Deuteronomy 10

1 At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew for thyself two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount; and make thyself an ark of wood.

“Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Cut two stone tablets like the first ones. And make a wooden chest to put them in. Then [bring the tablets] up to me on this mountain.

2 And I will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which thou hast broken; and thou shalt put them in the ark.

I will write on those tablets the same words that I wrote on the first tablets, the ones that you broke. Then you can put them in the chest.’

3 And I made an ark of shittim-wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and I went up into the mount, with the two tables in my hand.

“So I made a chest. I used wood from an acacia tree to make it. Then I cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I went up the mountain carrying the tablets.

4 And he wrote on the tables, like the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord had spoken unto you on the mount out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them unto me.

There Yahweh wrote on the tablets the [same] Ten Commandments [that he had written on the first tablet]. They are the commandments that he told to your ancestors from the middle of the fire on the mountain, when they were gathered [at the bottom of the mountain]. Then Yahweh gave the tablets to me,

5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and I put the tables in the ark which I had made; and they have remained there, as the Lord hath commanded me.

and I turned and went down the mountain. Then, just as he had commanded, I put them in the chest that I had made. And they are still there.”

6 And the children of Israel took their journey from the wells of the children of Ya'akan to Mosserah: there Aaron died, and he was buried there; and Elazar his son became priest in his stead.

(Then, from the wells that belonged to the people of Jaakan, the Israeli people traveled to Moserah. There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar took his place and became the Supreme Priest.

7 From there they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Yotbatha, a land of brooks of waters.

From there, the Israelis traveled to Gudgodah, and from there to Jotbathah, which was a place that had many streams.

8 At that time did the Lord separate 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 that time, Yahweh (set apart/appointed) the tribe of Levi to carry the chest that contained [the tablets on which were written] the Ten Commandments, and to stand in Yahweh’s presence [in the sacred tent], to offer sacrifices, and to pray for Yahweh to bless [the people. They are still doing those things] at the present time.

9 Therefore was not assigned unto Levi any portion or inheritance with his brethren: the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord thy God hath spoken to him.

That is the reason that the tribe of Levi did not receive any land like the other tribes did. What they received was the work/privilege of being Yahweh’s [priests], which is what he said that they should do.)

10 And I stayed on the mount, like the first days, forty days and forty nights; and the Lord hearkened unto me also at that time, the Lord would not destroy thee.

“I stayed on the mountain 40 days and nights, just like I did the first time. [I prayed to] Yahweh, and he (answered my prayers/did what I requested) again and said that he would not destroy your ancestors.

11 And the Lord said unto me, Arise, go on the journey before the people, that they may go in and take possession of the land, which I have sworn unto their fathers to give unto them.

Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Continue your journey, going in front of the people, to occupy the land that I vowed your ancestors that I would give to you.’”

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,

“Now, you Israeli people, [I will tell you] [RHQ] what Yahweh our God requires/demands that you do. He requires you to revere him, to conduct your lives as he wants you to, to love him, and to serve him wholeheartedly [DOU],

13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day, for thy own good?

and to obey all of his commandments [DOU] which I am giving to you today for your benefit.

14 Behold, to the Lord thy God belong the heavens and the heavens of heavens, and the earth with all that is thereon;

“Do not forget that Yahweh our God owns even the sky and everything that is in it. He also owns the earth and everything that is on it.

15 Yet only in thy fathers had the Lord delight, to love them; he chose, therefore, their seed after them, namely you, from all the nations, as it is this day.

But [in spite of owning all those things], Yahweh loved your ancestors, and from all the people-groups [on the earth] he chose us, their descendants, and we are still his people.

16 Remove therefore the obduracy of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

So you must stop sinning [MET] and stop being stubborn [IDM]!

17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who hath no regard to persons, and taketh no bribe;

Yahweh our God is greater than all gods, and he is greater than all rulers. He is very powerful [DOU] and awesome. He (is impartial/does not do things that favor one (group/person) more than others), and he does not accept bribes.

18 Who executeth justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loveth the stranger, to give him food and raiment.

He makes sure that orphans and widows are treated fairly. He loves even (foreigners/people from other countries) who live among us Israeli people, and he gives them food and clothes.

19 Love ye then the stranger; for you have been strangers in the land of Egypt.

So you must love those foreigners too, because you were once foreigners when you were living in Egypt.

20 The Lord thy God shalt thou fear: him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and by his name shalt thou swear.

Revere Yahweh our God and worship only him. (Be faithful to/Have a close relationship with) him, and say that he should punish you if you do not do what you promise.

21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, who hath done for thee these great and fearful things, which thy own eyes have seen.

He is the one whom you must praise. He is our God, and we have seen the great and amazing things that he has done for us.

22 With seventy persons did thy fathers go down into Egypt; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee like the stars of heaven in multitude.

When our ancestors, [Jacob and his family], went down to Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now Yahweh our God has caused us to be as numerous as the stars in the sky.”