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Deuteronomy 4:1-14 (Listen)

Moses Commands Obedience

“And now, O Israel, listen to wthe statutes and the rules1 that I am teaching you, and do them, xthat you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. yYou shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did zat Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. aKeep them and do them, for bthat will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For cwhat great nation is there that has da god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so erighteous as all this law that I set before you today?

f“Only take care, and gkeep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. hMake them known to your children and your children's children—10 how on ithe day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, j‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, kso that they may learn to fear lme all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ 11 And myou came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while nthe mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. 12 Then othe Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, pbut saw no form; qthere was only a voice. 13 rAnd he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, sthe Ten Commandments,2 tand he wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 And uthe Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.

Footnotes

[1] 4:1 Or just decrees; also verses 5, 8, 14, 45
[2] 4:13 Hebrew words

Deuteronomy 5:6-32 (Listen)

c“‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“‘You shall have no other gods before1 me.

“‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to dthousands2 of those who love me and keep my commandments.

11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but ethe seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, fthat your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 gYou shall remember that you were a slave3 in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there hwith a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, ithat your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

17 j“‘You shall not murder.4

18 j“‘And you shall not commit adultery.

19 “‘And you shall not steal.

20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’

22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly kat the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And lhe wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 And mas soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. 24 And you said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and ngreatness, and owe have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man pstill live. 25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. qIf we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die. 26 pFor who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? 27 Go near and hear all that the Lord our God will say, and rspeak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

28 “And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. sThey are right in all that they have spoken. 29 tOh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, uthat it might go well with them and with their descendants5 forever! 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you, stand here by me, and vI will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ 32 You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. wYou shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Footnotes

[1] 5:7 Or besides
[2] 5:10 Or to the thousandth generation
[3] 5:15 Or servant
[4] 5:17 The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence
[5] 5:29 Or sons