Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8

Names of God Bible

A Reminder to Keep God’s Laws

26 Soon you will enter and take possession of the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you as your property. When you have settled there, ² take some of the first produce harvested from the fields in the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, and put it in a basket. Then go to the place where Yahweh your Elohim will choose for his name to live. ³ Go to the priest who is serving at that time, and tell him, “I declare today to Yahweh your Elohim that I have come to the land that Yahweh is giving us, as he swore to our ancestors.” ⁴ Then the priest will take the basket from you and set it down in front of the altar of Yahweh your Elohim. ⁵ You will make this formal statement in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim: “My ancestors were wandering Arameans. There were only a few of them when they went to Egypt and lived as foreigners. But then they became a great, powerful, and large nation. ⁶ So the Egyptians treated us cruelly, oppressed us, and made us do back-breaking work for them. ⁷ We cried out to Yahweh Elohim of our ancestors, and Yahweh heard us. He saw our misery, suffering, and oppression. ⁸ Then Yahweh used his mighty hand and powerful arm to bring us out of Egypt. He used spectacular and awe-inspiring deeds, miraculous signs, and amazing things. ⁹ He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁰ So now I’ve brought the first produce harvested from the fields you gave me, Yahweh.”

You will place the basket in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim and bow down in front of him. ¹¹ Then you, the Levites, and the foreigners who live among you can enjoy all the good things which Yahweh your Elohim has given you and your family.

¹² Every third year is the year when you will store a tenth of that year’s crops in your houses. During that year distribute what you have stored to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows in your cities, and they may eat all they want. ¹³ When you have distributed all that was stored, say to Yahweh your Elohim, “Nothing is left of the holy offering stored in my house. I distributed it to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows as you commanded me. I disobeyed none of your commands, and I didn’t forget to do what you commanded. ¹⁴ I didn’t eat any of this holy offering while I was in mourning. I didn’t distribute any of it while I was unclean.^[a] I didn’t offer any of it to the dead. I have obeyed Yahweh my Elohim. I have done everything you commanded me. ¹⁵ Look down from your holy place in heaven. Bless your people Israel and the land flowing with milk and honey that you have given us, as you promised with an oath to our ancestors.”

¹⁶ Today Yahweh your Elohim is commanding you to obey these laws and rules. You must faithfully obey them with all your heart and with all your soul. ¹⁷ Today you have declared that Yahweh is your Elohim and that you will follow his directions, obey his laws, commands, and rules, and listen to him. ¹⁸ Today Yahweh has declared that you are his people, his own special possession, as he told you. But you must be sure to obey his commands. ¹⁹ Then he will place you high above all the other nations he has made. He will give you praise, fame, and honor, and you will be a people holy to Yahweh your Elohim, as he promised.

Write the Law on Stones

27 Moses and the leaders of Israel told the people, “Obey every command I’m giving you today.

² “The day you cross the Jordan River and enter the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, set up some large stones and cover them with plaster. ³ Yahweh Elohim of your ancestors is giving you a land flowing with milk and honey, as he promised you. After you’re in that land, write all the words of these teachings on the stones. ⁴ After you cross the Jordan River, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, and cover them with plaster, following the command I’m giving you today. ⁵ Build an altar of stones there dedicated to Yahweh your Elohim. Don’t use an iron chisel on the stones. ⁶ You must use uncut stones to build the altar of Yahweh your Elohim. Sacrifice burnt offerings on it to Yahweh your Elohim. ⁷ Sacrifice fellowship offerings, eat them there, and enjoy yourselves in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim. ⁸ Write clearly and carefully all the words of these teachings on the stones you set up.”

⁹ Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Be quiet and listen, Israel. Today you have become the people of Yahweh your Elohim. ¹⁰ Obey Yahweh your Elohim and follow his commands and laws which I’m giving you today.”

Curses Which Are to Be Recited

¹¹ That same day Moses gave the people this command: ¹² After you cross the Jordan River, these are the tribes that will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ¹³ These are the tribes that will stand on Mount Ebal to announce the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

¹⁴ The Levites will declare to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

¹⁵ “Whoever has a carved or metal statue, anything disgusting to Yahweh that was made by a craftsman, and sets it up in secret will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

¹⁶ “Whoever curses his father or mother will himself be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

¹⁷ “Whoever moves his neighbor’s boundary marker will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

¹⁸ “Whoever leads blind people in the wrong direction will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

¹⁹ “Whoever deprives foreigners, orphans, or widows of justice will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

²⁰ “Whoever has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife will be cursed. He has disgraced his father.” Then all the people will say amen.

²¹ “Whoever has sexual intercourse with any animal will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

²² “Whoever has sexual intercourse with his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

²³ “Whoever has sexual intercourse with his mother-in-law will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

²⁴ “Whoever kills another person secretly will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

²⁵ “Whoever accepts money to kill an innocent person will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

²⁶ “Whoever doesn’t obey every word of these teachings will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.

Blessings from the Lord

28 Carefully obey Yahweh your Elohim, and faithfully follow all his commands that I’m giving you today. If you do, Yahweh your Elohim will place you high above all the other nations in the world. ² These are all the blessings that will come to you and stay close to you because you obey Yahweh your Elohim:

³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

⁴ You will be blessed. You will have children. Your land will have crops. Your animals will have offspring. Your cattle will have calves, and your flocks will have lambs and kids.

⁵ The grain you harvest and the bread you bake will be blessed.

⁶ You will be blessed when you come and blessed when you go.

⁷ Yahweh will defeat your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction but run away from you in seven directions.

⁸ Yahweh will bless your barns and everything you do. Yahweh your Elohim will bless you in the land that he is giving you.

⁹ You will be Yahweh’s holy people, as he promised you with an oath. He will do this if you obey the commands of Yahweh your Elohim and follow his directions. ¹⁰ Then all the people in the world will see that you are Yahweh’s people, and they will be afraid of you. ¹¹ Yahweh will give you plenty of blessings: You will have many children. Your animals will have many offspring. Your soil will produce many crops in the land Yahweh will give you, as he swore to your ancestors.

¹² Yahweh will open the heavens, his rich storehouse, for you. He will send rain on your land at the right time and bless everything you do. You will be able to make loans to many nations but won’t need to borrow from any. ¹³ Yahweh will make you the head, not the tail. You will always be at the top, never at the bottom, if you faithfully obey the commands of Yahweh your Elohim that I am giving you today. ¹⁴ Do everything I’m commanding you today. Never worship other gods or serve them.

Curses from the Lord

¹⁵ Obey Yahweh your Elohim, and faithfully follow all his commands and laws that I am giving you today. If you don’t, all these curses will come to you and stay close to you:

¹⁶ You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.

¹⁷ The grain you harvest and the bread you bake will be cursed.

¹⁸ You will be cursed. You will have few children. Your land will have few crops. Your cattle will be cursed with few calves, and your flocks will have few lambs and kids.

¹⁹ You will be cursed when you come and cursed when you go.

²⁰ Yahweh will send you curses, panic, and frustration in everything you do until you’re destroyed and quickly disappear for the evil you will do by abandoning Yahweh. ²¹ Yahweh will send one plague after another on you until he wipes you out of the land you’re about to enter and take possession of. ²² Yahweh will strike you with disease, fever, and inflammation; heat waves,^[b] drought,^[c] scorching winds,^[d] and ruined crops. They will pursue you until you die. ²³ The sky above will look like bronze, and the ground below will be as hard as iron. ²⁴ Yahweh will send dust storms and sandstorms on you from the sky until you’re destroyed.

²⁵ Yahweh will let your enemies defeat you. You will attack them from one direction but run away from them in seven directions. You will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms in the world. ²⁶ Your dead bodies will be food for all the birds and wild animals. There will be no one to scare them away. ²⁷ Yahweh will strike you with the same boils that plagued the Egyptians. He will strike you with hemorrhoids,^[e] sores,^[f] and itching^[g] that won’t go away. ²⁸ Yahweh will strike you with madness, blindness, and panic. ²⁹ You will grope in broad daylight as blind people grope in their blindness. You won’t be successful in anything you do.^[h] As long as you live, you will be oppressed and robbed with no one to rescue you.

³⁰ You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will have sex with her. You will build a house, but you won’t live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you won’t enjoy the grapes. ³¹ Your ox will be butchered as you watch, but you won’t eat any of its meat. You will watch as your donkey is stolen from you, but you’ll never get it back. Your flock will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue it. ³² You will watch with your own eyes as your sons and daughters are given to another nation. You will strain your eyes looking for them all day long, but there will be nothing you can do. ³³ People you never knew will eat what your land and your hard work have produced. As long as you live, you will know nothing but oppression and abuse. ³⁴ The things you see will drive you mad. ³⁵ Yahweh will afflict your knees and legs with severe boils that can’t be cured. The boils will cover your whole body from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

³⁶ Yahweh will lead you and the king you choose to a nation that you and your ancestors never knew. There you will worship gods made of wood and stone. ³⁷ You will become a thing of horror. All the nations where Yahweh will send you will make an example of you and ridicule you.

³⁸ You will plant many crops in your fields, but harvest little because locusts will destroy your crops. ³⁹ You will plant vineyards and take care of them, but you won’t drink any wine or gather any grapes, because worms will eat them. ⁴⁰ You will have olive trees everywhere in your country but no olive oil to rub on your skin, because the olives will fall off the trees. ⁴¹ You will have sons and daughters, but you won’t be able to keep them because they will be taken as prisoners of war. ⁴² Crickets will swarm all over your trees and the crops in your fields.

⁴³ The standard of living for the foreigners who live among you will rise higher and higher, while your standard of living will sink lower and lower. ⁴⁴ They will be able to make loans to you, but you won’t be able to make loans to them. They will be the head, and you will be the tail.

⁴⁵ All these curses will come to you. They will pursue you and stay close to you until you’re destroyed, because you didn’t obey Yahweh your Elohim or follow his commands and laws, which I’m giving you. ⁴⁶ These curses will be a sign and an amazing thing to warn you and your descendants forever. ⁴⁷ You didn’t serve Yahweh your Elohim with a joyful and happy heart when you had so much. ⁴⁸ So you will serve your enemies, whom Yahweh will send against you. You will serve them even though you are already hungry, thirsty, naked, and in need of everything. Yahweh will put a heavy burden of hard work on you until he destroys you.

⁴⁹ Yahweh will bring against you a nation from far away, from the ends of the earth. The nation will swoop down on you like an eagle. It will be a nation whose language you won’t understand. ⁵⁰ Its people will be fierce-looking. They will show no respect for the old and no pity for the young. ⁵¹ They’ll eat the offspring of your animals and the crops from your fields until you’re destroyed. They’ll leave you no grain, no new wine, no olive oil, no calves from your herds, and no lambs or kids from your flocks. They’ll continue to do this until they’ve completely ruined you. ⁵² They will blockade all your cities until the high, fortified walls in which you trust come down everywhere in your land. They’ll blockade all the cities everywhere in the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you.

⁵³ Because of the hardships your enemies will make you suffer during the blockade, you will eat the flesh of your own children, the sons and daughters, whom Yahweh your Elohim has given you. ⁵⁴ Even the most tender and sensitive man among you will become stingy toward his brother, the wife he loves, and the children he still has left. ⁵⁵ He will give none of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all that he has left, because of the hardships your enemies will make you suffer during the blockade of all your cities. ⁵⁶ The most tender and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and tender that she wouldn’t even step on an ant—will become stingy toward the husband she loves or toward her own son or daughter. ⁵⁷ She won’t share with them the afterbirth from her body and the children she gives birth to. She will secretly eat them out of dire necessity, because of the hardships your enemies will make you suffer during the blockade of your cities.

⁵⁸ You might not faithfully obey every word of the teachings that are written in this book. You might not fear this glorious and awe-inspiring name: Yahweh your Elohim. ⁵⁹ If so, Yahweh will strike you and your descendants with unimaginable plagues. They will be terrible and continuing plagues and severe and lingering diseases. ⁶⁰ He will again bring all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. ⁶¹ Yahweh will also bring you every kind of sickness and plague not written in this Book of Teachings. They will continue until you’re dead. ⁶² At one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky. But only a few of you will be left, because you didn’t obey Yahweh your Elohim. ⁶³ At one time Yahweh was more than glad to make you prosperous and numerous. Now Yahweh will be more than glad to destroy you and wipe you out. You will be torn out of the land you’re about to enter and take possession of.

⁶⁴ Then Yahweh will scatter you among all the people of the world, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will serve gods made of wood and stone that neither you nor your ancestors ever knew. ⁶⁵ Among those nations you will find no peace, no place to call your own. There Yahweh will give you an unsettled mind, failing eyesight, and despair. ⁶⁶ Your life will always be hanging by a thread. You will live in terror day and night. You will never feel sure of your life. ⁶⁷ In the morning you’ll say, “If only it were evening!” And in the evening you’ll say, “If only it were morning!” You’ll talk this way because of the things that will terrify you and because of the things you’ll see. ⁶⁸ Yahweh will bring you back to Egypt in ships^[i] on a journey that I said you would never take again. There you will try to sell yourselves as slaves to your enemies, but no one will buy you.

Israel’s Past, Present, and Future

29 ^[j]These are the terms of the promise^[k] that Yahweh commanded Moses to give to the Israelites in Moab. This was in addition to the promise Yahweh gave them at Mount Horeb.

² Moses summoned all the people of Israel and said to them:

You’ve seen with your own eyes everything that Yahweh did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his whole country. ³ You also saw those terrible plagues, those miraculous signs, and those spectacular, amazing things. ⁴ But to this day Yahweh hasn’t given you a mind that understands, eyes that see, or ears that hear. ⁵ For 40 years I led you through the desert. During that time your clothes and shoes never wore out. ⁶ You ate no bread and drank no wine or liquor. I did this so that you would know that I am Yahweh your Elohim.

⁷ When you came to this place, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out to fight us, but we defeated them. ⁸ We took their land and gave it to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh as their property.