Penalties of Disobedience

14 (A)But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15 if, instead, you (B)reject My statutes, and if your soul loathes My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, but rather to (C)break My covenant, 16 I, in turn, will do this to you: I will [a]summon a (D)sudden terror against you, consumption and fever that will make the eyes fail and the (E)soul languish; also, (F)you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it. 17 And I will set My face against you so that you will be defeated before your enemies; and (G)those who hate you will rule over you, and (H)you will flee when no one is pursuing you. 18 If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you (I)seven times more for your sins. 19 I will also (J)break down your pride of power; and I will make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 (K)Your strength will be consumed uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.

21 ‘Yet if you [b](L)show hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you (M)seven times according to your sins. 22 (N)I will also let loose among you the animals of the field, which will deprive you of your children and eliminate your cattle, and reduce your number so that (O)your roads become deserted.

23 (P)And if by these things you do not learn your lesson regarding Me, but you show hostility toward Me, 24 then I in turn will (Q)show hostility toward you; and I, even I, will strike you (R)seven times for your sins. 25 I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute (S)vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send a (T)plague among you, so that you will be handed over to the enemy. 26 (U)When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread [c]in rationed amounts, so that you will (V)eat and not be satisfied.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 26:16 Or impose...on you
  2. Leviticus 26:21 Lit walk with Me hostilely, and so throughout the ch
  3. Leviticus 26:26 Lit by weight

Cascading Consequences

14 “But if you won’t listen to me and obey all these commands, 15 and if you refuse my statutes, loathe my ordinances, and fail to carry out all of my commands, thereby breaching my covenant, 16 then I will certainly do this to you: I’ll appoint sudden terror to infect you like tuberculosis and fever. Your eyes will fail and your life will waste away. You’ll plant in vain, because your enemies will consume what you plant. 17 I’ll set my face against you so that you’ll be defeated before your enemies. Those who hate you will have dominion over you and you’ll keep fleeing even when no one is pursuing you.

18 “If, despite all of this, you still don’t listen to me, then I’ll punish you seven times more on account of your sins. 19 I’ll break your mighty pride.[a] I’ll make the heavens to be like iron and the ground like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain, because your land won’t yield its produce and the trees of the land won’t yield their fruit.

21 “If you live life contrary to me and remain unwilling to listen to me, then I’ll add to your wounds seven times more on account of your sins. 22 I’ll send wild beasts against you from the open country to deprive you of your children, destroy your cattle, and decrease your number[b] so that your roads become desolate.

23 “If, despite these things, you still won’t return to me, but live life contrary to me, 24 then I’ll certainly oppose[c] you. I’ll take vengeance against you seven fold on account of your sins. 25 I’ll bring the sword against you to execute the vengeance of my covenant. When you gather in your cities, I’ll send a pestilence. As a result, you’ll be delivered into the control of your enemies. 26 When I destroy the source of your bread, ten women will bake bread in one oven. Then they’ll return back your bread by weight. You’ll eat but won’t be satisfied.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 26:19 Lit. pride of your strength
  2. Leviticus 26:22 The Heb. lacks your number
  3. Leviticus 26:24 Lit. walk against