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The Privileges of the Covenant
4 Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances[a] I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors,[b] is giving you. 2 Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to[c] you. 3 You have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor,[d] how he[e] eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor.[f] 4 But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you. 5 Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in[g] the land you are about to enter and possess. 6 So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding[h] to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise[i] people.” 7 In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? 8 And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just[j] as this whole law[k] that I am about to share with[l] you today?
Reminder of the Horeb Covenant
9 Again, however, pay very careful attention,[m] lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. 10 You[n] stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he[o] said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands.[p] Then they will learn to revere me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.” 11 You approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, a mountain ablaze to the sky above it[q] and yet dark with a thick cloud.[r] 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the middle of the fire; you heard speech but you could not see anything—only a voice was heard.[s] 13 And he revealed to you the covenant[t] he has commanded you to keep, the Ten Commandments,[u] writing them on two stone tablets. 14 Moreover, at that same time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to keep in the land that you are about to enter and possess.[v]
The Nature of Israel’s God
15 Be very careful,[w] then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 16 I say this[x] so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female, 17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls[y] on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters under the earth.[z] 19 When you look up[aa] to the sky[ab] and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly creation[ac]—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them,[ad] for the Lord your God has assigned[ae] them to all the people[af] of the world.[ag] 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace,[ah] to be his special people[ai] as you are today. 21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he[aj] is about to give you.[ak] 22 So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that[al] good land. 23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he[am] has forbidden[an] you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God.[ao]
Threat and Blessing following Covenant Disobedience
25 After you have produced children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time,[ap] if you become corrupt and make an image of any kind[aq] and do other evil things before the Lord your God that enrage him,[ar] 26 I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you[as] today that you will surely and swiftly be removed[at] from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be[au] annihilated. 27 Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you[av] among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 There you will worship gods made by human hands—wood and stone that can neither see, hear, eat, nor smell. 29 But if you seek the Lord your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul.[aw] 30 In your distress when all these things happen to you in future days, if you return to the Lord your God and obey him[ax] 31 (for he[ay] is a merciful God), he will not let you down[az] or destroy you, for he cannot[ba] forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.
The Uniqueness of Israel’s God
32 Indeed, ask about the distant past, starting from the day God created humankind[bb] on the earth, and ask[bc] from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has ever been such a great thing as this, or even a rumor of it. 33 Have a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the middle of fire, as you yourselves have, and lived to tell about it? 34 Or has God[bd] ever before tried to deliver[be] a nation from the middle of another nation, accompanied by judgments,[bf] signs, wonders, war, strength, power,[bg] and other very terrifying things like the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 35 You have been taught that the Lord alone is God—there is no other besides him. 36 From heaven he spoke to you in order to teach you, and on earth he showed you his great fire from which you also heard his words.[bh] 37 Moreover, because he loved[bi] your ancestors, he chose their[bj] descendants who followed them and personally brought you out of Egypt with his great power 38 to dispossess nations greater and stronger than you and brought you here this day to give you their land as your property.[bk] 39 Today realize and carefully consider that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below—there is no other! 40 Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth[bl] today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession.”
The Narrative Concerning Cities of Refuge
41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone[bm] without hating him at the time of the accident[bn] could flee to one of those cities and be safe. 43 These cities are Bezer, in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.
The Setting and Introduction of the Covenant
44 This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites.[bo] 45 These are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that Moses spoke to the Israelites after he had brought them out of Egypt, 46 in the Transjordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. (It is he whom Moses and the Israelites attacked after they came out of Egypt. 47 They possessed his land and that of King Og of Bashan—both of whom were Amorite kings in the Transjordan, to the east. 48 Their territory extended[bp] from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon valley as far as Mount Siyon[bq]—that is, Hermon— 49 including all the rift valley of the Transjordan in the east to the sea of the rift valley,[br] beneath the slopes[bs] of Pisgah.)
39 He also told them a parable: “Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he?[a] Won’t they both fall[b] into a pit? 40 A disciple[c] is not greater than[d] his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why[e] do you see the speck[f] in your brother’s eye, but fail to see[g] the beam of wood[h] in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
43 “For[i] no good tree bears bad[j] fruit, nor again[k] does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known[l] by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered[m] from thorns, nor are grapes picked[n] from brambles.[o] 45 The good person out of the good treasury of his[p] heart[q] produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury[r] produces evil, for his mouth speaks[s] from what fills[t] his heart.
46 “Why[u] do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’[v] and don’t do what I tell you?[w]
47 “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice[x]—I will show you what he is like: 48 He is like a man[y] building a house, who dug down deep,[z] and laid the foundation on bedrock. When[aa] a flood came, the river[ab] burst against that house but[ac] could not shake it, because it had been well built.[ad] 49 But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice[ae] is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When[af] the river burst against that house,[ag] it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!”[ah]
Healing the Centurion’s Slave
7 After Jesus[ai] had finished teaching all this to the people,[aj] he entered Capernaum.[ak] 2 A centurion[al] there[am] had a slave[an] who was highly regarded,[ao] but who was sick and at the point of death. 3 When the centurion[ap] heard[aq] about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders[ar] to him, asking him to come[as] and heal his slave. 4 When[at] they came[au] to Jesus, they urged[av] him earnestly,[aw] “He is worthy[ax] to have you do this for him, 5 because he loves our nation,[ay] and even[az] built our synagogue.”[ba] 6 So[bb] Jesus went with them. When[bc] he was not far from the house, the centurion[bd] sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself,[be] for I am not worthy[bf] to have you come under my roof! 7 That is why[bg] I did not presume[bh] to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed.[bi] 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me.[bj] I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes,[bk] and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”[bl] 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed[bm] at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!”[bn] 10 So[bo] when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave[bp] well.
Psalm 68[a]
For the music director, by David, a psalm, a song.
68 God springs into action.[b]
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries[c] run from him.[d]
2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away.[e]
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
3 But the godly[f] are happy;
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy.[g]
4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds.[h]
For the Lord is his name.[i]
Rejoice before him.
5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows.[j]
God rules from his holy dwelling place.[k]
6 God settles in their own homes those who have been deserted;[l]
he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity.[m]
But sinful rebels live in the desert.[n]
7 O God, when you lead your people into battle,[o]
when you march through the wastelands,[p] (Selah)
8 the earth shakes.
Yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai,[q]
before God, the God of Israel.[r]
9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall[s] on your chosen people.[t]
When they[u] are tired, you sustain them,[v]
10 for you live among them.[w]
You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.
11 The Lord speaks;[x]
many, many women spread the good news.[y]
12 Kings leading armies run away—they run away![z]
The lovely lady[aa] of the house divides up the loot.
13 When[ab] you lie down among the sheepfolds,[ac]
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold.[ad]
14 When the Sovereign One[ae] scatters kings,[af]
let it snow[ag] on Zalmon.
15 The mountain of Bashan[ah] is a towering mountain;[ai]
the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks.[aj]
16 Why do you look with envy,[ak] O mountains[al] with many peaks,
at the mountain where God has decided to live?[am]
Indeed[an] the Lord will live there[ao] permanently.
17 God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands.[ap]
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor.[aq]
18 You ascend on high;[ar]
you have taken many captives.[as]
You receive tribute[at] from[au] men,
including even sinful rebels.
Indeed, the Lord God lives there.[av]
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