< Deuteronomy 10 >
1 At that time the LORD said unto me: 'Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto Me into the mount; and make thee an ark of wood.
After that the Lord told me, “Cut out two stone tablets just like the first ones, make an Ark out of wood, and come up to me on the mountain.
2 And I will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which thou didst break, and thou shalt put them in the ark.'
I will write same the words on the tablets that were on the first ones, which you broke. Then put them in the Ark.”
3 So I made an ark of acacia-wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in my hand.
I made an Ark out of acacia wood, cut out two stone tablets like the first ones, and went up the mountain carrying them.
4 And He wrote on the tables according to the first writing, the ten words, which the LORD spoke unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them unto me.
The Lord wrote what he had before on the tablets, the Ten Commandments that he'd told you when he spoke from the fire on the mountain when we were all assembled there. The Lord gave them to me,
5 And I turned and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the LORD commanded me. —
and I went back down the mountain and put them in the Ark I'd made following the Lord's instructions. They have been there ever since.
6 And the children of Israel journeyed from Beeroth-benejaakan to Moserah; there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.
The Israelites went from the wells of the people of Jaakan to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried, and Eleazar his son took over as priest.
7 From thence they journeyed unto Gudgod; and from Gudgod to Jotbah, a land of brooks of water. —
From there they moved on to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land that had many streams.
8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day.
At this time the Lord put the tribe of Levi in charge of carrying the Ark of the Lord's Agreement, as well as serving the Lord by standing in his presence, and of pronouncing blessings in his name, as they continue to do to this day.
9 Wherefore Levi hath no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God spoke unto him. —
That's why the tribe of Levi has no land allowance or share among the other tribes. The Lord provides what they need, just as the Lord your God promised.
10 Now I stayed in the mount, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me that time also; the LORD would not destroy thee.
I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights as before, and during that time the Lord listened to my prayers once more and agreed not to destroy you.
11 And the LORD said unto me: 'Arise, go before the people, causing them to set forward, that they may go in and possess the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give unto them.'
Then the Lord told me, “Get ready and continue your journey leading the people so they may enter and take over the land that I promised their forefathers to give them.”
12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul;
People of Israel, what does the Lord your God want from you? He wants you to respect the Lord your God by following all his ways. He wants you to love him. He wants you to worship the Lord your God with all your mind and with all your being,
13 to keep for thy good the commandments of the LORD, and His statutes, which I command thee this day?
He wants you to keep the commandments and regulations of the Lord that I am giving you today for your own good.
14 Behold, unto the LORD thy God belongeth the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that therein is.
Look! Everything belongs to the Lord your God: the heavens, the highest heavens, and the earth and all that is there.
15 Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you, above all peoples, as it is this day.
But Lord was attracted to your forefathers and he loved them. He has also chosen you, their descendants, above any other people, even up till today.
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
Dedicate yourselves to God. Don't be stubborn and hard-hearted anymore.
17 For the LORD your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awful, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great, powerful, and awesome God. He shows no favoritism and accepts no bribes.
18 He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
He makes sure that orphans and widows receive justice, and he loves the foreigners, providing them with food and clothing.
19 Love ye therefore the stranger; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
You too must love the foreigner because you yourselves were once foreigners in Egypt.
20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; Him shalt thou serve; and to Him shalt thou cleave, and by His name shalt thou swear.
You must respect the Lord your God and worship him. Hold onto him and make your promises in his name.
21 He is thy glory, and He is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and tremendous things, which thine eyes have seen.
He is the one you should praise and he is your God, who has carried out for you these incredible and awesome miracles that you've seen with your own eyes.
22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.
When your forefathers went to Egypt there were only seventy of them in total, but now God has increased your numbers so much that there are as many of you as there are stars in the sky.