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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”

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