Deuteronomy 10

1 “At that time YHWH has said to me, Hew two tablets of stone for yourself like the first, and come up to Me into the mountain, and you have made an ark of wood for yourself,

“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 write on the tablets the words which were on the first tablets, which you have broken, and you have placed 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 make an ark of shittim wood, and hew two tablets of stone like the first, and go up to the mountain with the two tablets 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 writes on the tablets according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which YHWH has spoken to you in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly, and YHWH gives them to 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 turn and come down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the Ark which I had made, and they are there, as YHWH 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 sons of Israel have journeyed from Beeroth of the sons of Jaakan to Mosera; Aaron died there, and he is buried there, and his son Eleazar acts as 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 to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water.

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

8 At that time YHWH has separated the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH, to stand before YHWH, to serve Him, and to bless in His Name to 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 there has not been a portion and inheritance for Levi with his brothers; YHWH Himself [is] his inheritance, as your God YHWH has 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 have stood in the mountain, as the former days, [for] forty days and forty nights, and YHWH also listens to me at that time; YHWH has not willed to destroy you.

“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 YHWH says to me, Rise, go to journey before the people, and they go in and possess the land which I have sworn to their fathers to give to 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, O Israel, what is your God YHWH asking from you, except to fear your God YHWH, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve your God YHWH with all your heart and with all your 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 commands of YHWH, and His statutes which I am commanding you today, for good for you?

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

14 Behold, the heavens, even the heavens of the heavens, [belong] to your God YHWH, [as does] the earth and all that [is] in it.

“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 Only, YHWH has delighted in your fathers, to love them, and He fixes on their seed after them—on you, out of all the peoples, as [at] 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 And you have circumcised the foreskin of your heart, and you do not harden your neck anymore.

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

17 For He, your God YHWH, [is] God of the gods and Lord of the lords—the great, the mighty, and the fearful God, who does not accept by appearances, nor takes a 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 He is doing the judgment of fatherless and widow, and loving the sojourner, to give bread and raiment to him.

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 And you have loved the sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

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

20 You fear your God YHWH, you serve Him, and you cleave to Him, and you swear by His Name.

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] your praise, and He [is] your God, who has done these great and fearful [things] with you which your 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 Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now your God YHWH has made you as [the] stars of the heavens for 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.”