Deuteronomy 6

1 Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go over 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, Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing 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, Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.

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 These words, which I command you this day, shall be on 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 You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes.

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

9 You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates.

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

10 It shall be, when the LORD your God shall bring 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 did not build,

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 did not fill, and cisterns dug out, which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees, which you did not plant, and you shall eat 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, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of 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 you shall serve him only, and you shall cling to him, and take oaths 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 peoples who are around you;

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

15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he 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 Do not test the LORD your God, as you tested him at 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 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 thrust 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 When your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God has commanded you mean?"

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 tell your son, "We were Pharaoh's bondservants 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 great and awesome signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, 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 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 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 It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this commandment 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.”