After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself,(A) “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness(B) of these nations(C) that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.

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Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.

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(A)“Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is (B)because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you.

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17 You may say to yourself,(A) “My power and the strength of my hands(B) have produced this wealth for me.”

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17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

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17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’

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Occult Practices

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate(A) the detestable ways(B) of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire,(C) who practices divination(D) or sorcery,(E) interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,(F) 11 or casts spells,(G) or who is a medium or spiritist(H) or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.(I) 13 You must be blameless(J) before the Lord your God.(K)

The Prophet

14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination.(L) But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.

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When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

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Avoid Wicked Customs

“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, (A)you shall not learn to follow the [a]abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter (B)pass[b] through the fire, (C)or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 (D)or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or (E)one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are [c]an abomination to the Lord, and (F)because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be [d]blameless before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not [e]appointed such for you.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:9 detestable acts
  2. Deuteronomy 18:10 Be burned as an offering to an idol
  3. Deuteronomy 18:12 detestable
  4. Deuteronomy 18:13 Lit. perfect
  5. Deuteronomy 18:14 allowed you to do so

31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.(A) They even burn their sons(B) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.(C)

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31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

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31 (A)You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every [a]abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for (B)they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 12:31 detestable action

It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity(A) that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness(B) of these nations,(C) the Lord your God will drive them out(D) before you, to accomplish what he swore(E) to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.(F)

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Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

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(A)It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may [a]fulfill the (B)word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 9:5 perform

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous(A) than other peoples, for you were the fewest(B) of all peoples.(C) But it was because the Lord loved(D) you and kept the oath he swore(E) to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand(F) and redeemed(G) you from the land of slavery,(H) from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

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The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

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The Lord did not set His (A)love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were (B)the least of all peoples; but (C)because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep (D)the oath which He swore to your fathers, (E)the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of [a]bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:8 slavery

24 “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you(A) became defiled.(B) 25 Even the land was defiled;(C) so I punished it for its sin,(D) and the land vomited out its inhabitants.(E) 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws.(F) The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 And if you defile the land,(G) it will vomit you out(H) as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

29 “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. 30 Keep my requirements(I) and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.(J)’”

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24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God.

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24 (A)‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; (B)for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For (C)the land is defiled; therefore I (D)visit[a] the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land (E)vomits out its inhabitants. 26 (F)You shall therefore [b]keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest (G)the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29 For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be [c]cut off from among their people.

30 ‘Therefore you shall keep My [d]ordinance, so (H)that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: (I)I am the Lord your God.’ ”

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 18:25 bring judgment for
  2. Leviticus 18:26 obey
  3. Leviticus 18:29 Put to death
  4. Leviticus 18:30 charge

At one time(A) we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness(B) and love of God our Savior(C) appeared,(D) he saved us,(E) not because of righteous things we had done,(F) but because of his mercy.(G) He saved us through the washing(H) of rebirth and renewal(I) by the Holy Spirit,

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For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

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For (A)we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when (B)the kindness and the love of (C)God our Savior toward man appeared, (D)not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through (E)the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

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He has saved(A) us and called(B) us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done(C) but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

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Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

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who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, (A)not according to our works, but (B)according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus (C)before time began,

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