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。’

The Greatest Commandment

“Now this is (A)the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, (B)that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, (C)and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and [a]be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may (D)multiply greatly (E)as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—(F)‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’

(G)“Hear, O Israel: [b]The Lord our God, the Lord is one! (H)You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, (I)with all your soul, and with all your strength.

“And (J)these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. (K)You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (L)You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. (M)You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Caution Against Disobedience

10 “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He [c]swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities (N)which you did not build, 11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—(O)when you have eaten and are full— 12 then beware, lest you forget the (P)Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 You shall (Q)fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and (R)shall take oaths in His name. 14 You shall not go after other gods, (S)the gods of the peoples who are all around you 15 (for (T)the Lord your God is a jealous God (U)among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

16 (V)“You shall not [d]tempt the Lord your God (W)as you [e]tempted Him in Massah. 17 You shall (X)diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. 18 And you (Y)shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, 19 (Z)to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.

20 (AA)“When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt (AB)with a mighty hand; 22 and the Lord showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. 23 Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He [f]swore to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to [g]observe all these [h]statutes, (AC)to fear the Lord our God, (AD)for our good always, that (AE)He might preserve us alive, as it is [i]this day. 25 Then (AF)it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.’

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:3 Lit. observe to do
  2. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone, i.e., the only one
  3. Deuteronomy 6:10 promised
  4. Deuteronomy 6:16 test
  5. Deuteronomy 6:16 tested
  6. Deuteronomy 6:23 promised
  7. Deuteronomy 6:24 do
  8. Deuteronomy 6:24 ordinances
  9. Deuteronomy 6:24 today

A Call for Wholehearted Commitment

“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again 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. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

10 “The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. 11 The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, 12 be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 13 You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.

14 “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, 15 for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. 16 You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah. 17 You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 19 You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the Lord said you would.

20 “In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’

21 “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. 22 The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. 23 He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. 24 And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. 25 For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.’

Footnotes

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