Deuteronomy 12:1 Lit all the days
  34. Deuteronomy 12:1 Lit ground
  35. Deuteronomy 12:3 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  36. Deuteronomy 12:6 Or uplifted offering
  37. Deuteronomy 12:6 Or freewill offerings
  38. Deuteronomy 12:7 Lit the putting forth of your hand
  39. Deuteronomy 12:11 Or uplifted offering
  40. Deuteronomy 12:15 Lit in every desire of your soul
  41. Deuteronomy 12:17 Or freewill offerings
  42. Deuteronomy 12:17 Or uplifted offering
  43. Deuteronomy 12:18 Lit the putting forth of your hand
  44. Deuteronomy 12:19 Lit all your days upon your land
  45. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit spoken to
  46. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit your soul desires
  47. Deuteronomy 12:20 Lit in every desire of your soul
  48. Deuteronomy 12:21 Lit in every desire of your soul
  49. Deuteronomy 12:23 Lit soul
  50. Deuteronomy 12:23 Lit soul
  51. Deuteronomy 12:30 Lit after them
  52. Deuteronomy 12:32 Lit Everything that

The Resurrection

16 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning,[a] just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,[b] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.[c]


[The most ancient manuscripts of Mark conclude with verse 16:8. Later manuscripts add one or both of the following endings.]

[Shorter Ending of Mark]

Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.

[Longer Ending of Mark]

After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.

12 Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. 13 They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

14 Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.[d]

15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.[e] 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

Footnotes

  1. 16:2 Greek on the first day of the week; also in 16:9.
  2. 16:6 Or Jesus the Nazarene.
  3. 16:8 The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end at verse 8. Other manuscripts include various endings to the Gospel. A few include both the “shorter ending” and the “longer ending.” The majority of manuscripts include the “longer ending” immediately after verse 8.
  4. 16:14 Some early manuscripts add: And they excused themselves, saying, “This age of lawlessness and unbelief is under Satan, who does not permit God’s truth and power to conquer the evil [unclean] spirits. Therefore, reveal your justice now.” This is what they said to Christ. And Christ replied to them, “The period of years of Satan’s power has been fulfilled, but other dreadful things will happen soon. And I was handed over to death for those who have sinned, so that they may return to the truth and sin no more, and so they may inherit the spiritual, incorruptible, and righteous glory in heaven.”
  5. 16:17 Or new tongues; some manuscripts do not include new.

The Resurrection

16 (A)When the Sabbath was over, (B)Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of [a]James, and Salome (C)bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away (D)the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?” And looking up, they *noticed that the stone had been rolled away; [b]for it was extremely large. And (E)entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they (F)were amazed. But he *said to them, “(G)Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the (H)Nazarene, who has been crucified. (I)He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘(J)He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

[[[c]Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to (K)Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10 (L)She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, (M)they refused to believe it.

12 Now after that, (N)He appeared in a different form (O)to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. 13 And they went away and reported it to the rest, but they (P)did not believe them, either.

The Disciples Commissioned

14 Later (Q)He appeared (R)to the eleven disciples themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reprimanded them for their (S)unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen from the dead. 15 And He said to them, (T)Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 (U)The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: (V)in My name they will cast out demons, they will (W)speak with new tongues; 18 they will (X)pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will (Y)lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had (Z)spoken to them, He (AA)was received up into heaven and (AB)sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]]

[[[d]And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself also sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]]

Footnotes

  1. Mark 16:1 Or Jacob
  2. Mark 16:4 I.e., its size drew their attention
  3. Mark 16:9 Later mss add vv 9-20
  4. Mark 16:20 A few late mss and ancient versions contain this paragraph, usually after v 8; a few have it at the end of the ch