Deuteronomy 28

1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shall hearken diligently to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth,

It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the LORD your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

2 and all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shall hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God:

All these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you, if you listen to the LORD your God’s voice.

3 Blessed shall thou be in the city, and blessed shall thou be in the field.

You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.

4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy beasts, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock.

You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock.

5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough.

Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed.

6 Blessed shall thou be when thou come in, and blessed shall thou be when thou go out.

You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out.

7 Jehovah will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee. They shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways.

The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways.

8 Jehovah will command the blessing upon thee in thy barns, and in all that thou put thy hand to. And he will bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God gives thee.

The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to. He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

9 Jehovah will establish thee for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to thee, if thou shall keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, and walk in his ways.

The LORD will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and walk in his ways.

10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that thou are called by the name of Jehovah, and they shall be afraid of thee.

All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the LORD’s name, and they will be afraid of you.

11 And Jehovah will make thee plenteous for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which Jehovah swore to thy fathers to give thee.

The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.

12 Jehovah will open to thee his good treasure the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand. And thou shall lend to many nations, and thou shall not borrow.

The LORD will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow.

13 And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail. And thou shall only be above, and thou shall not be beneath, if thou shall hearken to the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do,

The LORD will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today, to observe and to do,

14 and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

and shall not turn away from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

15 But it shall come to pass, if thou will not hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to the LORD your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you and overtake you.

16 Cursed shall thou be in the city, and cursed shall thou be in the field.

You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field.

17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.

18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock.

The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed.

19 Cursed shall thou be when thou come in, and cursed shall thou be when thou go out.

You will be cursed when you come in, and you will be cursed when you go out.

20 Jehovah will send upon thee cursing, discomfiture, and rebuke, in all that thou put thy hand to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly, because of the evil of thy doings, by which thou have forsaken me.

The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me.

21 Jehovah will make the pestilence cling to thee, until he has consumed thee from off the land, where thou go in to possess it.

The LORD will make the pestilence cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land where you go in to possess it.

22 Jehovah will smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with fiery heat, and with the sword, and with blight, and with mildew. And they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

The LORD will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish.

23 And thy sky that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

Your sky that is over your head will be bronze, and the earth that is under you will be iron.

24 Jehovah will make the rain of thy land powder and dust. From the sky it shall come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky, until you are destroyed.

25 Jehovah will cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies. Thou shall go out one way against them, and shall flee seven ways before them. And thou shall be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth.

The LORD will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and will flee seven ways before them. You will be tossed back and forth amongst all the kingdoms of the earth.

26 And thy dead body shall be food to all birds of the sky, and to the beasts of the earth, and there shall be none to frighten them away.

Your dead bodies will be food to all birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth; and there will be no one to frighten them away.

27 Jehovah will smite thee with the boil of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which thou cannot be healed.

The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumours, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed.

28 Jehovah will smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with confusion of mind,

The LORD will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart.

29 and thou shall grope at noonday, as the blind man gropes in darkness. And thou shall not prosper in thy ways. And thou shall only be oppressed and robbed always, and there shall be none to save thee.

You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you.

30 Thou shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shall build a house, and thou shall not dwell in it. Thou shall plant a vineyard, and shall not use the fruit of it.

You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit.

31 Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shall not eat of it. Thy donkey shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given to thine enemies, and thou shall have none to save thee.

Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.

32 Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given to another people. And thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day, and there shall be nothing in the power of thy hand.

Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand.

33 The fruit of thy ground, and all thy labors, shall a nation eat up which thou know not. And thou shall only be oppressed and crushed always,

A nation which you don’t know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always,

34 so that thou shall be mad because of the sight of thine eyes which thou shall see.

so that the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad.

35 Jehovah will smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore boil, of which thou cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot to the crown of thy head.

The LORD will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil, of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.

36 Jehovah will bring thee, and thy king whom thou shall set over thee, to a nation that thou have not known, thou nor thy fathers. And there thou shall serve other gods, wood and stone.

The LORD will bring you, and your king whom you will set over yourselves, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers. There you will serve other gods of wood and stone.

37 And thou shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all the peoples where Jehovah shall lead thee away.

You will become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword amongst all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away.

38 Thou shall carry much seed out into the field, and shall gather little in, for the locust shall consume it.

You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in, for the locust will consume it.

39 Thou shall plant vineyards and dress them, but thou shall neither drink of the wine, nor gather, for the worm shall eat them.

You will plant vineyards and dress them, but you will neither drink of the wine, nor harvest, because worms will eat them.

40 Thou shall have olive trees throughout all thy borders, but thou shall not anoint thyself with the oil, for thine olive shall drop off.

You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off.

41 Thou shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be thine, for they shall go into captivity.

You will father sons and daughters, but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity.

42 All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.

Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground.

43 The sojourner who is in the midst of thee shall mount up above thee higher and higher, and thou shall come down lower and lower.

The foreigner who is amongst you will mount up above you higher and higher, and you will come down lower and lower.

44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and thou shall be the tail.

He will lend to you, and you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.

45 And all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed, because thou hearkened not to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee,

All these curses will come on you, and will pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you didn’t listen to the LORD your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you.

46 and they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed forever.

They will be for a sign and for a wonder to you and to your offspring forever.

47 Because thou served not Jehovah thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things,

Because you didn’t serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things;

48 therefore thou shall serve thine enemies that Jehovah shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things. And he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he has destroyed thee.

therefore you will serve your enemies whom the LORD sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

49 Jehovah will bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies, a nation whose tongue thou shall not understand,

The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand,

50 a nation of fierce countenance, that shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young,

a nation of fierce facial expressions, that doesn’t respect the elderly, nor show favour to the young.

51 and shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy ground, until thou be destroyed, that also shall not leave thee grain, new wine, or oil, the increase of thy cattle, or the young of thy flock, until they have caused thee to perish.

They will eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also won’t leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.

52 And they shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fortified walls come down, in which thou trusted, throughout all thy land. And they shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which Jehovah thy God has given thee.

They will besiege you in all your gates until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout all your land. They will besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you.

53 And thou shall eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, whom Jehovah thy God has given thee, in the siege and in the distress with which thine enemies shall distress thee.

You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you.

54 The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his sons whom he has remaining,

The man who is tender amongst you, and very delicate, his eye will be evil towards his brother, towards the wife whom he loves, and towards the remnant of his children whom he has remaining,

55 so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his sons whom he shall eat, because he has nothing left to him, in the siege and in the distress with which thine enemy shall distress thee in all thy gates.

so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left to him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in all your gates.

56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,

The tender and delicate woman amongst you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil towards the husband that she loves, towards her son, towards her daughter,

57 and toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her sons whom she shall bear, for she shall eat them secretly for want of all things, in the siege and in the distress with which thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

towards her young one who comes out from between her feet, and towards her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates.

58 If thou will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou may fear this glorious and fearful name, JEHOVAH THY GOD,

If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD your God,

59 then Jehovah will make thy calamities extraordinary, and the calamities of thy seed, even great calamities and of long continuance, and severe sicknesses and of long continuance.

then the LORD will make your plagues and the plagues of your offspring fearful, even great plagues, and of long duration, and severe sicknesses, and of long duration.

60 And he will bring upon thee again all the diseases of Egypt, which thou were afraid of, and they shall cling to thee.

He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they will cling to you.

61 Also every sickness, and every calamity, which is not written in the book of this law, them Jehovah will bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, the LORD will bring them on you until you are destroyed.

62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou did not hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God.

You will be left few in number, even though you were as the stars of the sky for multitude, because you didn’t listen to the LORD your God’s voice.

63 And it shall come to pass, that, as Jehovah rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Jehovah will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you. And ye shall be plucked from off the land where thou go in to possess it.

It will happen that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to cause you to perish and to destroy you. You will be plucked from the land that you are going in to possess.

64 And Jehovah will scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. And there thou shall serve other gods, which thou have not known, thou nor thy fathers, even wood and stone.

The LORD will scatter you amongst all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. There you will serve other gods which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone.

65 And among these nations thou shall find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of thy foot, but Jehovah will give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul.

Amongst these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but the LORD will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul.

66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shall fear night and day, and shall have no assurance of thy life.

Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day, and will have no assurance of your life.

67 In the morning thou shall say, Would it were evening! and at evening thou shall say, Would it were morning! for the fear of thy heart which thou shall fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shall see.

In the morning you will say, “I wish it were evening!” and at evening you will say, “I wish it were morning!” for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see.

68 And Jehovah will bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I said to thee, Thou shall see it no more again. And there ye shall sell yourselves to your enemies for bondmen and for bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

The LORD will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told you that you would never see it again. There you will offer yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you.