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The Altar on Mount Ebal

27 Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. And on the day (A)you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. (B)And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, (C)a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, (D)on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. (E)You shall wield no iron tool on them; you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut[a] stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and (F)shall eat there, and you (G)shall rejoice before the Lord your God. And (H)you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”

Curses from Mount Ebal

Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: (I)this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”

11 That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12 “When you have crossed over the Jordan, (J)these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And (K)the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:

15 (L)“‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast-metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ (M)And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

16 (N)“‘Cursed be anyone who dishonours his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

17 (O)“‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbour's landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

18 (P)“‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

19 (Q)“‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

20 (R)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has (S)uncovered his father's nakedness.’[b] And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

21 (T)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

22 (U)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

23 (V)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

24 (W)“‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbour in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

25 (X)“‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

26 (Y)“‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 27:6 Hebrew whole
  2. Deuteronomy 27:20 Hebrew uncovered his father's skirt

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Aleph

119 [a] Blessed are those whose (A)way is blameless,
    who (B)walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who (C)keep his (D)testimonies,
    who (E)seek him with their whole heart,
who also (F)do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your (G)precepts
    to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may (H)be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!
(I)Then I shall not be put to shame,
    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn (J)your righteous rules.[b]
I will keep your statutes;
    (K)do not utterly forsake me!

Beth

How can (L)a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
10 (M)With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not (N)wander from your commandments!
11 I have (O)stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
    (P)teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I (Q)declare
    all the rules[c] of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I (R)delight
    as much as in all (S)riches.
15 I will (T)meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your (U)ways.
16 I will (V)delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

Gimel

17 (W)Deal bountifully with your servant,
    (X)that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
19 I am (Y)a sojourner on the earth;
    (Z)hide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with (AA)longing
    for your rules[d] at all times.
21 You rebuke (AB)the insolent, (AC)accursed ones,
    who (AD)wander from your commandments.
22 Take away from me (AE)scorn and contempt,
    (AF)for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though (AG)princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will (AH)meditate on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my (AI)delight;
    they are my (AJ)counsellors.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 119:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter
  2. Psalm 119:7 Or your just and righteous decrees; also verses 62, 106, 160, 164
  3. Psalm 119:13 Or all the just decrees
  4. Psalm 119:20 Or your just decrees; also verses 30, 39, 43, 52, 75, 102, 108, 137, 156, 175

The Eternal Covenant of Peace

54 (A)“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
    break forth into singing and cry aloud,
    you who have not been in labour!
For the children of (B)the desolate one (C)will be more
    than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
(D)“Enlarge the place of your tent,
    and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
    and strengthen your stakes.
(E)For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
    and your offspring will possess the nations
    and will people the desolate cities.
“Fear not, (F)for you will not be ashamed;
    be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
    and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
(G)For your Maker is your husband,
    the Lord of hosts is his name;
(H)and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
    (I)the God of the whole earth he is called.
(J)For the Lord has called you
    like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
    says your God.
(K)For a brief moment I deserted you,
    but with great compassion I will gather you.
(L)In overflowing anger for a moment
    I hid my face from you,
(M)but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord, your Redeemer.
“This is like (N)the days of Noah[a] to me:
    as I swore that the waters of Noah
    should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
    and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and (O)my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
11 (P)“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
    behold, (Q)I will set your stones in antimony,
    (R)and lay your foundations with sapphires.[b]
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,[c]
    your gates of carbuncles,[d]
    and all your wall of precious stones.
13 (S)All your children (T)shall be taught by the Lord,
    (U)and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
    you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
    and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 (V)If anyone stirs up strife,
    it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
    shall fall because of you.
16 Behold, I have created the smith
    who blows the fire of coals
    and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17     no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
    and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgement.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
    (W)and their vindication[e] from me, declares the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:9 Some manuscripts For this is as the waters of Noah
  2. Isaiah 54:11 Or lapis lazuli
  3. Isaiah 54:12 Or jasper, or ruby
  4. Isaiah 54:12 Or crystal
  5. Isaiah 54:17 Or righteousness