You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor.(A) The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

See, I have taught(B) you decrees and laws(C) as the Lord my God commanded(D) me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering(E) to take possession of it. Observe(F) them carefully, for this will show your wisdom(G) and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”(H) What other nation is so great(I) as to have their gods near(J) them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws(K) as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Only be careful,(L) and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach(M) them to your children(N) and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb,(O) when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn(P) to revere(Q) me as long as they live in the land(R) and may teach(S) them to their children.” 11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain(T) while it blazed with fire(U) to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.(V) 12 Then the Lord spoke(W) to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form;(X) there was only a voice.(Y) 13 He declared to you his covenant,(Z) the Ten Commandments,(AA) which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws(AB) you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Idolatry Forbidden

15 You saw no form(AC) of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb(AD) out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,(AE) 16 so that you do not become corrupt(AF) and make for yourselves an idol,(AG) an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,(AH) 18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. 19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,(AI) the moon and the stars(AJ)—all the heavenly array(AK)—do not be enticed(AL) into bowing down to them and worshiping(AM) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. 20 But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace,(AN) out of Egypt,(AO) to be the people of his inheritance,(AP) as you now are.

21 The Lord was angry with me(AQ) 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. 22 I will die in this land;(AR) I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.(AS) 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant(AT) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol(AU) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,(AV) a jealous God.(AW)

25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt(AX) and make any kind of idol,(AY) doing evil(AZ) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses(BA) against you(BB) this day that you will quickly perish(BC) from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter(BD) you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive(BE) among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made gods(BF) of wood and stone,(BG) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.(BH) 29 But if from there you seek(BI) the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart(BJ) and with all your soul.(BK) 30 When you are in distress(BL) and all these things have happened to you, then in later days(BM) you will return(BN) to the Lord your God and obey him. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful(BO) God; he will not abandon(BP) or destroy(BQ) you or forget(BR) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

Read full chapter

Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at (A)Baal Peor; for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

“Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is (B)your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

“For (C)what great nation is there that has (D)God[a] so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, and diligently (E)keep yourself, lest you (F)forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And (G)teach them to your children and your grandchildren, 10 especially concerning (H)the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

11 “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 (I)And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no [b]form; (J)you only heard a voice. 13 (K)So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, (L)the Ten Commandments; and (M)He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 And (N)the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might [c]observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

Beware of Idolatry

15 (O)“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no (P)form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest you (Q)act corruptly and (R)make for yourselves a carved image in the [d]form of any figure: (S)the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 19 And take heed, lest you (T)lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, (U)all the host of heaven, you feel driven to (V)worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has [e]given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. 20 But the Lord has taken you and (W)brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be (X)His people, an inheritance, as you are this day. 21 Furthermore (Y)the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that (Z)I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 But (AA)I must die in this land, (AB)I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and [f]possess (AC)that good land. 23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, (AD)and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For (AE)the Lord your God is a consuming fire, (AF)a jealous God.

25 “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and (AG)do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 (AH)I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not [g]prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the Lord (AI)will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And (AJ)there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, (AK)which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. 29 (AL)But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in [h]distress, and all these things come upon you in the (AM)latter days, when you (AN)turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor (AO)destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:7 Or a god
  2. Deuteronomy 4:12 similitude
  3. Deuteronomy 4:14 do or perform
  4. Deuteronomy 4:16 similitude
  5. Deuteronomy 4:19 divided
  6. Deuteronomy 4:22 take possession of
  7. Deuteronomy 4:26 live long on it
  8. Deuteronomy 4:30 tribulation

You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did concerning the Baal of Peor. The Lord your God destroyed everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, but all of you who stayed true to the Lord your God are alive today. So pay attention! I am teaching all of you the regulations and the case laws exactly as the Lord my God commanded me. You must do these in the land you are entering to possess. Keep them faithfully because that will show your wisdom and insight to the nations who will hear about all these regulations. They will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and insightful people!” After all, is there any great nation that has gods[a] as close to it as the Lord our God is close to us whenever we call to him? Or does any great nation have regulations and case laws as righteous as all this Instruction that I am setting before you today?

But be on guard and watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things your eyes saw and so they never leave your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. 10 Remember that[b] day when you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me: “Gather the people to me. I will declare my words to them so that they will learn to fear me every day of their lives on the fertile land, and teach their children to do the same.” 11 Then you all came close and stood at the foot of the mountain. The mountain was blazing with fire up to the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick smoke! 12 The Lord spoke to you out of the very fire itself. You heard the sound of words, but you didn’t see any form. There was only a voice. 13 The Lord declared his covenant to you, which he commanded you to do—the Ten Commandments[c]—and wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 At that time, the Lord commanded me to teach you all the regulations and the case laws that you must keep in the land that you are entering to possess.

15 So watch your conduct closely, because you didn’t see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the very fire itself. 16 Don’t ruin everything and make an idol for yourself: a form of any image, any likeness—male or female— 17 or any likeness whatsoever, whether of a land animal, a bird that flies in the sky, 18 an insect that crawls on the earth, or a fish that lives in the sea. 19 Don’t look to the skies, to the sun or the moon or the stars, all the heavenly bodies, and be led astray, worshipping and serving them. The Lord your God has granted these things to all the nations who live under heaven. 20 But the Lord took you and brought you out of that iron furnace, out of Egypt, so that you might be his own treasured people, which is what you are right now.

21 The Lord was angry with me because of your deeds and swore that I couldn’t cross the Jordan River or enter the wonderful land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 I will die here in this land. I won’t cross the Jordan River. But you will, and you will take possession of that wonderful land. 23 So all of you, watch yourselves! Don’t forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you by making an idol or an image of any kind or anything the Lord your God forbids, 24 because the Lord your God is an all-consuming fire. He is a passionate God.

Warnings and teachings about future disobedience

25 Once you have had children and grandchildren and have grown old on the land, if you ruin things by making an idol, in any form whatsoever, and do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and anger him, 26 I call heaven and earth as my witnesses against you today: You will definitely disappear—and quickly—from the land that you are crossing over the Jordan River to possess. You won’t extend your time there but will instead be totally destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter you among the nations. Only a very few of you will survive in the countries where the Lord will drag you. 28 There you will worship other[d] gods, made of wood and stone by human hands—gods that cannot see, listen, eat, or smell. 29 You will seek the Lord your God from there, and you will find him[e] if you seek him with all your heart and with all your being. 30 In your distress, when all these things happen to you in the future, you will return to the Lord your God and you will obey his voice, 31 because the Lord your God is a compassionate God. He won’t let you go, he won’t destroy you, and he won’t forget the covenant that he swore to your ancestors.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:7 MT; LXX, Syr, Tg a god so close
  2. Deuteronomy 4:10 Heb lacks remember that.
  3. Deuteronomy 4:13 Or the ten words
  4. Deuteronomy 4:28 LXX; MT lacks other.
  5. Deuteronomy 4:29 Heb lacks him.

You have seen for yourselves what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed everyone among you who followed Baal in Peor. But you continued to follow the Lord your God. So you are still alive today.

Look, I have taught you the laws and rules the Lord my God commanded me. Now you can obey the laws in the land you are entering. It is the land you will own. Obey these laws carefully. This will show the other nations that you have wisdom and understanding. They will hear about these laws. And they will say, “This great nation of Israel is wise and understanding.” No other nation is as great as we are. Their gods do not come near them. But the Lord our God comes near when we pray to him. And no other nation has such good teachings and commands. I am giving them to you today.

But be careful! Watch out. Don’t forget the things that you have seen. Don’t forget them as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai. He said to me, “Bring the people together to listen to what I say. Then they will respect me as long as they live in the land. And they will teach these things to their children.” 11 Then you came and stood at the bottom of the mountain. It blazed with fire that reached to the sky. Black clouds made it very dark. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You heard the sound of words. But you did not see him. There was only a voice. 13 The Lord told you about his agreement. It was the Ten Commandments. And he told you to obey them. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 Then the Lord commanded me to teach you the laws and rules. You must obey them in the land you will own when you cross the Jordan River.

Laws About Idols

15 The Lord spoke to you from the fire at Mount Sinai. But you did not see him. So watch yourselves carefully! 16 Don’t sin by making idols of any kind. Don’t make statues of men or women. 17 Don’t make statues of animals on earth or birds that fly in the air. 18 Don’t make statues of anything that crawls on the ground. Don’t make statues of fish in the water below. 19 When you look up at the sky, you see the sun, moon and stars. You can see everything in the sky. But don’t bow down and worship them. The Lord your God has made these things for all people everywhere. 20 Egypt tested you like a furnace for melting iron. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. And he made you his very own people, as you are now.

21 The Lord was angry with me because of you. He made a strong promise that I would not cross the Jordan River. I could not go into the good land the Lord your God is giving you to own. 22 I will die here in this land. I will not cross the Jordan. But you will soon go across and take that good land. 23 Be careful. Don’t forget the agreement of the Lord your God that he made with you. Don’t make any idols for yourselves. The Lord your God has commanded you not to do that. 24 The Lord your God is a jealous God. He is like a fire that burns things up.

25 You will live in the land a long time. You will have children and grandchildren. Even after that, don’t do evil things. Don’t make any kind of idol. Don’t do what the Lord says is evil. That will make him angry. 26 I will ask heaven and earth to speak against you that day. Then you will quickly be removed from this land. You are crossing the Jordan River to take the land. But you will not live there long after that. You will be completely destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter you among the other nations. Only a few of you will be left alive. And those few will be in other nations where the Lord will send you. 28 There you will worship gods made by men. They will be made of wood and stone. They cannot see, hear, eat or smell. 29 But even there you can look for the Lord your God. And you will find him if you look. But you must look for him with your whole being. 30 It will be hard when all these things happen to you. But after that you will come back to the Lord your God. You will obey him. 31 The Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you. He will not forget the agreement he made with your ancestors. He made that agreement sure with his strong promise.

Read full chapter