最大的诫命

“你们的上帝耶和华吩咐我教导你们以下的诫命、律例和典章,以便你们在将要占领的土地上遵行。 这样,你们就会得享长寿,你们及子孙就会终生敬畏你们的上帝耶和华,遵守祂借我吩咐你们的一切律例和诫命。 以色列人啊,你们要留心听,谨慎遵行,以便你们在那奶蜜之乡可以凡事顺利、子孙众多,正如你们祖先的上帝耶和华给你们的应许。 听啊,以色列人,耶和华是我们的上帝,耶和华是独一的。 你们要全心、全意、全力爱你们的上帝耶和华。 要将我今天吩咐你们的话牢记在心, 并教导你们的儿女,无论在家在外,或起或卧,都要讲论这些律例和诫命。 要把它们系在手上、戴在额上作记号, 要写在城门上和自家的门框上。

10 “你们的上帝耶和华将带你们进入祂向你们祖先亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各起誓要赐给你们的土地。那里的宏伟城邑不是你们建造的, 11 满屋的美物不是你们积攒的,井不是你们挖掘的,葡萄园和橄榄树也不是你们栽种的。你们在那里吃饱喝足之后, 12 要小心,不可忘记把你们从受奴役之地——埃及救出来的耶和华。 13 要敬畏你们的上帝耶和华,事奉祂,凭祂的名起誓。 14 不可随从周围各族的神明, 15 免得你们的上帝耶和华向你们发怒,把你们从世上消灭;因为祂住在你们当中,祂痛恨不贞。

16 “不可像在玛撒那样试探你们的上帝耶和华。 17 要谨遵你们的上帝耶和华吩咐你们的诫命、法度和律例。 18 你们要做耶和华视为正与善的事,以便你们可以凡事顺利,得到耶和华起誓赐给你们祖先的佳美之地, 19 赶出所有敌人,正如耶和华所言。

20 “将来你们的子孙会问,‘我们的上帝耶和华给你们颁布这些法度、律例和典章是什么意思?’ 21 你们要告诉他们,‘我们曾在埃及做法老的奴隶,耶和华用大能的手领我们离开埃及。 22 我们亲眼看见耶和华行伟大而可畏的神迹奇事,惩罚埃及和法老全家。 23 祂带领我们离开埃及,为要把我们带进祂起誓赐给我们祖先的这片土地。 24 我们的上帝耶和华吩咐我们遵守这一切律例、敬畏祂,以便我们可以常常受益,生命无忧,正如今日的情形。 25 如果我们按照我们的上帝耶和华的吩咐,在祂面前谨遵这一切诫命,我们便被算为义人。’

Wetten voor groot en klein

‘De Here, uw God, droeg mij op u al deze geboden te geven, die u moet gehoorzamen in het land dat u spoedig zult binnentrekken en waar u zult leven. Het doel van deze wetten is dat u, uw kinderen en uw kleinkinderen de Here, uw God, eer bewijzen door al zijn aanwijzingen uw leven lang op te volgen. Als u dat doet, hebt u een lang en voorspoedig leven in het vooruitzicht. Daarom, Israël, luister goed naar elk gebod en gehoorzaam het nauwgezet, zodat het u goed zal gaan en u vele kinderen zult hebben. Als u deze geboden gehoorzaamt, zult u een groot volk worden in een heerlijk land dat overvloeit van melk en honing, net zoals de God van uw voorouders het u heeft beloofd.

Israël, luister: de Here is onze God, de Here is één. Heb de Here, uw God, lief met heel uw hart, en geheel uw ziel en al uw krachten. En u moet de geboden die ik u vandaag geef, voortdurend in gedachten houden. U moet ze uw kinderen inprenten en erover praten als u thuis bent of buiten loopt. Ja, ook tijdens het opstaan en naar bed gaan. Bind ze aan uw hand, draag ze op uw voorhoofd en schrijf ze op de deurposten van uw huis en op de poorten van uw steden. 10-12 Wanneer de Here, uw God, u in het land heeft gebracht dat Hij uw voorouders Abraham, Isaak en Jakob beloofde en u grote steden vol met goede dingen heeft gegeven—steden die u niet zelf hebt gebouwd, bronnen die u niet hebt gegraven en wijngaarden en olijfbomen die u niet hebt geplant—en wanneer u uw buik vol hebt gegeten, zorg er dan voor dat u de Here, die u uit Egypte—het land van de slavernij—heeft bevrijd, niet vergeet. 13 Als u voldaan bent, vergeet dan niet Hem dankbaar te zijn en Hem te dienen en alleen zijn naam te gebruiken voor het bekrachtigen van uw beloften. 14 U mag de afgoden van de naburige volken niet vereren, 15 want de Here, uw God, die bij u woont, is een jaloerse God. Zijn toorn zou dan wel eens tegen u kunnen ontbranden, zodat Hij u van de aardbodem wegvaagt.

16 U moet de Here, uw God, niet op de proef stellen, zoals u deed toen u zich tegen Hem beklaagde bij Massa. 17 U moet al zijn geboden met woord en daad gehoorzamen. 18 Alleen dan zult u doen wat rechtvaardig en goed is in de ogen van de Here. Als u Hem gehoorzaamt, zal het u goed gaan en zult u het land kunnen binnentrekken en in bezit nemen dat de Here uw voorouders beloofde. 19 Ook zult u in staat zijn uw vijanden die in uw land leven te verdrijven, want de Here heeft dat al bepaald.

20 Als uw zoon later aan u vraagt: “Wat is het nut van de wetten die de Here, onze God, ons heeft gegeven?”, 21 moet u hem antwoorden: “In Egypte waren wij slaven van de farao en de Here voerde ons met grote kracht 22 en machtige wonderen uit Egypte, wonderen die onheil brachten over Egypte, de farao en zijn hele volk. Wij hebben dat met onze eigen ogen gezien. 23 Hij leidde ons uit Egypte om ons het land te geven dat Hij onze voorouders had beloofd. 24 Hij heeft ons bevolen al deze wetten te gehoorzamen en Hem hoog in ere te houden, zodat Hij ons kan laten leven zoals Hij tot nu toe heeft gedaan. 25 Zolang wij alle wetten van de Here onze God gehoorzamen, zullen wij rechtvaardig tegenover God zijn, omdat wij doen wat Hij ons heeft geboden.” ’

The Greatest Commandment

“Now this is (A)the commandment—the statutes and the rules[a]—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that (B)you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and (C)that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, (D)as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

“Hear, O Israel: (E)The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[b] You (F)shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And (G)these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. (H)You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (I)You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. (J)You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities (K)that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 (L)then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 It is (M)the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and (N)by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not (O)go after other gods, (P)the gods of the peoples who are around you— 15 for (Q)the Lord your God in your midst (R)is a jealous God—(S)lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.

16 (T)“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, (U)as you tested him at Massah. 17 You shall (V)diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18 (W)And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers 19 (X)by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.

20 (Y)“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, (Z)‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 And (AA)the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23 And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, (AB)to fear the Lord our God, (AC)for our good always, that (AD)he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. 25 And (AE)it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:1 Or just decrees; also verse 20
  2. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone

Love the Lord Your God

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear(A) the Lord your God as long as you live(B) by keeping all his decrees and commands(C) that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.(D) Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey(E) so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly(F) in a land flowing with milk and honey,(G) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised(H) you.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a](I) Love(J) the Lord your God with all your heart(K) and with all your soul and with all your strength.(L) These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.(M) Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.(N) Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.(O) Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.(P)

10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,(Q) 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig,(R) and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,(S) 12 be careful that you do not forget(T) the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

13 Fear the Lord(U) your God, serve him only(V) and take your oaths(W) in his name.(X) 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the Lord your God(Y), who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test(Z) as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep(AA) the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you.(AB) 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight,(AC) so that it may go well(AD) with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies(AE) before you, as the Lord said.

20 In the future, when your son asks you,(AF) “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.(AG) 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God,(AH) so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.(AI) 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law(AJ) before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone