Deuteronomy 6

1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it:

These are the commandments and rules and regulations that the Lord your God has ordered me to teach you to follow in the country that you're going to enter and occupy.

2 That you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, you, and your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.

This is so you and your children and grandchildren will show respect to the Lord your God throughout your lives by keeping all his rules and regulations that I give you, and so that you may have a long life.

3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey.

Listen, people of Israel, and be careful to observe them, so that you may do well and have many descendants in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your forefathers, promised you.

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Listen, people of Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is the only one.

5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your mind and with all your being and with all your strength.

6 And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart:

The commands I'm giving you today must stay in your minds.

7 And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

You are to explain them carefully to your children and talk about them when you're at home and when you're traveling, when you lie down and when you get up.

8 And you shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Tie them on your hands as reminders and put them on your foreheads as well.

9 And you shall write them on the posts of your house, and on your gates.

Write them on the doorposts of your homes and on your gates.

10 And it shall be, when the LORD your God shall have brought you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you great and goodly cities, which you built not,

The Lord your God is going to take you into the country he promised to give you and your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It's a country with large, prosperous towns that you didn't build,

11 And houses full of all good things, which you filled not, and wells dig, which you digged not, vineyards and olive trees, which you planted not; when you shall have eaten and be full;

with houses full of plenty of good things that you didn't provide, that have wells you didn't dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant. When you eat and are full

12 Then beware lest you forget the LORD, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

make sure you don't forget the Lord who led you out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery.

13 You shall fear the LORD your God, and serve him, and shall swear by his name.

Respect the Lord your God only worship him, and only make promises in his name.

14 You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

Don't worship any other gods, the gods of the peoples around you,

15 (For the LORD your God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and destroy you from off the face of the earth.

because the Lord your God, who lives among you, is an exclusive God, and Lord your God will become angry with you, and he will wipe you out.

16 You shall not tempt the LORD your God, as you tempted him in Massah.

Don't test the Lord your God like you did at Massah.

17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.

You must be careful to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and the laws and rules he's given you.

18 And you shall do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to your fathers.

Do what's good and right in the Lord's sight so that it will go well for you and that you may enter and take over the good land that the Lord your God promised to give your forefathers,

19 To cast out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.

He will drive out all your enemies ahead of you, just as he said.

20 And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God has commanded you?

In the future, when your children come and ask you, “What's the point of decrees and rules and regulations that the Lord our God ordered you to follow?”

21 Then you shall say to your son, We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:

then you are to tell them, “Once we were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord by his power led us out of Egypt.

22 And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and sore, on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household, before our eyes:

Before our very eyes the Lord brought down incredible and terrifying signs and miracles on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his people.

23 And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers.

But he led us out of there to take us here, giving us this country that he had promised to our forefathers.

24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

The Lord ordered us to keep all these laws and to respect the Lord our God, so that we would always be safe and well, as we are today

25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.

And if we carefully observe each of these commandments as we live in the presence of the Lord, as he instructed us, then we will be right with him.”