¹⁵ ‘Cursed is anyone who carves or casts an idol and secretly sets it up. These idols, the work of craftsmen, are detestable to the Lord.’

And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’

¹⁷ You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.

⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

⁸ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

Blessings for Obedience

26 “Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the Lord your God.

⁴ “Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

¹⁶ For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying?

¹⁶ So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, ¹⁷ an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, ¹⁸ a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. ¹⁹ And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. ²⁰ Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.

²¹ “But the Lord was angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. ²² You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not. Instead, I will die here on the east side of the river. ²³ So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has forbidden this.

²³ Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.