Deuteronomy 4

1 Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

People of Israel, pay attention to the rules and regulations I'm teaching you to observe. That way you can stay alive, and go in and take over the country the Lord, the God of your forefathers, is giving you.

2 You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you.

You are not to add to or take away from what I'm telling you, so that you can keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I'm ordering you to follow.

3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor.

You've seen for yourselves what the Lord did at Baal-peor where the Lord your God killed everyone among you who worshiped Baal of Peor.

4 But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive to this day, every one of you.

Those of you who were faithful to the Lord your God are still alive today, every one of you.

5 See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land that you are about to enter and possess.

Listen, I have taught you the rules and regulations just as the Lord my God ordered me to do, so you can follow them in the country that you are about to enter and take over.

6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

Be careful to observe them, because this will demonstrate your wisdom and insight to the other people living there who are watching. They will find out about all these rules and say, “The people of this great nation are very wise and have good insight.”

7 For what nation is great enough to have a god as near to them as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him?

What nation is as great as us, having a god so close to them as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call on him?

8 And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?

What nation is as great as us, having such good rules and regulations like all these laws that I'm placing before you today?

9 Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.

Just make sure to be very careful, and really watch what you do, so you don't forget the things you've have seen. Keep them in mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.

10 The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, “Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children.”

That day when you stood in the presence of the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord told me, “Have the people come to me and to hear what I have to say, so they may learn to have respect for me throughout their lives here on earth, and so they may teach this to their children.”

11 You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire to the heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.

You gathered and stood at the foot of the mountain. The mountain was on fire, shooting out flames into the sky and producing thick dark clouds.

12 And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.

The Lord spoke to you from the fire. You heard the words, but you didn't see the form of anyone speaking—there was just a voice.

13 He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.

He explained to you his agreement, the Ten Commandments, which he ordered you to follow. He wrote them down on two tablets of stone.

14 At that time the LORD commanded me to teach you the statutes and ordinances you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

This was the time that the Lord ordered me to teach you the rules and regulations that you are to follow when you arrive in the country you're going to own once you've crossed the Jordan.

15 So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful

You didn't see any form when the Lord spoke to you from the fire at Horeb, so be very careful

16 that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,

that you don't spoil your relationship with the Lord by making an idol for yourselves in any shape or form, whether it looks like a male or female,

17 of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air,

or any land animal or bird that flies,

18 or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below.

or of any animal that crawls on the ground or any fish in the deep sea.

19 When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

When you look up at the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the heavenly bodies—don't be tempted to bow down to them. Don't worship them like all the other nations on earth in the way that the Lord has allowed.

20 Yet the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of His inheritance, as you are today.

Remember that the Lord took you and led you out of the iron furnace which was Egypt to be his own people, just as you are today.

21 The LORD, however, was angry with me on account of you, and He swore that I would not cross the Jordan to enter the good land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he vowed that I wouldn't cross the Jordan to enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you to own.

22 For I will not be crossing the Jordan, because I must die in this land. But you shall cross over and take possession of that good land.

So I will not be crossing the Jordan, because I have to die here in this land. But you will cross over and occupy that good land.

23 Be careful that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God that He made with you; do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything He has forbidden you.

However, be careful not to forget the agreement of the Lord your God that he made with you. Don't make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything, because he has forbidden you to do this.

24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

For the Lord your God is a fire that burns everything up. He is an exclusive God.

25 After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger—

After you have been living in the country for a long time and have had children and grandchildren, if you then spoil the relationship you have with the Lord and make an idol in any form. The Lord your God sees this as evil makes him angry.

26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.

If you do this, I call on heaven and earth to be witnesses against you today that you will be completely wiped out from the country that you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will not live long there—you will be totally destroyed.

27 Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.

The Lord will scatter you among the other nations, and not many of you will survive in the countries where the Lord has exiled you.

28 And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

There you will worship gods of wood and stone made by human beings. These idols can't see or hear or eat or smell.

29 But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

However, if while you're there you decide to come to the Lord your God, you will find him if you come to him whole-heartedly, with complete commitment.

30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.

When you are in trouble, after you've experienced all these things, then eventually you will return to the Lord your God and do what he says.

31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath.

The Lord your God is a merciful God. He won't abandon you or destroy you or forget the agreement he made with your forefathers, confirmed by a solemn promise.

32 Indeed, ask now from one end of the heavens to the other about the days that long preceded you, from the day that God created man on earth: Has anything as great as this ever happened or been reported?

Think about it! Examine the whole of history from the beginning of time, long before you existed, when God made human beings, right up until now. Ask this question anywhere, from one end of the earth to the other: Has anything as amazing as this ever happened before; has anyone ever heard anything like this?

33 Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?

Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, like you have, and survived?

34 Or has any god tried to take as his own a nation out of another nation—by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors—as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, before your eyes?

Has any god tried to take a nation out of another nation and make them his own, using tests and signs and miracles and war—with his great power and incredible strength and terrifying actions—like the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes?

35 You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.

You were shown all this so you could be certain that the Lord is God and there is no one like him.

36 He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.

He made you hear his voice from heaven so you would obey him. On earth he revealed himself though blazing fire, and you heard him speak to you from the fire.

37 Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by His presence and great power,

Because he loved your forefathers, he chose you, their descendants. He himself led you out of Egypt by his great power,

38 to drive out before you nations greater and mightier than you, and to bring you into their land and give it to you for your inheritance, as it is this day.

driving out ahead of you nations that were greater and stronger than you, in order to lead you to their land and give it to you as yours to own, just as you do today.

39 Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

So today be sure about this and never forget: the Lord is the only God in heaven above and on the earth below.

40 Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.

Observe his rules and regulations that I'm giving you right now, so that you and your children will do well, and that you may have long lives in the country that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.

41 Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east

Then Moses assigned three sanctuary towns to the east of the Jordan

42 to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities:

where a person could run to after accidentally killing someone without deliberate hatred. To save their life they could run to one of these towns:

43 Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau belonging to the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the Gadites, or Golan in Bashan belonging to the Manassites.

Bezer in the desert plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, or Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh.

44 This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites.

This is the law that Moses placed before the Israelites.

45 These are the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that Moses proclaimed to them after they had come out of Egypt,

These are the laws, rules, and regulations Moses gave them after they had come out of Egypt.

46 while they were in the valley across the Jordan facing Beth-peor in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt.

This was when they were in the valley to the east of the Jordan near Beth-peor in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites. He had ruled from Heshbon and had been defeated by Moses and the Israelites after they had left Egypt.

47 They took possession of the land belonging to Sihon and to Og king of Bashan—the two Amorite kings across the Jordan to the east—

They took over his country and the country of Og king of Bashan. (They were the two kings of the Amorites who previously ruled on the east side of the Jordan.)

48 extending from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon),

The territory went from the town of Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley all the way to Mount Sirion, otherwise known as Mount Hermon,

49 including all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan and as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.

and included all the Arabah to the east of the Jordan down as far as the Dead Sea beside the slopes of Mount Pisgah.