Deuteronomy 4:1–14
4 Now, Israel, hear the decreesn and laws I am about to teacho you. Follow them so that you may livep and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not addq to what I command you and do not subtractr from it, but keeps the commandst of the Lord your God that I give you.
3 You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor.u The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, 4 but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.
5 See, I have taughtv you decrees and lawsw as the Lord my God commandedx me, so that you may follow them in the land you are enteringy to take possession of it. 6 Observez them carefully, for this will show your wisdoma and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”b 7 What other nation is so greatc as to have their gods neard them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and lawse as this body of laws I am setting before you today?
9 Only be careful,f and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teachg them to your childrenh and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb,i when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learnj to reverek me as long as they live in the landl and may teachm them to their children.” 11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountainn while it blazed with fireo to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.p 12 Then the Lord spokeq to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form;r there was only a voice.s 13 He declared to you his covenant,t the Ten Commandments,u which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and lawsv you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.