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Shema, Yisroel: Thou art to pass over Yarden today, to go in to possess Goyim greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and walled up to Shomayim,

A people great and tall, the Bnei Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the Bnei Anak!

Understand therefore this day, that Hashem Eloheicha is He which goeth over before thee; as a consuming eish He shall destroy them, and He shall bring them down before thy face; so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as Hashem hath said unto thee.

Speak not thou in thine lev, after that Hashem Eloheicha hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my tzedakah (righteousness) Hashem hath brought me in to possess this land; but for the wickedness of these Goyim Hashem doth drive them out from before thee.

Not for thy tzedakah, or for the yosher (uprightness) of thine lev, dost thou go to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these Goyim Hashem Eloheicha doth drive them out from before thee, and that He may perform the word which Hashem swore unto Avoteicha, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov.

Understand therefore, that Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee not this ha’aretz hatovah to possess it for thy tzedakah; for thou art an Am Kesheh Oref (a stiffnecked people).

Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst Hashem Eloheicha to wrath in the midbar; from the yom that thou didst depart out of Eretz Mitzrayim, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against Hashem.

Also in Chorev ye provoked Hashem to wrath, so that Hashem was angry with you to have destroyed you.

When I was gone up into the mount to receive the luchot ha’avanim, even the luchot HaBrit which Hashem cut with you, then I abode in the mount arba’im yom and arba’im lailah; I neither did eat lechem nor drink mayim;

10 And Hashem delivered unto me shnei luchot ha’avanim written with the etzba Elohim (finger of G-d); and on them was written according to all the words, which Hashem spoke with you in the mount out of the midst of the eish in the Yom HaKahal.

11 And it came to pass at the end of arba’im yom and arba’im lailah, Hashem gave me the shnei luchot ha’avanim, even the Luchot HaBrit.

12 And Hashem said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Mitzrayim have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a massekhah (molten image).

13 Furthermore Hashem spoke unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is an Am Kesheh Oref (stiffnecked people):

14 Let Me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their shem from under Shomayim; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.

15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with eish; and the shnei Luchot HaBrit were in my two hands.

16 And I looked, and, hinei, ye had sinned against Hashem Eloheicha, and had made you an egel massekhah (a molten calf); ye had turned aside quickly out of HaDerech (The Way) which Hashem had commanded you.

17 And I took the shnei haluchot, and cast them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.

18 And I fell down before Hashem, as at the first, arba’im yom and arba’im lailah; I did neither eat lechem, nor drink mayim, because of kol chattatchem ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of Hashem, to provoke Him to anger.

19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith Hashem was angry against you to destroy you. But Hashem listened unto me at that time also.

20 And Hashem was very angry with Aharon to have made him shmad; and I davened on behalf of Aharon also at that time.

21 And I took your sin, the egel which ye had made, and burned it with eish, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust; and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

22 And at Taverah, and at Massah, and at Kivrot Hattaavah, ye provoked Hashem to wrath.

23 Likewise when Hashem sent you from Kadesh-Barnea, saying, Go up and possess ha’aretz which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of Hashem Eloheichem, and ye believed Him not, nor gave heed to His voice.

24 Ye have been rebellious against Hashem from the yom that I knew you.

25 Thus I fell down before Hashem arba’im hayom and arba’im halailah, as I fell down at the first; because Hashem had said He would destroy you.

26 I davened therefore unto Hashem, and said, Adonoi Hashem, destroy not Thy people and Thine inheritance, which Thou hast redeemed through Thy greatness, which Thou hast brought forth out of Mitzrayim with a yad chazakah.

27 Remember Thy avadim, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin;

28 Lest ha’aretz whence Thou broughtest us out say, Because Hashem was not able to bring them into ha’aretz which He promised them, and because He hated them, He hath brought them out to slay them in the midbar.

29 Yet they are Thy people and Thine nachalah, which Thou broughtest out by Thy koach hagadol and by Thy outstretched zero’a.

Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!

Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.

Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.

Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.

Also in Horeb ye provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you.

When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:

10 And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in 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 tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.

12 And the Lord said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.

13 Furthermore the Lord spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.

15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.

16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the Lord your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the Lord had commanded you.

17 And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.

18 And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also.

20 And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.

21 And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

22 And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye provoked the Lord to wrath.

23 Likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadeshbarnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.

24 Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you.

25 Thus I fell down before the Lord forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the Lord had said he would destroy you.

26 I prayed therefore unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

27 Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:

28 Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.

29 Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.

Israel’s Rebellions Reviewed(A)

“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, 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?’ 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.

(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. (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. 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.

“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. Also (N)in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you. (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

  1. Deuteronomy 9:5 perform
  2. Deuteronomy 9:6 stubborn or rebellious
  3. Deuteronomy 9:10 when you were all gathered together
  4. Deuteronomy 9:13 stubborn or rebellious
  5. Deuteronomy 9:18 prostrated myself
  6. Deuteronomy 9:22 caused the Lord to be angry
  7. Deuteronomy 9:25 fell down

The People's Disobedience

“Listen, people of Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River and occupy the land belonging to nations greater and more powerful than you. Their cities are large, with walls that reach the sky. The people themselves are tall and strong; they are giants, and you have heard it said that no one can stand against them. But now you will see for yourselves that the Lord your God will go ahead of you like a raging fire. He will defeat them as you advance, so that you will drive them out and destroy them quickly, as he promised.

“After the Lord your God has driven them out for you, do not say to yourselves that he brought you in to possess this land because you deserved it. No, the Lord is going to drive these people out for you because they are wicked. It is not because you are good and do what is right that the Lord is letting you take their land. He will drive them out because they are wicked and because he intends to keep the promise that he made to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You can be sure that the Lord is not giving you this fertile land because you deserve it. No, you are a stubborn people.

“Never forget how you made the Lord your God angry in the desert. From the day that you left Egypt until the day you arrived here, you have rebelled against him. Even at Mount Sinai you made the Lord angry—angry enough to destroy you. (A)I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets on which was written the covenant that the Lord had made with you. I stayed there forty days and nights and did not eat or drink anything. 10 Then the Lord gave me the two stone tablets on which he had written with his own hand what he had said to you from the fire on the day that you were gathered there at the mountain. 11 Yes, after those forty days and nights the Lord gave me the two stone tablets on which he had written the covenant.

12 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go down the mountain at once, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have become corrupt and have done evil. They have already turned away from what I commanded them to do, and they have made an idol for themselves.’

13 “The Lord also said to me, ‘I know how stubborn these people are. 14 Don't try to stop me. I intend to destroy them so that no one will remember them any longer. Then I will make you the father of a nation larger and more powerful than they are.’

15 “So I turned and went down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets on which the covenant was written. Flames of fire were coming from the mountain. 16 I saw that you had already disobeyed the command that the Lord your God had given you, and that you had sinned against him by making yourselves a metal idol in the form of a bull-calf. 17 So there in front of you I threw the stone tablets down and broke them to pieces. 18 Then once again I lay face downward in the Lord's presence for forty days and nights and did not eat or drink anything. I did this because you had sinned against the Lord and had made him angry. 19 (B)I was afraid of the Lord's fierce anger, because he was furious enough to destroy you; but once again the Lord listened to me. 20 The Lord was also angry enough with Aaron to kill him, so I prayed for Aaron at the same time. 21 I took that sinful thing that you had made—that metal bull-calf—and threw it into the fire. Then I broke it in pieces, ground it to dust, and threw the dust into the stream that flowed down the mountain.

22 (C)“You also made the Lord your God angry when you were at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth Hattaavah. 23 (D)And when he sent you from Kadesh Barnea with orders to go and take possession of the land that he was giving you, you rebelled against him; you did not trust him or obey him. 24 Ever since I have known you, you have rebelled against the Lord.

25 “So I lay face downward in the Lord's presence those forty days and nights, because I knew that he was determined to destroy you. 26 And I prayed, ‘Sovereign Lord, don't destroy your own people, the people you rescued and brought out of Egypt by your great strength and power. 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and do not pay any attention to the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of this people. 28 Otherwise, the Egyptians will say that you were unable to take your people into the land that you had promised them. They will say that you took your people out into the desert to kill them, because you hated them. 29 After all, these are the people whom you chose to be your own and whom you brought out of Egypt by your great power and might.’