“Moreover, it will serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, so that Adonai’s Torah may be on your lips; because with a strong hand Adonai brought you out of Egypt.

Adonai said to Moshe, “Here, I will cause bread to rain down from heaven for you. The people are to go out and gather a day’s ration every day. By this I will test whether they will observe my Torah or not.

Adonai said to Moshe, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay there. I will give you the stone tablets with the Torah and the mitzvot I have written on them, so that you can teach them.”

The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.’”

“This is the regulation from the Torah which Adonai has commanded. Tell the people of Isra’el to bring you a young red female cow without fault or defect and which has never borne a yoke.

El‘azar the cohen said to the soldiers who had gone to the front, “This is the regulation from the Torah which Adonai has ordered Moshe.

There, beyond the Yarden, in the land of Mo’av, Moshe took it upon himself to expound this Torah and said:

What great nation is there that has laws and rulings as just as this entire Torah which I am setting before you today?

This is the Torah which Moshe placed before the people of Isra’el —

In accordance with the Torah they teach you, you are to carry out the judgment they render, not turning aside to the right or the left from the verdict they declare to you.

“When he has come to occupy the throne of his kingdom, he is to write a copy of this Torah for himself in a scroll, from the one the cohanim and L’vi’im use.

It is to remain with him, and he is to read in it every day, as long as he lives; so that he will learn to fear Adonai his God and keep all the words of this Torah and these laws and obey them;

and, after crossing over, write this Torah on them, every word — so that you can enter the land Adonai your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Adonai, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

You are to write on the stones all the words of this Torah very clearly.”

“‘A curse on anyone who does not confirm the words of this Torah by putting them into practice.’ All the people are to say, ‘Amen!’

“If you will not observe and obey all the words of this Torah that are written in this book, so that you will fear this glorious and awesome name, Adonai your God;

Not only that, but Adonai will bring upon you all the sicknesses and plagues that are not written in this book of the Torah — until you are destroyed.

Adonai will single him out from all the tribes of Isra’el to experience what is bad in all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the Torah.

“Things which are hidden belong to Adonai our God. But the things that have been revealed belong to us and our children forever, so that we can observe all the words of this Torah.

“However, all this will happen only if you pay attention to what Adonai your God says, so that you obey his mitzvot and regulations which are written in this book of the Torah, if you turn to Adonai your God with all your heart and all your being.

Then Moshe wrote down this Torah and gave it to the cohanim, the descendants of Levi who carried the ark with the covenant of Adonai, and to all the leaders of Isra’el.

when all Isra’el have come to appear in the presence of Adonai at the place he will choose, you are to read this Torah before all Isra’el, so that they can hear it.

Assemble the people — the men, the women, the little ones and the foreigners you have in your towns — so that they can hear, learn, fear Adonai your God and take care to obey all the words of this Torah;

Moshe kept writing the words of this Torah in a book until he was done. When he had finished,

“Take this book of the Torah and put it next to the ark with the covenant of Adonai your God, so that it can be there to witness against you.

he said to them, “Take to heart all the words of my testimony against you today, so that you can use them in charging your children to be careful to obey all the words of this Torah.

the Torah Moshe commanded us as an inheritance for the community of Ya‘akov.

They will teach Ya‘akov your rulings, Isra’el your Torah. They will set incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow all the Torah which Moshe my servant ordered you to follow; do not turn from it either to the right or to the left; then you will succeed wherever you go.

Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed.

as Moshe the servant of Adonai had ordered the people of Isra’el to do (this is written in the book of the Torah of Moshe), an altar of uncut stones that no one had touched with an iron tool. On it they offered burnt offerings to Adonai and sacrificed peace offerings.

He wrote there on the stones a copy of the Torah of Moshe, inscribing it in the presence of the people of Isra’el.

After this, he read all the words of the Torah, the blessing and the curse, according to everything written in the book of the Torah.

Only take great care to obey the mitzvah and the Torah which Moshe the servant of Adonai gave you — to love Adonai your God, follow all his ways, observe his mitzvot, cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and being.”

“Therefore be very firm about keeping and doing everything written in the book of the Torah of Moshe and not turning aside from it either to the right or to the left.

Y’hoshua wrote these words in the book of the Torah of God. Then he took a big stone and set it up there under the oak next to the sanctuary of Adonai.

Observe the charge of Adonai your God to go in his ways and keep his regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is written in the Torah of Moshe; so that you will succeed in all you do and wherever you go.

But Yehu made no effort to live wholeheartedly according to the Torah of Adonai the God of Isra’el and did not turn away from the sins of Yarov‘am, with which he had led Isra’el into sin.

But he did not put the children of the murderers to death, because of what is written in the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, as Adonai ordered when he said, “Fathers are not to be executed for the children, nor are children to be executed for the fathers; every person will be executed for his own sin.”

Adonai had warned Isra’el and Y’hudah in advance through every prophet and seer, “Turn from your evil ways; and obey my mitzvot and regulations, in accordance with the entire Torah which I ordered your ancestors to keep and which I sent to you through my servants the prophets.”

To this day they continue to follow their former [pagan] customs. They do not fear Adonai. They do not follow the regulations, rulings, Torah or mitzvah which Adonai ordered the descendants of Ya‘akov, to whom he gave the name Isra’el,

You are to observe forever the laws, rulings, Torah and mitzvah which he wrote for you. You are not to fear other gods,

Also I will not have the feet of Isra’el wander any longer out of the land which I gave their ancestors — if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them and live in accordance with all the Torah that my servant Moshe ordered them to obey.”

Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol said to Shafan the secretary, “I have found the scroll of the Torah in the house of Adonai.” Hilkiyah gave the scroll to Shafan, who read it.

After the king had heard what was written in the scroll of the Torah, he tore his clothes.

Yoshiyahu got rid of the mediums and the people using spirit guides, as well as the household gods, the idols and all the disgusting things spotted anywhere in Y’hudah and Yerushalayim. He did this in order to establish the words of the Torah written in the scroll Hilkiyahu the cohen had found in the house of Adonai.

No previous king was like him; because he turned to Adonai with all his heart, with all his being and with all his power, in accordance with all the Torah of Moshe; nor did any king like him arise afterwards.

Hear what Adonai says, you rulers of S’dom! Listen to God’s Torah, you people of ‘Amora!

Many peoples will go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Adonai, to the house of the God of Ya‘akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of Adonai from Yerushalayim.

Therefore, as fire licks up the stubble, and the chaff is consumed in the flame; so their root will rot, and their flowers scatter like dust; because they have rejected the Torah of Adonai-Tzva’ot, they have despised the word of the Holy One of Isra’el.

For this is a rebellious people; they are lying children, children who refuse to hear the Torah of Adonai.

he will not weaken or be crushed until he has established justice on the earth, and the coastlands wait for his Torah.”

Adonai was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake, to make the Torah great and glorious.

Who gave Ya‘akov to be pillaged, Isra’el to the plunderers? Didn’t Adonai, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they refused to walk, he whose Torah they did not obey?

“Pay attention to me, my people! My nation, listen to me! For Torah will go out from me; I will calm them with my justice as a light for the peoples.

“Listen to me, you who know justice, you people who have my Torah in your heart: don’t be afraid of people’s taunts, don’t be upset by their insults.

The cohanim didn’t ask, ‘Where is Adonai?’ Those who deal with the Torah did not know me, the people’s shepherds rebelled against me; the prophets prophesied by Ba‘al and went after things of no value.

Hear, oh earth! I am going to bring disaster on this people; it is the consequence of their own way of thinking; for they pay no attention to my words; and as for my Torah, they reject it.

“‘How can you say, “We are wise; Adonai’s Torah is with us,” when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has turned it into falsehood?

Adonai answers: “Because they abandoned my Torah, which I set before them, and neither listened to what I said nor lived accordingly,

then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors abandoned me, says Adonai, and went after other gods, serving and worshipping them, but abandoned me and did not keep my Torah.

Then they said, “Let’s develop a plan for dealing with Yirmeyahu. Torah won’t be lost from the cohanim, or counsel from the wise, or words from the prophets. So come, let’s destroy him with slander; and meanwhile, we won’t pay attention to anything he says.”

So tell them that this is what Adonai says: “If you will not pay attention to me and live according to my Torah, which I have given you,

“For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra’el after those days,” says Adonai: “I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

They entered and took possession of it; but they did not pay attention to your voice, did not live according to your Torah, and did nothing of all you ordered them to do. Therefore you made this complete disaster befall them —

To this day they remain unhumbled; they have not been afraid, and they have not lived according to my Torah or my regulations that I presented to you and your ancestors.’

It is because you offered incense, sinned against Adonai, didn’t listen to what Adonai said, and didn’t live by his Torah, regulations and instructions that this disaster has befallen you, as it is today.”

Calamity will follow calamity, rumor will follow rumor; they will seek a vision from the prophet, but Torah will perish from the cohen and advice from the leaders.

Her cohanim have done violence to my Torah, profaned my holy things, made no difference between the holy and the common, not distinguished between unclean and clean, hidden their eyes from my shabbats, and profaned me among themselves.

If they become ashamed of all they have done, show them the elevation and plan of the house, its exits and entrances, all its details and decorations, and all its specifications, its design and its Torah. Sketch it for them to see, so that they can observe the entire design with its specifications, and carry them out.

This is Torah for the house: the whole surrounding area on the mountaintop will be especially holy. This is Torah for the house.”

Adonai said to me, “Human being, pay attention; see with your eyes and hear with your ears everything I tell you about all the regulations of Adonai’s house and about all its Torah; pay attention to who can enter the house and who must be excluded from the sanctuary.

My people are destroyed for want of knowledge. Because you rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as cohen for me. Because you forgot the Torah of your God, I will also forget your children.

“Put the shofar to your lips! Like a vulture [he swoops down] on the house of Adonai, because they have violated my covenant and sinned intentionally against my Torah.

I write him so many things from my Torah, yet he considers them foreign.

Here is what Adonai says: “For Y’hudah’s three crimes, no, four — I will not reverse it — because they rejected Adonai’s Torah and haven’t observed his laws, and their lies caused them to fall into error and live the way their ancestors did;

Many Gentiles will go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Adonai, to the house of the God of Ya‘akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of Adonai from Yerushalayim.

Therefore Torah is not followed; justice never gets rendered, because the wicked fence in the righteous. This is why justice comes out perverted.

Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; her cohanim profane the holy and do violence to Torah.

“Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘Ask the cohanim what the Torah says about this:

Yes, they made their hearts as hard as a diamond, so that they wouldn’t hear the Torah and the messages that Adonai-Tzva’ot had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. This is why great anger came from Adonai-Tzva’ot;

The true Torah was in his mouth, and no dishonesty was found on his lips; he walked with me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from sin.

A cohen’s lips should safeguard knowledge, and people should seek Torah from his mouth, because he is the messenger of Adonai-Tzva’ot.

But you turned away from the path, you caused many to fail in the Torah, you corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

“Therefore I have in turn made you contemptible and vile before all the people, because you did not keep my ways but were partial in applying the Torah.”

“Remember the Torah of Moshe my servant, which I enjoined on him at Horev, laws and rulings for all Isra’el.

Their delight is in Adonai’s Torah; on his Torah they meditate day and night.

The Torah of Adonai is perfect, restoring the inner person. The instruction of Adonai is sure, making wise the thoughtless.

The Torah of his God is in his heart; his footsteps do not falter.

Doing your will, my God, is my joy; your Torah is in my inmost being.

He raised up a testimony in Ya‘akov and established a Torah in Isra’el. He commanded our ancestors to make this known to their children,

They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to live by his Torah.

“If his descendants abandon my Torah and fail to live by my rulings,

How happy the man whom you correct, Yah, whom you teach from your Torah,

א (Alef)

How happy are those whose way of life is blameless, who live by the Torah of Adonai!

Open my eyes, so that I will see wonders from your Torah.

Keep deceitful ways far from me, and favor me with your Torah.

Give me understanding; then I will keep your Torah; I will observe it with all my heart.

and I will keep your Torah always, forever and ever.

Though the arrogant scorn me completely, I have not turned away from your Torah.

Fury seizes me when I think of the wicked, because they abandon your Torah.

I remember your name, Adonai, at night; and I observe your Torah.

Even when the cords of the wicked close around me, I don’t forget your Torah.

Their hearts are as thick as fat, but I take delight in your Torah.

The Torah you have spoken means more to me than a fortune in gold and silver.

Show me pity, and I will live, for your Torah is my delight.

The arrogant have dug pits for me to fall in; this is not in keeping with your Torah!

If your Torah had not been my delight, I would have perished in my distress.

מ (Mem)

How I love your Torah! I meditate on it all day.

I am continually taking my life in my hands, yet I haven’t forgotten your Torah.

ס (Samekh)

I hate doubleminded people, but I love your Torah.

The time has come for Adonai to act, because they are breaking your Torah.

Rivers of tears flow down from my eyes, because they don’t observe your Torah.

Your righteousness is eternal righteousness, and your Torah is truth.

The pursuers of carnality are getting close; they are distancing themselves from your Torah.

ר (Resh)

Look at my distress, and rescue me, for I do not forget your Torah.

I hate falsehood, I detest it; but I love your Torah.

Those who love your Torah have great peace; nothing makes them stumble.

I long for your deliverance, Adonai; and your Torah is my delight.

For the mitzvah is a lamp, Torah is light, and reproofs that discipline are the way to life.

Those who abandon Torah praise the wicked, but those who keep Torah fight them.

A wise son observes Torah, but a friend of those lacking restraint shames his father.

If a person will not listen to Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.

Without a prophetic vision, the people throw off all restraint; but he who keeps Torah is happy.

Her gates have sunk into the ground; he destroyed and broke their bars. Her king and rulers are among the Goyim, there is no more Torah, and her prophets do not receive visions from Adonai.

Yes, all Isra’el flouted your Torah and turned away, unwilling to listen to your voice. Therefore the curse and oath written in the Torah of Moshe the servant of God was poured out on us, because we sinned against him.

As written in the Torah of Moshe, this whole disaster came upon us. Yet we did not appease Adonai our God by renouncing our wrongdoing and discerning your truth.

Then Yeshua the son of Yotzadak with his fellow cohanim, and Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el with his kinsmen, organized rebuilding the altar of the God of Isra’el; so that they could offer burnt offerings on it, as is written in the Torah of Moshe the man of God.

this ‘Ezra went up from Bavel. He was a scribe, expert in the Torah of Moshe, which Adonai the God of Isra’el had given; and the king granted him everything he asked for, since the hand of Adonai his God was on him.

For ‘Ezra had set his heart on studying and practicing the Torah of Adonai and teaching Isra’el the laws and rulings.

Here is the letter that King Artach’shashta gave ‘Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher, the student of matters relating to Adonai’s mitzvot and his laws for Isra’el:

We should make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives, along with their children, in obedience to the advice of Adonai and of those who tremble at the mitzvah of our God; let us act in accordance with the Torah.

all the people gathered with one accord in the open space in front of the Water Gate and asked ‘Ezra the Torah-teacher to bring the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, which Adonai had commanded Isra’el.

‘Ezra the cohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which consisted of men, women and all children old enough to understand. It was the first day of the seventh month.

Facing the open space in front of the Water Gate, he read from it to the men, the women and the children who could understand from early morning until noon; and all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah.

‘Ezra the Torah-teacher stood on a wood platform which they had made for the purpose; beside him on his right stood Mattityah, Shema, ‘Anayah, Uriyah, Hilkiyah and Ma‘aseiyah; while on his left were P’dayah, Misha’el, Malkiyah, Hashum, Hashbadanah, Z’kharyah and Meshulam.

The L’vi’im Yeshua, Bani, Sherevyah, Yamin, ‘Akuv, Shabtai, Hodiyah, Ma‘aseiyah, K’lita, ‘Azaryah, Yozavad, Hanan and P’layah explained the Torah to the people, while the people remained in their places.

They read clearly from the scroll, in the Torah of God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.

Nechemyah the Tirshata, ‘Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher and the L’vi’im who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is consecrated to Adonai your God; don’t be mournful, don’t weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah.

On the second day, the heads of fathers’ clans of all the people assembled with the cohanim and L’vi’im before ‘Ezra the Torah-teacher to study the words of the Torah.

They found written in the Torah that Adonai had ordered through Moshe that the people of Isra’el were to live in sukkot during the feast of the seventh month;

Also they read every day, from the first day until the last day, in the scroll of the Torah of God. They kept the feast for seven days; then on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

Standing where they were, they read in the scroll of the Torah of Adonai their God for one-quarter of the day. For another quarter they confessed and prostrated themselves before Adonai their God.

You revealed to them your holy Shabbat and gave them mitzvot, laws and the Torah through Moshe your servant.

“‘Yet they disobeyed and rebelled against you, throwing your Torah behind their backs. They killed your prophets for warning them that they should return to you and committed other gross provocations.

You warned them, in order to bring them back to your Torah; yet they were arrogant. They paid no attention to your mitzvot, but sinned against your rulings, which, if a person does them, he will have life through them. However, they stubbornly turned their shoulders, stiffened their necks and refused to hear.

Our kings, our leaders, our cohanim and ancestors did not keep your Torah, pay attention to your mitzvot or heed the warnings you gave them.

The rest of the people, the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Torah of God, along with their wives, sons and daughters, everyone capable of knowing and understanding,

joined their kinsmen and their leaders in swearing an oath, accompanied by a curse [in case of noncompliance], as follows: “We will live by God’s Torah, given by Moshe the servant of God, and will perform and obey all the mitzvot, rulings and laws of Adonai our Lord.

“We, the cohanim, the L’vi’im and the people, will cast lots in connection with the wood offering, so that it will be brought to the house of our God according to our fathers’ clans, at specified times, year by year, and then be burned on the altar of Adonai our God, as prescribed in the Torah.

“We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as prescribed in the Torah, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, to the house of our God, to the cohanim ministering in the house of our God.

This was in the days of Yoyakim the son of Yeshua, the son of Yotzadak, and in the days of Nechemyah the governor and of ‘Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher.

and his kinsmen, Sh’ma‘yah, ‘Azar’el, Milalai, Gilalai, Ma‘ai, N’tan’el, Y’hudah and Hanani, who had the musical instruments of David the man of God. ‘Ezra the Torah-teacher led them.

At that time, men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for supplies, contributions, firstfruits and tenths, and to gather into them, from the fields belonging to the cities, the portions prescribed by the Torah for the cohanim and L’vi’im. For Y’hudah rejoiced over the cohanim and L’vi’im who took their position

On hearing the Torah, they separated from Isra’el everyone of mixed ancestry.

To supervise the storerooms I appointed Shelemyah the cohen, Tzadok the Torah-teacher and, from the L’vi’im, P’dayah; assisting them was Hanan the son of Zakur, the son of Mattanyah; for these were considered reliable. Their duty was to make the distribution to their kinsmen.

to offer burnt offerings to Adonai every morning and evening on the altar for burnt offerings, according to everything written in the Torah of Adonai, which he gave to Isra’el.

May Adonai give you common sense and understanding, and may he give you his orders concerning Isra’el, so that you will observe the Torah of Adonai your God.

Now therefore, Adonai, God of Isra’el, keep what you promised to your servant David, my father, when you said, ‘You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra’el, if only your children are careful about what they do, so that they live by my Torah, just as you have lived in my presence.’

But in time, after Rechav‘am had consolidated his rulership and had become strong, he, and with him all Isra’el, abandoned the Torah of Adonai.

He ordered Y’hudah to seek Adonai, the God of their ancestors, and to obey the Torah and the mitzvah.

For a long time Isra’el was without the true God, without a cohen who could teach, and without Torah.

They taught in Y’hudah, having a scroll of the Torah of Adonai with them; they circulated through all the cities of Y’hudah, teaching among the people.

Y’hoyada appointed officers for the house of Adonai under the supervision of the cohanim and L’vi’im, whom David had assigned turns of duty in the house of Adonai, to offer the burnt offerings of Adonai, as written in the Torah of Moshe, with rejoicing and singing in keeping with David’s orders.

But he did not put their children to death; rather, he acted according to what is written in the Torah, in the scroll of Moshe, as Adonai ordered when he said, “Fathers are not to die for the children, nor are the children to die for the fathers; every person will die for his own sin.”

Now they stood at their stations, as prescribed in the Torah of Moshe the man of God; the cohanim splashed the blood given to them by the L’vi’im.

He determined a portion of the king’s property to be given for the burnt offerings, that is, for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for burnt offerings on Shabbats, Rosh-Hodesh and the designated times, as prescribed by the Torah of Adonai.

He also ordered the people living in Yerushalayim to contribute the portion meant for the cohanim and L’vi’im, so that they would be submitting themselves to the Torah of Adonai.

Every project that he undertook in order to seek his God, whether in the service of the house of God or in connection with the Torah and the mitzvot, he did with all his heart; and so he succeeded.

Also I will not remove the feet of Isra’el from the land I assigned your ancestors, if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them, that is, all the Torah, laws and rulings that came through Moshe.”

While bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of Adonai, Hilkiyahu the cohen found the scroll of the Torah of Adonai given by Moshe.

Hilkiyahu said to Shafan the secretary, “I have found the scroll of the Torah in the house of Adonai.” Hilkiyahu gave the scroll to Shafan.

After the king had heard what was written in the Torah, he tore his clothes.

Other activities of Yoshiyahu and all his good deeds in keeping with what is written in the Torah of Adonai,