Idolatry Forbidden

15 (A)“Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since (B)you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 beware (C)lest you act corruptly (D)by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, (E)the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. 19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see (F)the sun and the moon and the stars, (G)all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. 20 But the Lord has taken you and (H)brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, (I)to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. 21 Furthermore, (J)the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. 22 For I must die in this land; (K)I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of (L)that good land. 23 (M)Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and (N)make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For (O)the Lord your God is a consuming fire, (P)a jealous God.

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15 “Therefore, for your own sake, be very careful, since you did not see any form on the day that the Lord your God spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire. 16 Be careful![a] Otherwise, you will be destroyed when you make carved images for yourself—all sorts of images in the form of man, woman, 17 any animal on earth, any winged bird that flies in the sky, 18 any creeping thing on the ground, or any fish in the sea.[b] 19 Do not gaze toward the heavens and observe the sun, the moon, the stars—the entire array of the sky—with the intent[c] to worship and serve what the Lord your God gave every nation.[d] 20 For the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace—out of Egypt—to be the people of his inheritance, as you are today.

21 “But the Lord was angry with me because of you. So he swore that I’ll never cross the Jordan River to enter the good land that the Lord your God is about to give you as an inheritance. 22 I’m going to die in this land and I won’t cross the Jordan River, but you’re about to cross over to possess that good land. 23 Be careful! Otherwise, you will forget the covenant of the Lord your God, who established that covenant with you. Don’t make carved images of any likeness in violation of everything that you were commanded by the Lord your God. 24 Indeed, the Lord your God is a consuming[e] fire. He is a jealous God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:16 The Heb. lacks be careful
  2. Deuteronomy 4:18 Lit. in the waters below ground
  3. Deuteronomy 4:19 The Heb. lacks with the intent
  4. Deuteronomy 4:19 I.e. as lights in the night sky; cf. Gen 1:14-18
  5. Deuteronomy 4:24 So MT; LXX reads is an all-consuming