Deuteronomy 27

The Altar on Mount Ebal

27Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. ²And on the day ^syou cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. ^3tAnd you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, ^ua land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. ⁴And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, ^von Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. ⁵And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. ^wYou shall wield no iron tool on them; ⁶you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut¹ stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, ⁷and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and ^xshall eat there, and you ^xshall rejoice before the Lord your God. ⁸And ^yyou shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”

Curses from Mount Ebal

⁹Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: ^zthis day you have become the people of the Lord your God. ¹⁰You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”

¹¹That day Moses charged the people, saying, ¹²“When you have crossed over the Jordan, ^athese shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ¹³And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. ¹⁴And ^bthe Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:

^15c“ ‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ ^dAnd all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

^16e“ ‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^17f“ ‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^18g“ ‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^19h“ ‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

²⁰ⁱ“ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has ^juncovered his father’s nakedness.’² And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^21k“ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^22l“ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^23m“ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

²⁴ⁿ“ ‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^25o“ ‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

^26p“ ‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’