Deuteronomy 28

1 And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth:

“Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

2 And all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall hearken unto the voice of the LORD your God.

And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the voice of the LORD your God:

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

You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep.

The fruit of your womb will be blessed, as well as the produce of your land and the offspring of your livestock— the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

5 Blessed shall be your basket and your store.

Your basket and kneading bowl will be blessed.

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

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

7 The LORD shall cause your enemies that rise up against you to be smitten before your face: they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways.

The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven.

8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouses, and in all that you set your hand unto; and he shall bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

The LORD will decree a blessing on your barns and on everything to which you put your hand; the LORD your God will bless you in the land He is giving you.

9 The LORD shall establish you an holy people unto himself, as he has sworn unto you, if you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and walk in his ways.

The LORD will establish you as His holy people, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.

10 And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of you.

Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will stand in awe of you.

11 And the LORD shall make you abundant in goods, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give you.

The LORD will make you prosper abundantly—in the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land—in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.

12 The LORD shall open unto you his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto your land in his season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend unto many nations, and you shall not borrow.

The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.

13 And the LORD shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if that you hearken unto the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do them:

The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today.

14 And you shall not go 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.

Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.

15 But it shall come to pass, if you will not hearken unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day; that all these curses shall come upon you, and overtake you:

If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

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

You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.

17 Cursed shall be your basket and your store.

Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed.

18 Cursed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your land, the increase of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep.

The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.

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

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

20 The LORD shall send upon you cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that you set your hand unto in order to do, until you be destroyed, and until you perish quickly; because of the wickedness of your doings, whereby you have forsaken me.

The LORD will send curses upon you, confusion and reproof in all to which you put your hand, until you are destroyed and quickly perish because of the wickedness you have committed in forsaking Him.

21 The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto you, until he have consumed you from off the land, where you go to possess it.

The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has exterminated you from the land that you are entering to possess.

22 The LORD shall strike you with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue you until you perish.

The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew; these will pursue you until you perish.

23 And your heaven that is over your head shall be brass, and the earth that is under you shall be iron.

The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron.

24 The LORD shall make the rain of your land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon you, until you be destroyed.

The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed.

25 The LORD shall cause you to be smitten before your enemies: you shall go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shall be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

26 And your carcass shall be food unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall frighten them away.

Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.

27 The LORD will strike you with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof you can not be healed.

The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.

28 The LORD shall strike you with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:

The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind,

29 And you shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways: and you shall be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save you.

and at noon you will grope about like a blind man in the darkness. You will not prosper in your ways. Day after day you will be oppressed and plundered, with no one to save you.

30 You shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: you shall build an house, and you shall not dwell therein: you shall plant a vineyard, and shall not gather the grapes thereof.

You will be pledged in marriage to a woman, but another man will violate her. You will build a house but will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but will not enjoy its fruit.

31 your ox shall be slain before your eyes, and you shall not eat thereof: your ass shall be violently taken away from before your face, and shall not be restored to you: your sheep shall be given unto your enemies, and you shall have none to rescue them.

Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away and not returned to you. Your flock will be given to your enemies, and no one will save you.

32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given unto another people, and your eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in your hand.

Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, while your eyes grow weary looking for them day after day, with no power in your hand.

33 The fruit of your land, and all your labours, shall a nation which you know not eat up; and you shall be only oppressed and crushed always:

A people you do not know will eat the produce of your land and of all your toil. All your days you will be oppressed and crushed.

34 So that you shall be mad for the sight of your eyes which you shall see.

You will be driven mad by the sights you see.

35 The LORD shall strike you in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot unto the top of your head.

The LORD will afflict you with painful, incurable boils on your knees and thighs, from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

36 The LORD shall bring you, and your king which you shall set over you, unto a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known; and there shall you serve other gods, wood and stone.

The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone.

37 And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations where the LORD shall lead you.

You will become an object of horror, scorn, and ridicule among all the nations to which the LORD will drive you.

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

You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it.

39 You shall plant vineyards, and dress them, but shall neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.

You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.

40 You shall have olive trees throughout all your coasts, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olive shall cast his fruit.

You will have olive trees throughout your territory but will never anoint yourself with oil, because the olives will drop off.

41 You shall brought forth sons and daughters, but you shall not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.

You will father sons and daughters, but they will not remain yours, because they will go into captivity.

42 All your trees and fruit of your land shall the locust consume.

Swarms of locusts will consume all your trees and the produce of your land.

43 The stranger that is within you shall get up above you very high; and you shall come down very low.

The foreigner living among you will rise higher and higher above you, while you sink down lower and lower.

44 He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him: he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.

He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.

45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you, and shall pursue you, and overtake you, till you be destroyed; because you hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you:

All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, since you did not obey the LORD your God and keep the commandments and statutes He gave you.

46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and for a wonder, and upon your seed for ever.

These curses will be a sign and a wonder upon you and your descendants forever.

47 Because you served not the LORD your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;

Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance,

48 Therefore shall you serve your enemies which the LORD shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in lack of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until he have destroyed you.

you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

49 The LORD shall bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies; a nation whose tongue you shall not understand;

The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,

50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young:

a ruthless nation with no respect for the old and no pity for the young.

51 And he shall eat the fruit of your cattle, and the fruit of your land, until you be destroyed: which also shall not leave you either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of your cattle, or flocks of your sheep, until he have destroyed you.

They will eat the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain or new wine or oil, no calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks, until they have caused you to perish.

52 And he shall besiege you in all your gates, until your high and fenced walls come down, wherein you trusted, throughout all your land: and he shall besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land, which the LORD your God has given you.

They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.

53 And you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, which the LORD your God has given you, in the siege, and in the strictness, wherewith your enemies shall distress you:

Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you.

54 So that the man that 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 children which he shall leave:

The most gentle and refined man among you will begrudge his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children who have survived,

55 So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he has nothing left him in the siege, and in the strictness, wherewith your enemies shall distress you in all your gates.

refusing to share with any of them the flesh of his children he will eat because he has nothing left in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within all your gates.

56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which 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 most gentle and refined woman among you, so gentle and refined she would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground, will begrudge the husband she embraces and her son and daughter

57 And toward her young one that comes out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for lack of all things secretly in the siege and strictness, wherewith your enemy shall distress you in your gates.

the afterbirth that comes from between her legs and the children she bears, because she will secretly eat them for lack of anything else in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within your gates.

58 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;

If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God—

59 Then the LORD will make your plagues wonderful, and the plagues of your seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

He will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary disasters, severe and lasting plagues, and terrible and chronic sicknesses.

60 Moreover he will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they shall cleave unto you.

He will afflict you again with all the diseases you dreaded in Egypt, and they will cling to you.

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

The LORD will also bring upon you every sickness and plague not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.

62 And all of you shall be left few in number, whereas all of you were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left few in number, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nothing; and all of you shall be plucked from off the land where you go to possess it.

Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and multiply, so also it will please Him to annihilate you and destroy you. And you will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.

64 And the LORD shall scatter you among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known, even wood and stone.

Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.

65 And among these nations shall you find no ease, neither shall the sole of your foot have rest: but the LORD shall give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

Among those nations you will find no repose, not even a resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul.

66 And your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you shall fear day and night, and shall have none assurance of your life:

So your life will hang in doubt before you, and you will be afraid night and day, never certain of survival.

67 In the morning you shall say, Would God it were even! and at even you shall say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of your heart wherewith you shall fear, and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see.

In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’—because of the dread in your hearts of the terrifying sights you will see.

68 And the LORD shall bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spoke unto you, You shall see it no more again: and there all of you shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

The LORD will return you to Egypt in ships by a route that I said you should never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”