15 “So (A)be very careful [a]yourselves, since you did not see any (B)form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, 16 so that you do not (C)act corruptly and (D)make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female, 17 a representation of any animal that is on the earth, a representation of (E)any winged bird that flies in the sky, 18 a representation of anything that crawls on the ground, or a representation of any fish that is in the water below the earth. 19 And be careful not to raise your eyes to heaven and look at the sun, the moon, and the stars, (F)all the heavenly [b]lights, (G)and allow yourself to be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. 20 But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of (H)the iron furnace, from Egypt, to (I)be a people of His own possession, as today.

21 (J)Now the Lord was angry with me on your account, and He swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 For (K)I am going to die in this land; I am not crossing the Jordan, but you are going to cross, and you will take possession of this (L)good land. 23 So be careful [c]yourselves, (M)that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and (N)make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you. 24 For the Lord your God is a (O)consuming fire, a (P)jealous God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:15 Or for your own lives
  2. Deuteronomy 4:19 Lit host
  3. Deuteronomy 4:23 Or for yourselves

A Warning against Idolatry

15 “But be very careful! You did not see the Lord’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. 16 So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, 17 an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, 18 a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. 19 And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. 20 Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.

21 “But the Lord was angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. 22 You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not. Instead, I will die here on the east side of the river. 23 So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has forbidden this. 24 The Lord your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.

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