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The Covenant Renewed in Moab
29 These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the (A)covenant which He made with them in Horeb.
2 Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: (B)“You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land— 3 (C)the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 Yet (D)the Lord has not given you a heart to [a]perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day. 5 (E)And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. (F)Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. 6 (G)You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 7 And when you came to this place, (H)Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we conquered them. 8 We took their land and (I)gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Therefore (J)keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may (K)prosper in all that you do.
10 “All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from (L)the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water— 12 that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and (M)into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today, 13 that He may (N)establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, (O)just as He has spoken to you, and (P)just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
14 “I make this covenant and this oath, (Q)not with you alone, 15 but with him who stands here with us today before the Lord our God, (R)as well as with him who is not here with us today 16 (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, 17 and you saw their [b]abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); 18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, (S)whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, (T)and that there may not be among you a root bearing (U)bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I [c]follow the (V)dictates of my heart’—(W)as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.
20 (X)“The Lord would not spare him; for then (Y)the anger of the Lord and (Z)His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the Lord (AA)would blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And the Lord (AB)would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the (AC)Law, 22 so that the coming generation of your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, would say, when they (AD)see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the Lord has laid on it:
23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, (AE)salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, (AF)like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’ 24 All nations would say, (AG)‘Why has the Lord done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, (AH)to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the Lord (AI)uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’
29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
The Blessing of Returning to God
30 “Now (AJ)it shall come to pass, when (AK)all these things come upon you, the blessing and the (AL)curse which I have set before you, and (AM)you [d]call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, 2 and you (AN)return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 (AO)that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and (AP)gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 (AQ)If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 And (AR)the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
7 “Also the Lord your God will put all these (AS)curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you will (AT)again obey the voice of the Lord and do all His commandments which I command you today. 9 (AU)The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the [e]fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the Lord will again (AV)rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Choice of Life or Death
11 “For this commandment which I command you today (AW)is [f]not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 (AX)It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, (AY)in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
15 “See, (AZ)I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 (BA)I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 (BB)I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that (BC)I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your (BD)life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 (A)When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
39 (B)Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but (C)your inward part is full of [a]greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not (D)He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 (E)But rather give alms of [b]such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
42 (F)“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and (G)pass by justice and the (H)love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 (I)Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the [c]best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 (J)Woe to you, [d]scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (K)For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! (L)For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (M)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, (N)‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 (O)from the blood of Abel to (P)the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52 (Q)“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
53 [e]And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, [f]and (R)seeking to catch Him in something He might say, [g]that they might accuse Him.
Beware of Hypocrisy(S)
12 In (T)the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, (U)“Beware of the [h]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 (V)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(W)
4 (X)“And I say to you, (Y)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, (Z)fear Him!
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two [i]copper coins? And (AA)not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel
A (A)Contemplation[a] of Asaph.
78 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a (B)parable;
I will utter [b]dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4 (C)We will not hide them from their children,
(D)Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
5 For (E)He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That (F)they should make them known to their children;
6 (G)That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
8 And (H)may not be like their fathers,
(I)A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation (J)that did not [c]set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and [d]carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
10 (K)They did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
11 And (L)forgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.
12 (M)Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, (N)in the field of Zoan.
13 (O)He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And (P)He made the waters stand up like a heap.
14 (Q)In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15 (R)He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
16 He also brought (S)streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 But they sinned even more against Him
By (T)rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18 And (U)they tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
19 (V)Yes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 (W)Behold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and (X)was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
22 Because they (Y)did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
(Z)And opened the doors of heaven,
24 (AA)Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the [e]bread of (AB)heaven.
25 Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to [f]the full.
26 (AC)He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
27 He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
29 (AD)So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
30 They were not [g]deprived of their craving;
But (AE)while their food was still in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
(A)But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.