Israel Provoked God

“Hear, Israel! You are crossing the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess (A)nations greater and mightier than you, cities that are great and (B)fortified to heaven, a people who are great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, ‘(C)Who can stand against the sons of Anak?’ So be aware today that (D)it is the Lord your God who is crossing over ahead of you as (E)a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that (F)you may drive them out and eliminate them quickly, just as the Lord has spoken to you.

(G)Do not say in your heart when the Lord your God has driven them away from [a]you, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to take possession of this land.’ Rather, it is (H)because of the [b]wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you. It is (I)not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you are going in to take possession of their land, [c]but it is because of the [d]wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and in order to confirm (J)the [e]oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“Know, 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 (K)a [f]stubborn people.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 9:4 Lit you, saying
  2. Deuteronomy 9:4 Or godlessness
  3. Deuteronomy 9:5 Or for
  4. Deuteronomy 9:5 Or godlessness
  5. Deuteronomy 9:5 Lit word
  6. Deuteronomy 9:6 Lit stiff-necked

When the Lord Fulfills His Promise

“Listen, Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and dispossess greater and mightier nations than you, who live in[a] large cities that are fortified to the sky. The Anakim[b] are strong and tall, and you know them. You’ve heard it said, ‘Who can stand up against the Anakim?’[c] But know today that the Lord your God is going ahead of you as a consuming fire. He will destroy and subdue them before you. He will dispossess and destroy them quickly, just as the Lord told you. After the Lord has expelled them before you, you are not to say to yourselves, ‘The Lord caused me to enter and possess this land because of my righteousness.’ On the contrary, it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you to confirm what the Lord promised by an oath to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Know that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving to you this good land to inherit, since you are a stubborn people.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 9:1 The Heb. lacks who live in
  2. Deuteronomy 9:2 Or giants; cf. Num 13:22, 33
  3. Deuteronomy 9:2 Or giants; cf. Num 13:22, 33