Idolatry Forbidden

¹⁵ You saw no form^(A) of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb^(B) out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,^{(C) 16} so that you do not become corrupt^(D) and make for yourselves an idol,^(E) an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, ¹⁷ or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,^{(F) 18} or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. ¹⁹ And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,^(G) the moon and the stars^(H)—all the heavenly array^(I)—do not be enticed^(J) into bowing down to them and worshiping^(K) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. ²⁰ But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace,^(L) out of Egypt,^(M) to be the people of his inheritance,^(N) as you now are.

²¹ The Lord was angry with me^(O) because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. ²² I will die in this land;^(P) I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.^{(Q) 23} Be careful not to forget the covenant^(R) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol^(S) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. ²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,^(T) a jealous God.^(U)

²⁵ After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt^(V) and make any kind of idol,^(W) doing evil^(X) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, ²⁶ I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses^(Y) against you^(Z) this day that you will quickly perish^(AA) from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. ²⁷ The Lord will scatter^(AB) you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive^(AC) among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. ²⁸ There you will worship man-made gods^(AD) of wood and stone,^(AE) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.^{(AF) 29} But if from there you seek^(AG) the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart^(AH) and with all your soul.^{(AI) 30} When you are in distress^(AJ) and all these things have happened to you, then in later days^(AK) you will return^(AL) to the Lord your God and obey him. ³¹ For the Lord your God is a merciful^(AM) God; he will not abandon^(AN) or destroy^(AO) you or forget^(AP) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

The Lord Is God

³² Ask^(AQ) now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth;^(AR) ask from one end of the heavens to the other.^(AS) Has anything so great^(AT) as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? ³³ Has any other people heard the voice of God^[a] speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?^{(AU) 34} Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation,^(AV) by testings,^(AW) by signs^(AX) and wonders,^(AY) by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,^(AZ) or by great and awesome deeds,^(BA) like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

³⁵ You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.^{(BB) 36} From heaven he made you hear his voice^(BC) to discipline^(BD) you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. ³⁷ Because he loved^(BE) your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,^{(BF) 38} to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance,^(BG) as it is today.

³⁹ Acknowledge^(BH) and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.^{(BI) 40} Keep^(BJ) his decrees and commands,^(BK) which I am giving you today, so that it may go well^(BL) with you and your children after you and that you may live long^(BM) in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.

Cities of Refuge^(BN)

⁴¹ Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, ⁴² to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if they had unintentionally^(BO) killed a neighbor without malice aforethought. They could flee into one of these cities and save their life. ⁴³ The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth^(BP) in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

Introduction to the Law

⁴⁴ This is the law Moses set before the Israelites. ⁴⁵ These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt ⁴⁶ and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon^(BQ) king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. ⁴⁷ They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. ⁴⁸ This land extended from Aroer^(BR) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion^[b](BS) (that is, Hermon^(BT)), ⁴⁹ and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea,^[c] below the slopes of Pisgah.

The Ten Commandments^(BU)

5 Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws^(BV) I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. ² The Lord our God made a covenant^(BW) with us at Horeb.^{(BX) 3} It was not with our ancestors^[d] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us,^(BY) with all of us who are alive here today.^{(BZ) 4} The Lord spoke^(CA) to you face to face^(CB) out of the fire^(CC) on the mountain. ⁵ (At that time I stood between^(CD) the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid^(CE) of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

²² These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;^(DD) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(DE) and gave them to me.

²³ When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(DF) came to me. ²⁴ And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(DG) his glory and his majesty,^(DH) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^{(DI) 25} But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.^{(DJ) 26} For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^{(DK) 27} Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.^(DL) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”^(DM)

²⁸ The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good.^{(DN) 29} Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me^(DO) and keep all my commands^(DP) always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!^(DQ)

³⁰ “Go, tell them to return to their tents. ³¹ But you stay here^(DR) with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

³² So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you;^(DS) do not turn aside to the right or to the left.^{(DT) 33} Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you,^(DU) so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days^(DV) in the land that you will possess.