Add parallel Print Page Options

Detailed Stipulations

“Now this is the commandment, the rules and the regulations, that Yahweh your God charged to teach to you for you to observe[a] in the land that you are about to cross over into[b] to take possession of it, so that you may revere Yahweh your God by keeping all his statutes and his commandments that I am commanding you, you and your children and grandchildren,[c] all the days of your life and so you may live long[d] lives. And you shall hear, Israel, and be careful to observe these instructions, so that it may go well for you[e] and that you may multiply greatly, just as Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,[f] promised[g] you, in a land with milk and honey.

“Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique.[h] And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart[i] and with all of your soul[j] and with all of your might. And these words that I am commanding you today[k] shall be on[l] your heart.[m] And you shall recite them to your children, and you shall talk about them at the time of your living in your house and at the time of your going on the road and at the time of your lying down and at the time of your rising up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as an emblem between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorframe of your house and on your gates.

10 “And then it will happen that when Yahweh your God will bring you to the land that he swore to your ancestors,[n] to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to you large and fine cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all sorts of good things[o] that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant, and you have eaten your fill,[p] 12 then take care for yourself, so that you do not forget Yahweh, who brought you out from the land of Egypt from the house of slavery.

13 “You shall fear Yahweh your God, and you shall serve him, and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods from the gods of the peoples who are all around you, 15 for Yahweh your God is a jealous god in your midst, so that the anger of Yahweh your God would be kindled,[q] and he would destroy you from the face of the earth. 16 You shall not put Yahweh your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and his legal provisions and his rules that he has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right and good in the eyes of Yahweh, so that it shall go well[r] for you and so that you may go and you may take possession of the good land that Yahweh swore for your ancestors,[s] 19 by driving out all of your enemies before you,[t] just as Yahweh has promised.[u]

20 “When your child[v] asks you in the future, saying,[w] ‘What is the meaning of the legal provisions and the rules and the regulations that Yahweh our God commanded for you?’ 21 Then you shall say to your child,[x] ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and Yahweh brought us out from Egypt with a strong hand. 22 And Yahweh gave great and awesome signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and against his entire household in our presence.[y] 23 But he brought us out from there in order to bring us here to give us the land that he swore to our ancestors.[z] 24 And so Yahweh commanded us to observe all of these rules and to revere Yahweh our God for our benefit[aa] all the days that we live,[ab] as it is today.[ac] 25 And it shall be righteousness for us if we diligently observe and do all of this commandment before[ad] Yahweh our God, as he has commanded us.’

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:1 Literally “to do”
  2. Deuteronomy 6:1 Or “there”
  3. Deuteronomy 6:2 Literally “the children of your children”
  4. Deuteronomy 6:2 Literally “they may be long your days”
  5. Deuteronomy 6:3 Literally “it/he may be good”
  6. Deuteronomy 6:3 Or “fathers”
  7. Deuteronomy 6:3 Literally “spoke”
  8. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or “one”; or possibly “one Lord”
  9. Deuteronomy 6:5 Or “mind”
  10. Deuteronomy 6:5 Or “inner self”
  11. Deuteronomy 6:6 Literally “the day”
  12. Deuteronomy 6:6 Or “in”
  13. Deuteronomy 6:6 Or “mind”
  14. Deuteronomy 6:10 Or “fathers”
  15. Deuteronomy 6:11 Hebrew “thing”
  16. Deuteronomy 6:11 Literally “you have eaten and you are satisfied”
  17. Deuteronomy 6:15 Literally “so that not/lest the nose of Yahweh your God would become hot”
  18. Deuteronomy 6:18 Literally “he/it shall be good”
  19. Deuteronomy 6:18 Or “your fathers”
  20. Deuteronomy 6:19 Literally “the face of you”
  21. Deuteronomy 6:19 Literally “had spoken”
  22. Deuteronomy 6:20 Or “son”
  23. Deuteronomy 6:20 Literally “to say”
  24. Deuteronomy 6:21 Or “son”
  25. Deuteronomy 6:22 Literally “before our eyes”
  26. Deuteronomy 6:23 Or “fathers”
  27. Deuteronomy 6:24 Literally “for good for us”
  28. Deuteronomy 6:24 Literally “all the days for our living”
  29. Deuteronomy 6:24 Literally “as the day the this”
  30. Deuteronomy 6:25 Literally “in the faces of”

The great commandment

Now these are the commandments, the regulations, and the case laws that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you to follow in the land you are entering to possess, so that you will fear the Lord your God by keeping all his regulations and his commandments that I am commanding you—both you and your sons and daughters—all the days of your life and so that you will lengthen your life. Listen to them, Israel! Follow them carefully so that things will go well for you and so that you will continue to multiply exactly as the Lord, your ancestors’ God, promised you, in a land full of milk and honey.

Israel, listen! Our God is the Lord! Only the Lord![a]

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. These words that I am commanding you today must always be on your minds. Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up. Tie them on your hand as a sign. They should be on your forehead as a symbol.[b] Write them on your house’s doorframes and on your city’s gates.

10 Now once the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to you—a land that will be full of large and wonderful towns that you didn’t build, 11 houses stocked with all kinds of goods that you didn’t stock, cisterns that you didn’t make, vineyards and olive trees that you didn’t plant—and you eat and get stuffed, 12 watch yourself! Don’t forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 Revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take your solemn pledges in his name! 14 Don’t follow other gods, those gods of the people around you— 15 because the Lord your God, who is with you and among you, is a passionate God. The Lord your God’s anger will burn against you, and he will wipe you off the fertile land. 16 Don’t test the Lord your God the way you frustrated him at Massah. 17 You must carefully follow the Lord your God’s commands along with the laws and regulations he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight so that things will go well for you and so you will enter and take possession of the wonderful land that the Lord swore to your ancestors, 19 and so the Lord will drive out all your enemies from before you, just as he promised.

The next generation

20 In the future, your children will ask you, “What is the meaning of the laws,[c] the regulations, and the case laws that the Lord our God commanded you?” 21 Tell them: We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. But the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our own eyes, the Lord performed great and awesome deeds of power[d] against Egypt, Pharaoh, and his entire dynasty. 23 But the Lord brought us out from there so that he could bring us in, giving us the land that he swore to our ancestors. 24 Then the Lord commanded us to perform all these regulations, revering the Lord our God, so that things go well for us always and so we continue to live, as we’re doing right now. 25 What’s more, we will be considered righteous if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as he commanded us.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord is our God, the Lord only; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone; 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.
  2. Deuteronomy 6:8 Heb uncertain; cf Exod 13:16; Syr sign or mark; Tg phylacteries
  3. Deuteronomy 6:20 Or What are the laws…?
  4. Deuteronomy 6:22 Or signs and wonders