דברים 4:11-40

The Westminster Leningrad Codex

¹¹וַתִּקְרְב֥וּן וַתַּֽעַמְד֖וּן תַּ֣חַת הָהָ֑ר וְהָהָ֞ר בֹּעֵ֤ר בָּאֵשׁ֙ עַד־לֵ֣ב הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עָנָ֥ן וַעֲרָפֶֽל׃

¹²וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָאֵ֑שׁ ק֤וֹל דְּבָרִים֙ אַתֶּ֣ם שֹׁמְעִ֔ים וּתְמוּנָ֛ה אֵינְכֶ֥ם רֹאִ֖ים זוּלָתִ֥י קֽוֹל׃

¹³וַיַּגֵּ֨ד לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־בְּרִית֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִ֑ים וַֽיִּכְתְּבֵ֔ם עַל־שְׁנֵ֖י לֻח֥וֹת אֲבָנִֽים׃

¹⁴וְאֹתִ֞י צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא לְלַמֵּ֣ד אֶתְכֶ֔ם חֻקִּ֖ים וּמִשְׁפָּטִ֑ים לַעֲשֹׂתְכֶ֣ם אֹתָ֔ם בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם עֹבְרִ֥ים שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃

¹⁵וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם מְאֹ֖ד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י לֹ֤א רְאִיתֶם֙ כָּל־תְּמוּנָ֔ה בְּי֗וֹם דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם בְּחֹרֵ֖ב מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃

¹⁶פֶּ֨ן־תַּשְׁחִת֔וּן וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם פֶּ֖סֶל תְּמוּנַ֣ת כָּל־סָ֑מֶל תַּבְנִ֥ית זָכָ֖ר א֥וֹ נְקֵבָֽה׃

¹⁷תַּבְנִ֕ית כָּל־בְּהֵמָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּאָ֑רֶץ תַּבְנִית֙ כָּל־צִפּ֣וֹר כָּנָ֔ף אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּע֖וּף בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

¹⁸תַּבְנִ֕ית כָּל־רֹמֵ֖שׂ בָּאֲדָמָ֑ה תַּבְנִ֛ית כָּל־דָּגָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בַּמַּ֖יִם מִתַּ֥חַת לָאָֽרֶץ׃

¹⁹וּפֶן־תִּשָּׂ֨א עֵינֶ֜יךָ הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וְֽ֠רָאִיתָ אֶת־הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ וְאֶת־הַיָּרֵ֜חַ וְאֶת־הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗ים כֹּ֚ל צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָ לָהֶ֖ם וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָלַ֜ק יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְכֹל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

²⁰וְאֶתְכֶם֙ לָקַ֣ח יְהוָ֔ה וַיּוֹצִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִכּ֥וּר הַבַּרְזֶ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם לִהְי֥וֹת ל֛וֹ לְעַ֥ם נַחֲלָ֖ה כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

²¹וַֽיהוָ֥ה הִתְאַנֶּף־בִּ֖י עַל־דִּבְרֵיכֶ֑ם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֗ע לְבִלְתִּ֤י עָבְרִי֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וּלְבִלְתִּי־בֹא֙ אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃

²²כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֥י מֵת֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֵינֶ֥נִּי עֹבֵ֖ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וְאַתֶּם֙ עֹֽבְרִ֔ים וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֕ם אֶת־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

²³הִשָּׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֗ם פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙ אֶת־בְּרִ֤ית יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖ת עִמָּכֶ֑ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם לָכֶ֥ם פֶּ֙סֶל֙ תְּמ֣וּנַת כֹּ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

²⁴כִּ֚י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֵ֥שׁ אֹכְלָ֖ה ה֑וּא אֵ֖ל קַנָּֽא׃ פ

²⁵כִּֽי־תוֹלִ֤יד בָּנִים֙ וּבְנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁחַתֶּ֗ם וַעֲשִׂ֤יתֶם פֶּ֙סֶל֙ תְּמ֣וּנַת כֹּ֔ל וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֥ם הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃

²⁶הַעִידֹתִי֩ בָכֶ֨ם הַיּ֜וֹם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ כִּֽי־אָבֹ֣ד תֹּאבֵדוּן֮ מַהֵר֒ מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֧ים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ לֹֽא־תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן יָמִים֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֥י הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן׃

²⁷וְהֵפִ֧יץ יְהוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַמִּ֑ים וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙ מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְנַהֵ֧ג יְהוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם שָֽׁמָּה׃

²⁸וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם עֵ֣ץ וָאֶ֔בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִרְאוּן֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּן וְלֹ֥א יֹֽאכְל֖וּן וְלֹ֥א יְרִיחֻֽן׃

²⁹וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּמָצָ֑אתָ כִּ֣י תִדְרְשֶׁ֔נּוּ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

³⁰בַּצַּ֣ר לְךָ֔ וּמְצָא֕וּךָ כֹּ֖ל הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה בְּאַחֲרִית֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים וְשַׁבְתָּ֙ עַד־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֖ בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃

³¹כִּ֣י אֵ֤ל רַחוּם֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לֹ֥א יַרְפְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א יַשְׁחִיתֶ֑ךָ וְלֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּח֙ אֶת־בְּרִ֣ית אֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לָהֶֽם׃

³²כִּ֣י שְׁאַל־נָא֩ לְיָמִ֨ים רִֽאשֹׁנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְמִן־הַיּוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ בָּרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים׀ אָדָם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּלְמִקְצֵ֥ה הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם הֲנִֽהְיָ֗ה כַּדָּבָ֤ר הַגָּדוֹל֙ הַזֶּ֔ה א֖וֹ הֲנִשְׁמַ֥ע כָּמֹֽהוּ׃

³³הֲשָׁ֣מַֽע עָם֩ ק֨וֹל אֱלֹהִ֜ים מְדַבֵּ֧ר מִתּוֹךְ־הָאֵ֛שׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַ֥עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה וַיֶּֽחִי׃

³⁴א֣וֹ׀ הֲנִסָּ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֗ים לָ֠בוֹא לָקַ֨חַת ל֣וֹ גוֹי֮ מִקֶּ֣רֶב גּוֹי֒ בְּמַסֹּת֩ בְּאֹתֹ֨ת וּבְמוֹפְתִ֜ים וּבְמִלְחָמָ֗ה וּבְיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמוֹרָאִ֖ים גְּדֹלִ֑ים כְּ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

³⁵אַתָּה֙ הָרְאֵ֣תָ לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ין ע֖וֹד מִלְבַדּֽוֹ׃

³⁶מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם הִשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥ אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ לְיַסְּרֶ֑ךָּ וְעַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ הֶרְאֲךָ֙ אֶת־אִשּׁ֣וֹ הַגְּדוֹלָ֔ה וּדְבָרָ֥יו שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃

³⁷וְתַ֗חַת כִּ֤י אָהַב֙ אֶת־אֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ וַיִּבְחַ֥ר בְּזַרְע֖וֹ אַחֲרָ֑יו וַיּוֹצִֽאֲךָ֧ בְּפָנָ֛יו בְּכֹח֥וֹ הַגָּדֹ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

³⁸לְהוֹרִ֗ישׁ גּוֹיִ֛ם גְּדֹלִ֧ים וַעֲצֻמִ֛ים מִמְּךָ֖ מִפָּנֶ֑יךָ לַהֲבִֽיאֲךָ֗ לָֽתֶת־לְךָ֧ אֶת־אַרְצָ֛ם נַחֲלָ֖ה כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

³⁹וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ֒ כִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃

⁴⁰וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֞ אֶת־חֻקָּ֣יו וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֗יו אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם אֲשֶׁר֙ יִיטַ֣ב לְךָ֔ וּלְבָנֶ֖יךָ אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ וּלְמַ֨עַן תַּאֲרִ֤יךְ יָמִים֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ פ

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Deuteronomy 4:11-40

New American Standard Bible

¹¹You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain, ^(A)and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick gloom. ¹²Then the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—there was only a voice. ¹³So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, ^(B)the Ten ^[a]Commandments; and ^(C)He wrote them on two tablets of stone. ¹⁴The Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, so that you would perform them in the land where you are going over to take possession of it.

¹⁵“So ^(D)be very careful ^[b]yourselves, since you did not see any ^(E)form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, ¹⁶so that you do not ^(F)act corruptly and ^(G)make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female, ¹⁷a representation of any animal that is on the earth, a representation of ^(H)any winged bird that flies in the sky, ¹⁸a representation of anything that crawls on the ground, or a representation of any fish that is in the water below the earth. ¹⁹And be careful not to raise your eyes to heaven and look at the sun, the moon, and the stars, ^(I)all the heavenly ^[c]lights, ^(J)and allow yourself to be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. ²⁰But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of ^(K)the iron furnace, from Egypt, to ^(L)be a people of His own possession, as today.

²¹“^(M)Now the Lord was angry with me on your account, and He swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. ²²For ^(N)I am going to die in this land; I am not crossing the Jordan, but you are going to cross, and you will take possession of this ^(O)good land. ²³So be careful ^[d]yourselves, ^(P)that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and ^(Q)make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you. ²⁴For the Lord your God is a ^(R)consuming fire, a ^(S)jealous God.

²⁵“When you father children and have ^[e]grandchildren, and you grow old in the land, and you ^(T)act corruptly, and ^(U)make ^[f]an idol in the form of anything, and ^(V)do what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, ²⁶I ^(W)call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that you will ^(X)certainly perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to take possession of it. You will not ^[g]live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. ²⁷The Lord will ^(Y)scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you. ²⁸^(Z)There you will serve gods, the work of human hands, ^(AA)wood and stone, ^(AB)which neither see nor hear, nor eat nor smell anything. ²⁹^(AC)But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him ^(AD)with all your heart and all your soul. ³⁰When you ^(AE)are in distress and all these things happen to you, ^(AF)in the latter days ^(AG)you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. ³¹For the Lord your God is a ^(AH)compassionate God; ^(AI)He will not abandon you nor ^(AJ)destroy you, nor ^(AK)forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

³²“Indeed, ^(AL)ask now about the earlier days that were ^[h]before your time, since the ^(AM)day that God created ^[i]mankind on the earth, and inquire ^(AN)from one end of the heavens to the other. ^(AO)Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it? ³³^(AP)Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived? ³⁴^(AQ)Or has a god ventured to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation ^(AR)by trials, by signs and wonders, by war, ^(AS)by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, ^[j]just as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? ³⁵You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord, He is God; ^(AT)there is no other besides Him. ³⁶^(AU)Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice ^(AV)to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. ³⁷^(AW)Because He loved your fathers, He chose ^[k]their descendants after them. And He ^[l]^(AX)personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, ³⁸driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and ^(AY)to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is today. ³⁹Therefore know today, and take it to your heart, that ^(AZ)the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. ⁴⁰^(BA)So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am ^[m]giving you today, so that ^(BB)it may go well for you and for your children after you, and ^(BC)that you may ^[n]live long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

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Footnotes

Deuteronomy 4:13 Lit Words
Deuteronomy 4:15 Or for your own lives
Deuteronomy 4:19 Lit host
Deuteronomy 4:23 Or for yourselves
Deuteronomy 4:25 Lit children’s children
Deuteronomy 4:25 Or a carved image
Deuteronomy 4:26 Lit prolong your days
Deuteronomy 4:32 Lit before you
Deuteronomy 4:32 Or Adam
Deuteronomy 4:34 Lit according to all that
Deuteronomy 4:37 Lit his seed
Deuteronomy 4:37 Lit with His presence
Deuteronomy 4:40 Lit commanding
Deuteronomy 4:40 Lit prolong your days

Deuteronomy 4:11-40

New International Version

¹¹You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain^(A) while it blazed with fire^(B) to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.^(C) ¹²Then the Lord spoke^(D) to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form;^(E) there was only a voice.^(F) ¹³He declared to you his covenant,^(G) the Ten Commandments,^(H) which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. ¹⁴And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws^(I) you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Idolatry Forbidden

¹⁵You saw no form^(J) of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb^(K) out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,^(L) ¹⁶so that you do not become corrupt^(M) and make for yourselves an idol,^(N) an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, ¹⁷or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,^(O) ¹⁸or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. ¹⁹And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,^(P) the moon and the stars^(Q)—all the heavenly array^(R)—do not be enticed^(S) into bowing down to them and worshiping^(T) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. ²⁰But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace,^(U) out of Egypt,^(V) to be the people of his inheritance,^(W) as you now are.

²¹The Lord was angry with me^(X) because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. ²²I will die in this land;^(Y) I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.^(Z) ²³Be careful not to forget the covenant^(AA) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol^(AB) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. ²⁴For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,^(AC) a jealous God.^(AD)

²⁵After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt^(AE) and make any kind of idol,^(AF) doing evil^(AG) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, ²⁶I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses^(AH) against you^(AI) this day that you will quickly perish^(AJ) from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. ²⁷The Lord will scatter^(AK) you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive^(AL) among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. ²⁸There you will worship man-made gods^(AM) of wood and stone,^(AN) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.^(AO) ²⁹But if from there you seek^(AP) the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart^(AQ) and with all your soul.^(AR) ³⁰When you are in distress^(AS) and all these things have happened to you, then in later days^(AT) you will return^(AU) to the Lord your God and obey him. ³¹For the Lord your God is a merciful^(AV) God; he will not abandon^(AW) or destroy^(AX) you or forget^(AY) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

The Lord Is God

³²Ask^(AZ) now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth;^(BA) ask from one end of the heavens to the other.^(BB) Has anything so great^(BC) as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? ³³Has any other people heard the voice of God^[a] speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?^(BD) ³⁴Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation,^(BE) by testings,^(BF) by signs^(BG) and wonders,^(BH) by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,^(BI) or by great and awesome deeds,^(BJ) like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

³⁵You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.^(BK) ³⁶From heaven he made you hear his voice^(BL) to discipline^(BM) you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. ³⁷Because he loved^(BN) your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,^(BO) ³⁸to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance,^(BP) as it is today.

³⁹Acknowledge^(BQ) and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.^(BR) ⁴⁰Keep^(BS) his decrees and commands,^(BT) which I am giving you today, so that it may go well^(BU) with you and your children after you and that you may live long^(BV) in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.