³ You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor.^(A) The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, ⁴ but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

⁵ See, I have taught^(B) you decrees and laws^(C) as the Lord my God commanded^(D) me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering^(E) to take possession of it. ⁶ Observe^(F) them carefully, for this will show your wisdom^(G) and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”^{(H) 7} What other nation is so great^(I) as to have their gods near^(J) them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? ⁸ And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws^(K) as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

⁹ Only be careful,^(L) and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach^(M) them to your children^(N) and to their children after them. ¹⁰ Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb,^(O) when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn^(P) to revere^(Q) me as long as they live in the land^(R) and may teach^(S) them to their children.” ¹¹ You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain^(T) while it blazed with fire^(U) to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.^{(V) 12} Then the Lord spoke^(W) to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form;^(X) there was only a voice.^{(Y) 13} He declared to you his covenant,^(Z) the Ten Commandments,^(AA) which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. ¹⁴ And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws^(AB) you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Idolatry Forbidden

¹⁵ You saw no form^(AC) of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb^(AD) out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,^{(AE) 16} so that you do not become corrupt^(AF) and make for yourselves an idol,^(AG) 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,^{(AH) 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,^(AI) the moon and the stars^(AJ)—all the heavenly array^(AK)—do not be enticed^(AL) into bowing down to them and worshiping^(AM) 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,^(AN) out of Egypt,^(AO) to be the people of his inheritance,^(AP) as you now are.

²¹ The Lord was angry with me^(AQ) 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;^(AR) I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.^{(AS) 23} Be careful not to forget the covenant^(AT) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol^(AU) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. ²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,^(AV) a jealous God.^(AW)

²⁵ After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt^(AX) and make any kind of idol,^(AY) doing evil^(AZ) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, ²⁶ I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses^(BA) against you^(BB) this day that you will quickly perish^(BC) 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^(BD) you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive^(BE) among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. ²⁸ There you will worship man-made gods^(BF) of wood and stone,^(BG) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.^{(BH) 29} But if from there you seek^(BI) the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart^(BJ) and with all your soul.^{(BK) 30} When you are in distress^(BL) and all these things have happened to you, then in later days^(BM) you will return^(BN) to the Lord your God and obey him. ³¹ For the Lord your God is a merciful^(BO) God; he will not abandon^(BP) or destroy^(BQ) you or forget^(BR) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.