Deuteronomy 4

1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which Yhwh God of your fathers giveth you.

Now, therefore, O Israel, hearken thou unto the statutes, and unto the regulations, which, I, am teaching you, to do [them], —to the end ye may live and enter and possess the land, which, Yahweh, the God of your fathers, is giving unto you.

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Yhwh your God which I command you.

Ye shall not add unto the word which, I, am commanding you, neither shall ye take away therefrom, —that ye may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, which, I, am commanding you.

3 Your eyes have seen what Yhwh did because of Baal–peor: for all the men that followed Baal–peor, Yhwh thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

Yours are the eyes, that have seen what Yahweh did in Baal-peor, for every man who went after Baal-peor, did Yahweh thy God destroy out of thy midst;

4 But ye that did cleave unto Yhwh your God are alive every one of you this day.

but, ye who kept on cleaving unto Yahweh your God, alive, are ye all to-day.

5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as Yhwh my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

See! I have taught you statutes, and regulations, as Yahweh my God commanded me, —that ye should do so, in the midst of the land whereinto ye are entering to possess it.

6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

Therefore shall ye observe, and do [them], for that, will be your wisdom, and discernment, in the eyes of the peoples, —who will hear all these statutes, and will say—Nevertheless, a people wise and discerning, is this great nation.

7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as Yhwh our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

For what great nation is there which hath gods nigh unto it, —like Yahweh our God, whensoever we have cried out unto him.

8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Or what great nation which hath righteous statutes and regulations, like all this law, which, I, am setting before you to-day?

9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

Only take thou heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, so that thou forget not the things which thine own eyes have seen, and so that they go not out of thy heart, all the days of thy life, —but thou shalt make them known unto thy sons and unto thy sons’ sons: —

10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before Yhwh thy God in Horeb, when Yhwh said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

What day thou didst stand before Yahweh thy God, in Horeb, when Yahweh said unto me, Gather unto me the people, that I may let them hear my words, —which they must learn that they may revere me all the days which they are living upon the soil, their children also, must they teach.

11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

So ye drew near and stood, under the mountain. Now, the mountain, was burning with fire, up to the midst of the heavens, —darkness, cloud, and thick gloom.

12 And Yhwh spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

Then spake Yahweh unto you out of the midst of the fire, —a voice of words, ye were hearing, no form, were ye seeing, there was only a voice.

13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Then declared he unto you his covenant which he commanded you to do, the ten words, —and wrote them upon two tables of stone.

14 And Yhwh commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

And unto me, gave Yahweh command, at that time, to teach you statutes and regulations, —that ye should do them, in the land whereinto ye are passing over to possess it.

15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that Yhwh spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

Ye must take diligent heed, therefore unto your own souls, for ye saw no manner of form, on the day Yahweh spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire;

16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

lest ye should break faith, and make you an image, a form of any likeness, —a model of male or female;

17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,

a model of any beast that is in the earth, —a model of any winged bird, that flieth in the heavens;

18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

a model of any thing that creepeth on the ground, —a model of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth;

19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which Yhwh thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

or lest thou shouldest lift up thine eyes towards the heavens and see the sun and the moon, and the stars—all the host of the heavens, and shouldest be seduced, and shouldest bow thyself down to them and he led to serve them, —the which Yahweh thy God hath assigned unto all the peoples under all the heavens;

20 But Yhwh hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

whereas you, hath Yahweh taken, and brought you forth out of a smelting-pot of iron, out of Egypt, —that ye might become his own inherited people as at this day.

21 Furthermore Yhwh was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which Yhwh thy God giveth thee for an inheritance:

But, Yahweh shewed himself angry with me, for your sakes, —and sware that I should not pass over the Jordan, and that I should not enter into the good land, which, Yahweh thy God, is giving unto thee as an inheritance;

22 But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.

for, I, am about to die in this land, I am not to pass over the Jordan, —but, ye, are to pass over, and possess this good land.

23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Yhwh your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which Yhwh thy God hath forbidden thee.

Take heed to yourselves lest ye forget the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he hath solemnised with you, —and so make for yourselves an image, the form of anything, the which Yahweh thy God hath forbidden thee;

24 For Yhwh thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

seeing that as for Yahweh thy God, a consuming fire, he is, —a jealous GOD.

25 When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of Yhwh thy God, to provoke him to anger:

When thou shalt beget sons, and sons’ sons, and become careless in the land and break faith and make an image the form of any thing, and shalt do the thing that is wicked in the eyes of Yahweh thy God provoking him to anger,

26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

I take both the heavens and the earth to witness against you to-day, that ye shall, perish, speedily, from off the land which ye are passing over the Jordan to possess, —ye shall not prolong your days thereupon; for, ye shall surely be laid waste;

27 And Yhwh shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither Yhwh shall lead you.

and Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, —and ye shall have left remaining of you men easily counted, among the nations whither Yahweh will drive you;

28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

and ye will serve there gods made by the hands of man, —wood or stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

29 But if from thence thou shalt seek Yhwh thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

If thou shalt seek from thence, Yahweh thy God, then shalt thou find him, —when thou shalt search after him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to Yhwh thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

In thy distress, when all these things have found thee out—in the afterpart of the days, thou wilt return unto Yahweh thy God, and wilt hearken to his voice.

31 ( For Yhwh thy God is a merciful God; ) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

For, a GOD of compassion, is Yahweh thy God, he will not forsake thee neither will he destroy thee, —nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

For ask, I pray you, of the former days which were before thee, even from the day when God created man upon the earth, yea from one end of the heavens even to the other end of the heavens, —whether aught was ever brought to pass, like this great thing, or was ever heard of like it:

33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

Did a people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of fire, as, thou, didst hear, and yet live?

34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Yhwh your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

Or did a god ever make trial of entering in to take unto him a nation out of the midst of a nation, by provings, by signs and by wonders and by fighting, and by a firm hand and by a stretched-out arm, and by great terrors, —according to all that Yahweh your God did for you in Egypt, before your eyes?

35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that Yhwh he is God; there is none else beside him.

Thou, wast allowed to see that thou mightest know, that Yahweh, he is God, there is none other than he alone.

36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.

Out of the heavens, he let thee hear his voice to instruct thee, —and, upon the earth, he let thee see his great fire, and his own words, thou didst hear out of the midst of the fire.

37 And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;

And because that he loved thy fathers, therefore chose he his seed after him, —and brought thee forth with his presence with his great might, out of Egypt;

38 To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.

to dispossess nations, greater and stronger than thou from before thee, —to bring thee in. to give unto thee their land for an inheritance: As at this day.

39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that Yhwh he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

So then thou must consider to-day, and bring it back to thy heart, that, Yahweh, he is God in the heavens above and upon the earth beneath, —there is none other.

40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which Yhwh thy God giveth thee, for ever.

So shalt thou keep his statutes and his commandments which, I, am commanding thee to-day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy sons after thee, —and to the end thou mayest prolong thy days upon the soil, which Yahweh thy God, is giving thee, all the days.

41 Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

Then, did Moses set apart three cities, over the Jordan, —towards the rising of the sun:

42 That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live:

that the manslayer might flee thither who should slay his neighbour unawares, he, not having hated him, aforetime, —and might flee unto one of these cities, and live:

43 Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.

namely Bezer, in the desert of the table-land, for the Reubenites, —and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

44 And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:

This, then is the law which Moses set before the sons of Israel:

45 These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt,

These, are the testimonies, and the statutes and the regulations, —which Moses spake unto the sons of Israel when they came forth out of Egypt:

46 On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Beth–peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt:

over the Jordan in the valley over against Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, —whom Moses and the sons of Israel smote, when they came forth out of Egypt:

47 And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

so they took possession of his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan the two kings of the Amorites, who were over the Jordan, —towards the rising of the sun;

48 From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon,

from Aroer which is on the edge of the ravine of Arnon, even unto Mount Sion, the same, is Hermon;

49 And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.

and all the waste plain over the Jordan, towards sunrise, even unto the sea of the waste plain, —under the slopes of the Pisgah.