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Deuteronomy 9
EasyEnglish Bible
Deuteronomy 9
EasyEnglish Bible
Why God helps his people
9 Moses said:
Listen, Israelites! You will soon go across the Jordan River. You will chase away the people who live there in large cities with very high walls around them. Those nations of people are greater and stronger than you are. 2 You know about the Anakites who live there. They are strong and tall. You have heard people say, ‘No one can fight against the Anakites and win.’
3 But you must understand this: The Lord your God is leading you across the river. He is like a fire that destroys everything! He will win against your enemies. He will give you power over them. Then you will chase them away and remove them quickly. The Lord has promised you that this will happen.
4 The Lord your God will chase them away. After he has done that, be careful! Do not say to yourselves, ‘The Lord has brought us into this land because we do right things.’
No! It is because these nations are doing wicked things. That is why the Lord is chasing them out of the land so that you can live there. 5 It is not because you are doing right things. It is not because you are good, honest people. That is not the reason that you will take their land for yourselves. Instead, it is because these nations are wicked people. That is why the Lord your God will chase them away as you move in there. He will do what he promised to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 You must understand this. The Lord your God is not giving you this good land to live in because you are doing right things. No! You are proud people who do not want to obey me.
The gold calf
7 Remember how you made the Lord your God angry when you were in the desert. Never forget that! Since you left Egypt, you have always turned against the Lord your God. You have continued to make him angry all the time until you arrived here. 8 When you were at Sinai you made him angry enough to destroy you. 9 I climbed the mountain to meet with the Lord. I received the two flat stones with the covenant that he had made with you. I stayed there for 40 days and nights. During that time, I did not eat or drink anything. 10 Then the Lord gave the two flat stones to me. He had written all his commands on the stones with his own finger. The Lord spoke those commands to you from middle of the fire. That was on the day when you all came together at the mountain.
11 After those 40 days and nights, the Lord gave me the two flat stones. They had his covenant on them. 12 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Now go down the mountain! The people that you led out of Egypt have done something very bad. They have already refused to obey my commands. They have used gold to make an idol for themselves.’
13 The Lord also said to me, ‘I know what these people are like! They are proud people who do not want to obey me. 14 Keep away from me! I will now destroy them! Then no one on the earth will remember them at all. Instead, Moses, I will make your descendants into a nation that is stronger and larger than they are.’
15 So I turned and I went down the mountain. It was still burning with fire. I held the two stones with the covenant on them in my hands. 16 When I looked, I saw that you had made an image of a calf as your idol. You really had done a very bad thing. You had quickly stopped doing the things that the Lord your God had commanded you to do. 17 When I saw that, I threw the two flat stones down onto the ground. I broke them into pieces while you watched.
18 Then I again fell down with my face on the ground, to pray to the Lord. I did that for 40 days and nights. I did not eat or drink anything. You had done an evil thing which caused the Lord to be very angry. 19 I prayed, because the Lord had said that he would destroy you. He was so angry with you that I was very afraid. But the Lord listened to me this time too.
20 The Lord was also angry with my brother Aaron. He wanted to kill Aaron. But at that time, I prayed for Aaron too.
21 When you made that idol, it was a sin that you did. So I took that gold calf and I burned it in the fire. Then I beat it into powder, like dust. I threw the powder into a stream that ran down from the mountain.
22 After that, you also caused the Lord to be angry with you at Taberah, at Massah and at Kibroth-Hattaavah. 23 When the Lord sent you out from Kadesh-Barnea, he said, ‘Go into the land that I have given to you and live there.’ But you turned against the Lord your God. You refused to trust him or obey him. 24 You have refused to obey the Lord ever since I have known you.
25 So I lay down on the ground for those 40 days and nights. I prayed to the Lord because he had said that he would destroy you.
26 I prayed this prayer: ‘Almighty Lord, do not destroy your people! They belong to you as your special people. You used your great power and strength to rescue them from Egypt. 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Do not think about these proud people who are so wicked. Please forgive their sins. 28 If you destroy your people, the Egyptians will say, “The Lord could not take them into the land that he promised to give to them. Instead, he took them into the desert so that he could kill them there. He did this because he hated them!”
29 Please remember that they belong to you as your own special people. You used your strength and your power to rescue them.’
Deuteronomy 9
English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 9
English Standard Version
Not Because of Righteousness
9 “Hear, O Israel: you are (A)to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations (B)greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2 a people great and tall, (C)the sons of the Anakim, (D)whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the sons of Anak?’ 3 Know therefore today that he who (E)goes over before you (F)as a consuming fire is the Lord your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. (G)So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised you.
4 (H)“Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is (I)because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. 5 (J)Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm (K)the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
6 “Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are (L)a stubborn people. 7 Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. (M)From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. 8 Even (N)at Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, and the Lord was so angry with you that he was ready to destroy you. 9 (O)When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord made with you, I remained on the mountain (P)forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 And (Q)the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the Lord had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire (R)on the day of the assembly. 11 And at the end of forty days and forty nights the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. 12 Then the Lord said to me, (S)‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you have brought from Egypt have acted corruptly. They have (T)turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them; they have made themselves a metal image.’
The Golden Calf
13 (U)“Furthermore, the Lord said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is (V)a stubborn people. 14 (W)Let me alone, that I may destroy them and (X)blot out their name from under heaven. And (Y)I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’ 15 (Z)So I turned and came down from the mountain, and (AA)the mountain was burning with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And (AB)I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had made yourselves a golden[a] calf. (AC)You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you. 17 So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes. 18 Then I (AD)lay prostrate before the Lord (AE)as before, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin that you had committed, (AF)in doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger. 19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure that the Lord bore against you, so that he was ready to destroy you. (AG)But the Lord listened to me that time also. 20 And the Lord was so angry with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. 21 Then (AH)I took the sinful thing, the calf that you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. And I threw the dust of it into the brook that ran down from the mountain.
22 “At (AI)Taberah also, and at (AJ)Massah and at (AK)Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the Lord to wrath. 23 And (AL)when the Lord sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, ‘Go up and take possession of the land that I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God and (AM)did not believe him or obey his voice. 24 (AN)You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you.
25 (AO)“So I lay prostrate before the Lord for these forty days and forty nights, because the Lord had said he would destroy you. 26 (AP)And I prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or their sin, 28 lest the land from which you brought us say, (AQ)“Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.” 29 (AR)For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 9:16 Hebrew cast metal
Deuteronomy 9
New King James Version
Deuteronomy 9
New King James Version
Israel’s Rebellions Reviewed(A)
9 “Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2 a people great and tall, the (B)descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’ 3 Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who (C)goes over before you as a (D)consuming fire. (E)He will destroy them and bring them down before you; (F)so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.
4 (G)“Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is (H)because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you. 5 (I)It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may [a]fulfill the (J)word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a (K)stiff-necked[b] people.
7 “Remember! Do not forget how you (L)provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. (M)From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. 8 Also (N)in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you. 9 (O)When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and (P)forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 (Q)Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire (R)in[c] the day of the assembly. 11 And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.
12 “Then the Lord said to me, (S)‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have (T)quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molded image.’
13 “Furthermore (U)the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed (V)they are a [d]stiff-necked people. 14 (W)Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and (X)blot out their name from under heaven; (Y)and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’
15 (Z)“So I turned and came down from the mountain, and (AA)the mountain burned with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And (AB)I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. 17 Then I took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and (AC)broke them before your eyes. 18 And I (AD)fell[e] down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 19 (AE)For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the Lord was angry with you, to destroy you. (AF)But the Lord listened to me at that time also. 20 And the Lord was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him; so I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. 21 Then I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it and ground it very small, until it was as fine as dust; and I (AG)threw its dust into the brook that descended from the mountain.
22 “Also at (AH)Taberah and (AI)Massah and (AJ)Kibroth Hattaavah you [f]provoked the Lord to wrath. 23 Likewise, (AK)when the Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and possess the land which I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and (AL)you did not believe Him nor obey His voice. 24 (AM)You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you.
25 (AN)“Thus I [g]prostrated myself before the Lord; forty days and forty nights I kept prostrating myself, because the Lord had said He would destroy you. 26 Therefore I prayed to the Lord, and said: ‘O Lord God, do not destroy Your people and (AO)Your inheritance whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not look on the stubbornness of this people, or on their wickedness or their sin, 28 lest the land from which You brought us should say, “Because the Lord was not able to bring them to the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.” 29 Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm.’
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 9:5 perform
- Deuteronomy 9:6 stubborn or rebellious
- Deuteronomy 9:10 when you were all gathered together
- Deuteronomy 9:13 stubborn or rebellious
- Deuteronomy 9:18 prostrated myself
- Deuteronomy 9:22 caused the Lord to be angry
- Deuteronomy 9:25 fell down
Deuteronomy 9
New International Version
Deuteronomy 9
New International Version
Not Because of Israel’s Righteousness
9 Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan(A) to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you,(B) with large cities(C) that have walls up to the sky.(D) 2 The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?”(E) 3 But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you(F) like a devouring fire.(G) He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly,(H) as the Lord has promised you.
4 After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself,(I) “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness(J) of these nations(K) that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity(L) that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness(M) of these nations,(N) the Lord your God will drive them out(O) before you, to accomplish what he swore(P) to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.(Q) 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.(R)
The Golden Calf
7 Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger(S) of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious(T) against the Lord.(U) 8 At Horeb you aroused the Lord’s wrath(V) so that he was angry enough to destroy you.(W) 9 When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant(X) that the Lord had made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days(Y) and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water.(Z) 10 The Lord gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.(AA) On them were all the commandments the Lord proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.(AB)
11 At the end of the forty days and forty nights,(AC) the Lord gave me the two stone tablets,(AD) the tablets of the covenant. 12 Then the Lord told me, “Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt.(AE) They have turned away quickly(AF) from what I commanded them and have made an idol for themselves.”
13 And the Lord said to me, “I have seen this people(AG), and they are a stiff-necked people indeed! 14 Let me alone,(AH) so that I may destroy them and blot out(AI) their name from under heaven.(AJ) And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.”
15 So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.(AK) 16 When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf.(AL) You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you. 17 So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes.
18 Then once again I fell(AM) prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water,(AN) because of all the sin you had committed,(AO) doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and so arousing his anger. 19 I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you.(AP) But again the Lord listened to me.(AQ) 20 And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too. 21 Also I took that sinful thing of yours, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust(AR) and threw the dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain.(AS)
22 You also made the Lord angry(AT) at Taberah,(AU) at Massah(AV) and at Kibroth Hattaavah.(AW)
23 And when the Lord sent you out from Kadesh Barnea,(AX) he said, “Go up and take possession(AY) of the land I have given you.” But you rebelled(AZ) against the command of the Lord your God. You did not trust(BA) him or obey him. 24 You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you.(BB)
25 I lay prostrate before the Lord those forty days and forty nights(BC) because the Lord had said he would destroy you.(BD) 26 I prayed to the Lord and said, “Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people,(BE) your own inheritance(BF) that you redeemed(BG) by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.(BH) 27 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness(BI) of this people, their wickedness and their sin. 28 Otherwise, the country(BJ) from which you brought us will say, ‘Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them,(BK) he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.’(BL) 29 But they are your people,(BM) your inheritance(BN) that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm.(BO)”
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
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