BibleGateway.com
A A A A A
en
» Printer-friendly page » Mobile-friendly page

Passage results

Layout : Rows Rows Columns Columns

Deuteronomy 4-6; Mark 11:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Deuteronomy 4-6

Listen to this passage
View commentary related to this passage

Deuteronomy 4

Israel Must Obey God
Moses said:
 1Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them, you will live, and you will go in and take the land that the LORD is giving you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped, 2and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away.

    3You saw how he killed everyone who worshiped the god Baal Peor. [a] 4But all of you that were faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today. 5-8No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are. In fact, everyone that hears about your laws will say, " That great nation certainly is wise!" And what makes us greater than other nations? We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers.

    9You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well. 10Do you remember the day you stood in the LORD's presence at Mount Sinai? [b] The LORD said, " Moses, bring the people of Israel here. I want to speak to them so they will obey me as long as they live, and so they will teach their children to obey me too." 11Mount Sinai was surrounded by deep dark clouds, and fire went up to the sky. You came to the foot of the mountain, 12and the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn't see him. 13The LORD said he was making an agreement with you, and he told you that your part of the agreement is to obey the Ten Commandments. Then the LORD wrote these Commandments on two flat stones.

    14That's when the LORD commanded me to give you the laws and teachings you must obey in the land that you will conquer west of the Jordan River.

   

Don't Worship Idols
Moses said to Israel:
 15When God spoke to you from the fire, he was invisible. So be careful 16not to commit the sin of worshiping idols. Don't make idols to be worshiped, whether they are shaped like men, women, 17animals, birds, 18reptiles, or fish. 19And when you see the sun or moon or stars, don't be tempted to bow down and worship them. The LORD put them there for all the other nations to worship. 20But you are the LORD's people, because he led you through fiery trials and rescued you from Egypt.

    21The LORD was angry at me because of what you said[c], and he told me that he would not let me cross the Jordan River into the good land that he is giving you.[d] 22So I must stay here and die on this side of the Jordan, but you will cross the river and take the land.

    23Always remember the agreement that the LORD your God made with you, and don't make an idol in any shape or form. 24The LORD will be angry if you worship other gods, and he can be like a fire destroying everything in its path.

    25-26Soon you will cross the Jordan River and settle down in the land. Then in the years to come, you will have children, and they will give you grandchildren. After many years, you might lose your sense of right and wrong and make idols, even though the LORD your God hates them. So I am giving you fair warning today, and I call the earth and the sky as witnesses. If you ever make idols, the LORD will be angry, and you won't have long to live, because the LORD will let you be wiped out. 27Only a few of you will survive, and the LORD will force you to leave the land and will scatter you among the nations. 28There you will have to worship gods made of wood and stone, and these are nothing but idols that can't see or hear or eat or smell.

    29-30In all of your troubles, you may finally decide that you want to worship only the LORD. And if you turn back to him and obey him completely, he will again be your God. 31The LORD your God will have mercy--he won't destroy you or desert you. The LORD will remember his promise, and he will keep the agreement he made with your ancestors.

    32-34When the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt, you saw how he fought for you and showed his great power by performing terrifying miracles. You became his people, and at Mount Sinai you heard him talking to you out of fiery flames. And yet you are still alive! Has anything like this ever happened since the time God created humans? No matter where you go or who you ask, you will get the same answer. No one has ever heard of another god even trying to do such things as the LORD your God has done for you.

    35-36The LORD wants you to know he is the only true God, and he wants you to obey him. That's why he let you see his mighty miracles and his fierce fire on earth, and why you heard his voice from that fire and from the sky.

    37The LORD loved your ancestors and decided that you would be his people. So the LORD used his great power to bring you out of Egypt. 38Now you face other nations more powerful than you are, but the LORD has already started forcing them out of their land and giving it to you.

    39So remember that the LORD is the only true God, whether in the sky above or on the earth below. 40Today I am explaining his laws and teachings. And if you always obey them, you and your descendants will live long and be successful in the land the LORD is giving you.

   

Safe Towns
 41-43Moses said, " People of Israel, you must set aside the following three towns east of the Jordan River as Safe Towns: Bezer in the desert highlands belonging to the Reuben tribe; Ramoth in Gilead, belonging to the Gad tribe; and Golan in Bashan, belonging to the Manasseh tribe. If you kill a neighbor without meaning to, and if you had not been angry with that person, you can run to one of these towns and find safety." [e] Israel at Beth-Peor

   

THE SECOND SPEECH: MOSES TELLS WHAT THE LORD DEMANDS
 44-46The Israelites had come from Egypt and were camped east of the Jordan River near Beth-Peor, when Moses gave these laws and teachings. The land around their camp had once belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites defeated him 47and King Og of Bashan, and took their lands. These two Amorite kings had ruled the territory east of the Jordan River 48from the town of Aroer on the edge of the Arnon River gorge, north to Mount Hermon. [f] 49Their land included the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, as far south as the Dead Sea [g] below the slopes of Mount Pisgah.

Deuteronomy 5

The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20.1-17)
 1Moses called together the people of Israel and said:

   Today I am telling you the laws and teachings that you must follow, so listen carefully. 2The LORD our God made an agreement with our nation at Mount Sinai. [h] 3That agreement wasn't only with [i] our ancestors but with us, who are here today. 4The LORD himself spoke to you out of the fire, 5but you were afraid of the fire and refused to go up the mountain. So I spoke with the LORD for you, then I told you that he had said: 6I am the LORD your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.

    7Do not worship any god except me.

    8Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. 9Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the LORD your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me and worship idols, I will punish your families for three or four generations. 10But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.

    11Do not misuse my name. [j] I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. 12Show respect for the Sabbath Day--it belongs to me. 13You have six days when you can do your work, 14but the seventh day of the week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day--not you, your children, your oxen or donkeys or any other animal, not even those foreigners who live in your towns. And don't make your slaves do any work. 15This special day of rest will remind you that I reached out my mighty arm and rescued you from slavery in Egypt.

    16Respect your father and mother, and you will live a long and successful life in the land I am giving you.

    17Do not murder.

    18Be faithful in marriage.

    19Do not steal.

    20Do not tell lies about others.

    21Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don't want anyone's wife or husband, house, land, slaves, oxen, donkeys, or anything else.

    22When we were gathered on the mountain, the LORD spoke to us in a loud voice from the dark fiery cloud. The LORD gave us these commands, and only these. Then he wrote them on two flat stones and gave them to me.

   Moses said to Israel:

   

The People Were Afraid
(Exodus 20.18-21)
 23When fire blazed from the mountain, and you heard the voice coming from the darkness, your tribal leaders came to me 24and said:

   Today the LORD our God has shown us how powerful and glorious he is. He spoke to us from the fire, and we learned that people can live, even though God speaks to them. 25But we don't want to take a chance on being killed by that terrible fire, and if we keep on hearing the LORD's voice, we will die. 26Has anyone else ever heard the only true God speaking from fire, as we have? And even if they have, would they live to tell about it? 27Moses, go up close and listen to the LORD. Then come back and tell us, and we will do everything he says.

    28The LORD heard you and said:

   Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve. 29I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.

    30Now, tell them to return to their tents, 31but you come back here to me. After I tell you my laws and teachings, you will repeat them to the people, so they can obey these laws in the land I am giving them.

   

Moses said:
 32Israel, you must carefully obey the LORD's commands. 33Follow them, because they make a path that will lead to a long successful life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

   

Deuteronomy 6

The Most Important Commandment
Moses said to Israel:
 1The LORD told me to give you these laws and teachings, [k] so you can obey them in the land he is giving you. Soon you will cross the Jordan River and take that land. 2And if you and your descendants want to live a long time, you must always worship the LORD and obey his laws. 3Pay attention, Israel! Our ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he promised to give us this land that is rich with milk and honey. Be careful to obey him, and you will become a successful and powerful nation. 4Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God! [l] 5So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. 6Memorize his laws 7and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. 8Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. 9Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.
Worship Only the LORD
Moses said to Israel:
 10The LORD promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you this land. Now he will take you there and give you large towns, with good buildings that you didn't build, 11and houses full of good things that you didn't put there. The LORD will give you wells [m] that you didn't have to dig, and vineyards and olive orchards that you didn't have to plant. But when you have eaten so much that you can't eat any more, 12don't forget it was the LORD who set you free from slavery and brought you out of Egypt. 13Worship and obey the LORD your God with fear and trembling, and promise that you will be loyal to him. 14Don't have anything to do with gods that are worshiped by the nations around you. 15If you worship other gods, the LORD will be furious and wipe you off the face of the earth. The LORD your God is with you, 16so don't try to make him prove that he can help you, as you did at Massah. [n] 17Always obey the laws that the LORD has given you 18-19and live in a way that pleases him. Then you will be able to go in and take this good land from your enemies, just as he promised your ancestors. 20Someday your children will ask, " Why did the LORD give us these laws and teachings?"

    21Then you will answer:

   We were slaves of the king of Egypt, but the LORD used his great power and set us free. 22We saw him perform miracles and make horrible things happen to the king, his officials, and everyone else. 23The LORD rescued us from Egypt, so he could bring us into this land, as he had promised our ancestors. 24-25That's why the LORD our God demands that we obey his laws and worship him with fear and trembling. And if we do, he will protect us and help us be successful.

   Moses said:

   

Footnotes:
  1. Deuteronomy 4:3 Baal Peor: See Numbers 25.1-9.
  2. Deuteronomy 4:10 Mount Sinai: See the note at 1.1-5.
  3. Deuteronomy 4:21 what you said: Or "you people."
  4. Deuteronomy 4:21 The LORD was angry. . . giving you: See 1.37; 3.26.
  5. Deuteronomy 4:41 find safety: From the victim's clan, who might appoint one of their men to track down and put to death the killer (see also 19.1-13).
  6. Deuteronomy 4:48 Hermon: The Hebrew text also includes the name " Sion," probably another form of " Sirion," the name used by the Sidonians.
  7. Deuteronomy 4:49 the Dead Sea: Hebrew " the Sea of the Arabah."
  8. Deuteronomy 5:2 Mount Sinai: See the note at 1.1-5.
  9. Deuteronomy 5:3 wasn't only with: Hebrew " wasn't with."
  10. Deuteronomy 5:11 misuse my name: Probably includes breaking promises, telling lies after swearing to tell the truth, using the LORD's name as a curse word or a magic formula, and trying to control the LORD by using his name.
  11. Deuteronomy 6:1 these laws and teachings: Or " the following commandment with its laws and teachings" (see 6.4,5).
  12. Deuteronomy 6:4 The LORD. . . true God: Or " Only the LORD is our God."
  13. Deuteronomy 6:11 wells: Cisterns cut into the rock to collect rainwater.
  14. Deuteronomy 6:16 Massah: See Exodus 17.1-7; Numbers 20.2-13.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Mark 11:1-18

Listen to this passage
View commentary related to this passage

Mark 11

Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11; Luke 19.28-40; John 12.12-19)
 1Jesus and his disciples reached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. When they were getting close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2He told them, "Go into the next village. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. 3If anyone asks why you are doing that, say, `The Lord [a] needs it and will soon bring it back.' "

    4The disciples left and found the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it, 5some of the people standing there asked, "Why are you untying the donkey?" 6They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let them take it.

    7The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. 8Many people spread clothes on the road, while others went to cut branches from the fields. [b]

    9In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,

   "Hooray! [c]

   God bless the one

   who comes

   in the name of the Lord!

    10God bless the coming kingdom

   of our ancestor David.

   Hooray for God

   in heaven above!"

    11After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

   

Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree
(Matthew 21.18,19)
 12When Jesus and his disciples left Bethany the next morning, he was hungry. 13From a distance Jesus saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and he went to see if there were any figs on the tree. But there were not any, because it wasn't the season for figs. 14So Jesus said to the tree, "Never again will anyone eat fruit from this tree!" The disciples heard him say this.

   

Jesus in the Temple
(Matthew 21.12-17; Luke 19.45-48; John 2.13-22)
 15After Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, he went into the temple and began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were selling doves. 16Jesus would not let anyone carry things through the temple. 17Then he taught the people and said, "The Scriptures say, `My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.' But you have made it a place where robbers hide!"

    18The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses heard what Jesus said, and they started looking for a way to kill him. They were afraid of him, because the crowds were completely amazed at his teaching.

   

Footnotes:
  1. Mark 11:3 The Lord: Or "The master of the donkey."
  2. Mark 11:8 spread. . . branches from the fields: This was one way that the Jewish people welcomed a famous person.
  3. Mark 11:9 Hooray: This translates a word that can mean "please save us." But it is most often used as a shout of praise to God.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Passage
Link
Embed
 
 
 show hide embed options

Go to mobile site
Go to the top of the page
Contact us/Feedback
Gospel.com
Site map
Privacy policy
Site: Terms of use
Widget: Terms of use
Advertise with us