Beware of Idolatry

15 (A)“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no (B)form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest you (C)act corruptly and (D)make for yourselves a carved image in the [a]form of any figure: (E)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 (F)lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, (G)all the host of heaven, you feel driven to (H)worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has [b]given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. 20 But the Lord has taken you and (I)brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be (J)His people, an inheritance, as you are this day. 21 Furthermore (K)the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that (L)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 (M)I must die in this land, (N)I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and [c]possess (O)that good land. 23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, (P)and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For (Q)the Lord your God is a consuming fire, (R)a jealous God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:16 similitude
  2. Deuteronomy 4:19 divided
  3. Deuteronomy 4:22 take possession of

15 “So you must be very careful for yourselves,[a] because you did not see[b] any form on the day Yahweh spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, 16 so that you do not ruin yourselves[c] and make for yourselves a divine image in a form of any image, a replica of male or female, 17 a replica of any animal that is upon the earth, a replica of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 a replica of any creeping thing on the ground, a replica of any fish that is in the water below[d] the earth. 19 And do this so that you do not lift[e] your eyes toward heaven and observe[f] the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of the heaven, and be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that Yahweh your God has allotted to all of the peoples under all of the heaven. 20 But Yahweh has taken you and brought you out from the furnace of iron, from Egypt, to be a people of inheritance to[g] him, as it is this day.[h]

21 “And Yahweh was angry with me because of you,[i] and he swore that I would not cross the Jordan[j] and that I would not go to the good land[k] that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 For I am going to die in this land; I am not going to cross the Jordan, but you are going to cross, and you are going to take possession of this good land. 23 Watch out for yourselves so that you do not forget the covenant of Yahweh your God that he had made[l] with you and make for yourselves a divine image of the form of anything that Yahweh your God has forbidden,[m] 24 for Yahweh your God is a devouring fire, a jealous[n] God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:15 Literally “watch yourselves diligently with respect to your souls”
  2. Deuteronomy 4:15 Or “have not seen”
  3. Deuteronomy 4:16 Literally “corrupt yourselves”
  4. Deuteronomy 4:18 Literally “under”
  5. Deuteronomy 4:19 Literally “And lest you lift up”
  6. Deuteronomy 4:19 Literally “see”
  7. Deuteronomy 4:20 Or “for”; a people of inheritance = a people who is his very own possession
  8. Deuteronomy 4:20 Literally “as the day the this” = as you are now
  9. Deuteronomy 4:21 Literally “because of your matter”
  10. Deuteronomy 4:21 Literally “not I to cross the Jordan”
  11. Deuteronomy 4:21 Literally “not I going to the land”
  12. Deuteronomy 4:23 Literally “cut”
  13. Deuteronomy 4:23 Literally “has commanded you about
  14. Deuteronomy 4:24 Or “zealous” or “impassioned”