Deuteronomy 4

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

Now, Israel [God prevails], sh'ma ·hear obey· the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do them; that you may live, and go in and possess the land which Adonai, the God of your fathers, gives you.

2 Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [aught] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

You shall not add to the word which I enjoin you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the mitzvot ·instructions· of Adonai your God which I enjoin you.

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

Your eyes have seen what Adonai did because of Baal Peor; for all the men who followed Baal Peor, Adonai your God has destroyed them from among you.

4 But ye who adhered to the LORD your God, [are] alive every one of you this day.

But you who were faithful to Adonai your God are all alive today.

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

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as Adonai my God enjoined me, that you should do so in the middle of the land where you go in to possess it.

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

Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who shall sh'ma ·hear obey· all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

7 For what nation [is there so] great, which [hath] God [so] nigh to them, as the LORD our God [is] in all [things that] we call upon him [for]?

For what great nation is there, that has a deity so near to them, as Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God] is whenever we call on 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?

What great nation is there, that has statutes and judgement so upright as all this Torah ·Teaching·, which I set before you today?

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

Only be careful, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children’s children;

10 [Specially] the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, Assemble the people to me, 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.

the day that you stood before Adonai your God in Horeb [Desert], when Adonai said to me, “Assemble the people to me, and I will make them sh'ma ·hear obey· my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.”

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

You came near and stood under the mountain. The mountain burned with fire to the heart of the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.

12 And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only [ye heard] a voice.

Adonai spoke to you out of the middle of the fire: you sh'ma ·hear obey· the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice.

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

He declared to you his covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties·, which he enjoined you to perform, even the Ten Words. He wrote them on two stone tablets.

14 And the LORD 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.

Adonai enjoined me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it.

15 Take ye therefore good heed to yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day [that] the LORD spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire;

Be very careful, for you saw no kind of form on the day that Adonai spoke to you in Horeb [Desert] out of the middle of the fire,

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

lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself an engraved image in the form of any figure, the likeness 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,

the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,

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

the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;

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

and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and abad ·serve· them, which Adonai your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky.

20 But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, [even] from Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as [ye are] this day.

But Adonai has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt [Abode of slavery], to be to him a people of inheritance, as it is today.

21 Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not enter that good land which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance:

Furthermore Adonai was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan [Descender], and that I should not go in to that good land, which Adonai your God gives you for 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.

but I must die in this land. I must not go over the Jordan [Descender]; but you shall go over, and possess that good land.

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

Be careful, lest you forget the covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· of Adonai your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves an engraved image in the form of anything which Adonai your God has enjoined forbidden for you.

24 For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God.

For Yahweh [He sustains breathing] your God is 'Akal 'Esh [Consuming Fire], El Kana' [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 the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

When you shall father children, and children’s children, and you shall have been long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make an engraved image in the form of anything, and shall do that which is evil in Adonai your God’s sight, to provoke him to anger;

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

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan [Descender] to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed.

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

Adonai will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations, where Adonai will lead you away.

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.

There you shall abad ·serve· deities, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor sh'ma ·hear obey·, nor eat, nor smell.

29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou shalt seek him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

But from there you shall seek Adonai your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

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

When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you shall teshuvah ·completely return· to Adonai your God, and sh'ma ·hear obey· to his voice.

31 (For the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God; ) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers, which he swore to them.

For Adonai your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· of your fathers which he swore to 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 to the other, whether there hath been [any such thing] as this great thing [is], or hath been heard like it?

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything as this great thing is, or has been sh'ma ·heard obeyed· like it?

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

Did a people ever sh'ma ·hear obey· the voice of God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as you have sh'ma ·heard obeyed·, and live?

34 Or hath God essayed 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 an out-stretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

Or has God tried to go and take a nation for himself from among another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Adonai your God did for you in Egypt [Abode of slavery] before your eyes?

35 To thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none besides him.

It was shown to you so that you might know that Yahweh [He sustains breathing] is God. There is no one else besides him,

36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee; and upon earth he showed thee his great fire; and thou heardst his words from the midst of the fire.

Out of heaven he made you to sh'ma ·hear obey· his voice, that he might instruct you. On earth he made you to see his great fire; and you sh'ma ·heard obeyed· his words out of the middle of the fire.

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

Because he 'ahav ·affectionately loved· your fathers, therefore he chose their offspring after them, and brought you out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt [Abode of slavery];

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 drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.

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

Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that Yahweh [He sustains breathing] himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else.

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

You shall keep his statutes, and his mitzvot ·instructions·, which I enjoin you today, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Adonai your God gives you, forever.

41 Then Moses set apart three cities on the side of Jordan, towards the sun-rising;

Then Moses [Drawn out] set apart three cities beyond the Jordan [Descender] toward the sunrise;

42 That the slayer might flee thither, who should kill his neighbor unawares, and when he had not hated him in times past; and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:

that the man slayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unawares, and didn’t hate him in time past; and that fleeing to one of these cities he might 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.

Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, 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 is the Torah ·Teaching· which Moses [Drawn out] set before the children of Israel [God prevails].

45 These [are] the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, after they came forth from Egypt,

These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses [Drawn out] spoke to the children of Israel [God prevails], when they came out of Egypt [Abode of slavery],

46 On the east side of 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 had come forth from Egypt:

beyond the Jordan [Descender], in the valley over against Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses [Drawn out] and the children of Israel [God prevails] struck, when they came out of Egypt [Abode of slavery].

47 And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who [were] on the side of Jordan, towards the sun-rising;

They took his land in possession, and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], who were beyond the Jordan [Descender] toward the sunrise;

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

from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, even to Mount Sion (also called Hermon [Devoted to destruction]),

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

and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan [Descender] eastward, even to the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.