Tablets Like the First Ones

10 At that time the Lord said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets^(A) like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark.^{[a] 2} I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark.”^(B)

³ So I made the ark out of acacia wood^(C) and chiseled^(D) out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. ⁴ The Lord wrote on these tablets what he had written before, the Ten Commandments^(E) he had proclaimed^(F) to you on the mountain, out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.^(G) And the Lord gave them to me. ⁵ Then I came back down the mountain^(H) and put the tablets in the ark^(I) I had made,^(J) as the Lord commanded me, and they are there now.^(K)

⁶ (The Israelites traveled from the wells of Bene Jaakan to Moserah.^(L) There Aaron died^(M) and was buried, and Eleazar^(N) his son succeeded him as priest.^{(O) 7} From there they traveled to Gudgodah and on to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water.^{(P) 8} At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi^(Q) to carry the ark of the covenant^(R) of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister^(S) and to pronounce blessings^(T) in his name, as they still do today.^{(U) 9} That is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance,^(V) as the Lord your God told them.)

¹⁰ Now I had stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, as I did the first time, and the Lord listened to me at this time also. It was not his will to destroy you.^{(W) 11} “Go,” the Lord said to me, “and lead the people on their way, so that they may enter and possess the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.”

Fear the Lord

¹² And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you^(X) but to fear^(Y) the Lord your God, to walk^(Z) in obedience to him, to love him,^(AA) to serve the Lord^(AB) your God with all your heart^(AC) and with all your soul,^{(AD) 13} and to observe the Lord’s commands^(AE) and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?^(AF)

¹⁴ To the Lord your God belong the heavens,^(AG) even the highest heavens,^(AH) the earth and everything in it.^{(AI) 15} Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved^(AJ) them, and he chose you,^(AK) their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today.^{(AL) 16} Circumcise^(AM) your hearts,^(AN) therefore, and do not be stiff-necked^(AO) any longer. ¹⁷ For the Lord your God is God of gods^(AP) and Lord of lords,^(AQ) the great God, mighty and awesome,^(AR) who shows no partiality^(AS) and accepts no bribes.^{(AT) 18} He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,^(AU) and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.^{(AV) 19} And you are to love^(AW) those who are foreigners,^(AX) for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.^{(AY) 20} Fear the Lord your God and serve him.^(AZ) Hold fast^(BA) to him and take your oaths in his name.^{(BB) 21} He is the one you praise;^(BC) he is your God, who performed for you those great^(BD) and awesome wonders^(BE) you saw with your own eyes. ²² Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all,^(BF) and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.^(BG)

Love and Obey the Lord

11 Love^(BH) the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.^{(BI) 2} Remember today that your children^(BJ) were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God:^(BK) his majesty,^(BL) his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;^{(BM) 3} the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;^{(BN) 4} what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots,^(BO) how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea^[b](BP) as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. ⁵ It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, ⁶ and what he did^(BQ) to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened^(BR) its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. ⁷ But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.^(BS)

⁸ Observe therefore all the commands^(BT) I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,^{(BU) 9} and so that you may live long^(BV) in the land the Lord swore^(BW) to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.^{(BX) 10} The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt,^(BY) from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. ¹¹ But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys^(BZ) that drinks rain from heaven.^{(CA) 12} It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes^(CB) of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

¹³ So if you faithfully obey^(CC) the commands I am giving you today—to love^(CD) the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul^(CE)— ¹⁴ then I will send rain^(CF) on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains,^(CG) so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. ¹⁵ I will provide grass^(CH) in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.^(CI)

¹⁶ Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.^{(CJ) 17} Then the Lord’s anger^(CK) will burn against you, and he will shut up^(CL) the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce,^(CM) and you will soon perish^(CN) from the good land the Lord is giving you. ¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^{(CO) 19} Teach them to your children,^(CP) talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.^{(CQ) 20} Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,^{(CR) 21} so that your days and the days of your children may be many^(CS) in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.^(CT)

²² If you carefully observe^(CU) all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love^(CV) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast^(CW) to him— ²³ then the Lord will drive out^(CX) all these nations^(CY) before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.^{(CZ) 24} Every place where you set your foot will be yours:^(DA) Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River^(DB) to the Mediterranean Sea. ²⁵ No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror^(DC) and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.^(DD)

²⁶ See, I am setting before you today a blessing^(DE) and a curse^(DF)— ²⁷ the blessing^(DG) if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; ²⁸ the curse if you disobey^(DH) the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods,^(DI) which you have not known. ²⁹ When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim^(DJ) the blessings, and on Mount Ebal^(DK) the curses.^{(DL) 30} As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh,^(DM) in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal.^{(DN) 31} You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession^(DO) of the land the Lord your God is giving^(DP) you. When you have taken it over and are living there, ³² be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.

The One Place of Worship

12 These are the decrees^(DQ) and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land.^{(DR) 2} Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains,^(DS) on the hills and under every spreading tree,^(DT) where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. ³ Break down their altars, smash^(DU) their sacred stones and burn^(DV) their Asherah^(DW) poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names^(DX) from those places.

⁴ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.^{(DY) 5} But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name^(DZ) there for his dwelling.^(EA) To that place you must go; ⁶ there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes^(EB) and special gifts, what you have vowed^(EC) to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.^{(ED) 7} There, in the presence^(EE) of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice^(EF) in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

⁸ You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,^{(EG) 9} since you have not yet reached the resting place^(EH) and the inheritance^(EI) the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁰ But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving^(EJ) you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest^(EK) from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. ¹¹ Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name^(EL)—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.^{(EM) 12} And there rejoice^(EN) before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites^(EO) from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance^(EP) of their own. ¹³ Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.^{(EQ) 14} Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose^(ER) in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

¹⁵ Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer,^(ES) according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. ¹⁶ But you must not eat the blood;^(ET) pour^(EU) it out on the ground like water.^{(EV) 17} You must not eat in your own towns the tithe^(EW) of your grain and new wine and olive oil,^(EX) or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give,^(EY) or your freewill offerings or special gifts.^{(EZ) 18} Instead, you are to eat^(FA) them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose^(FB)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice^(FC) before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. ¹⁹ Be careful not to neglect the Levites^(FD) as long as you live in your land.^(FE)

²⁰ When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory^(FF) as he promised^(FG) you, and you crave meat^(FH) and say, “I would like some meat,” then you may eat as much of it as you want. ²¹ If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name^(FI) is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want.^{(FJ) 22} Eat them as you would gazelle or deer.^(FK) Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. ²³ But be sure you do not eat the blood,^(FL) because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.^{(FM) 24} You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.^{(FN) 25} Do not eat it, so that it may go well^(FO) with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right^(FP) in the eyes of the Lord.

²⁶ But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give,^(FQ) and go to the place the Lord will choose. ²⁷ Present your burnt offerings^(FR) on the altar of the Lord your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat^(FS) the meat. ²⁸ Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well^(FT) with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

²⁹ The Lord your God will cut off^(FU) before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land,^{(FV) 30} and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared^(FW) by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”^{(FX) 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.^(FY) They even burn their sons^(FZ) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.^(GA)

³² See that you do all I command you; do not add^(GB) to it or take away from it.^[c]

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) and Timothy^(C) our brother,

² To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters^[a] in Christ:

Grace^(D) and peace to you from God our Father.^[b](E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ We always thank God,^(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love^(G) you have for all God’s people^(H)— ⁵ the faith and love that spring from the hope^(I) stored up for you in heaven^(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message^(K) of the gospel ⁶ that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit^(L) and growing throughout the whole world^(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷ You learned it from Epaphras,^(N) our dear fellow servant,^[c] who is a faithful minister^(O) of Christ on our^[d] behalf, ⁸ and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.^(P)

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you,^(Q) we have not stopped praying for you.^(R) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will^(S) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{[e](T) 10} so that you may live a life worthy^(U) of the Lord and please him^(V) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,^{(W) 11} being strengthened with all power^(X) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,^{(Y) 12} and giving joyful thanks to the Father,^(Z) who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance^(AA) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.^{(AB) 13} For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(AC) and brought us into the kingdom^(AD) of the Son he loves,^{(AE) 14} in whom we have redemption,^(AF) the forgiveness of sins.^(AG)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵ The Son is the image^(AH) of the invisible God,^(AI) the firstborn^(AJ) over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created:^(AK) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;^(AL) all things have been created through him and for him.^{(AM) 17} He is before all things,^(AN) and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head^(AO) of the body, the church;^(AP) he is the beginning and the firstborn^(AQ) from among the dead,^(AR) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased^(AS) to have all his fullness^(AT) dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile^(AU) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,^(AV) by making peace^(AW) through his blood,^(AX) shed on the cross.

²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies^(AY) in your minds^(AZ) because of^[g] your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled^(BA) you by Christ’s physical body^(BB) through death to present you^(BC) holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation^(BD)— ²³ if you continue^(BE) in your faith, established^(BF) and firm, and do not move from the hope^(BG) held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,^(BH) and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.^(BI)

Paul’s Labor for the Church

²⁴ Now I rejoice^(BJ) in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,^(BK) for the sake of his body, which is the church.^{(BL) 25} I have become its servant^(BM) by the commission God gave me^(BN) to present to you the word of God^(BO) in its fullness— ²⁶ the mystery^(BP) that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. ²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known^(BQ) among the Gentiles the glorious riches^(BR) of this mystery, which is Christ in you,^(BS) the hope of glory.

²⁸ He is the one we proclaim, admonishing^(BT) and teaching everyone with all wisdom,^(BU) so that we may present everyone fully mature^(BV) in Christ. ²⁹ To this end I strenuously^(BW) contend^(BX) with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.^(BY)