Deuteronomy 27:1–28:68

God’s Laws Written on Stones

27 Then Moses, together with the leaders of Israel, said to the people, “Obey all the instructions that I am giving you today. 2*On the day you cross the River Jordan and enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you are to set up some large stones, cover them with plaster, 3*and write on them all these laws and teachings. When you have entered the rich and fertile land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you, 4*and you are on the other side of the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am instructing you today, and cover them with plaster. 5*Build an altar there made of stones that have had no iron tools used on them, 6*because any altar you build for the Lord your God must be made of uncut stones. There you are to offer the sacrifices that are to be burnt, 7*and there you are to sacrifice and eat your fellowship offerings and be grateful in the presence of the Lord your God. 8*On the stones covered with plaster write clearly every word of God’s laws.”

9 Then Moses, together with the levitical priests, said to all the people of Israel, “Give me your attention, people of Israel, and listen to me. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God; 10so obey him and keep all his laws that I am giving you today.”

The Curses on Disobedience

11 Then Moses said to the people of Israel, 12*“After you have crossed the Jordan, the following tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim when the blessings are pronounced on the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13And the following tribes will stand on Mount Ebal when the curses are pronounced: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14The Levites will speak these words in a loud voice:

15 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who makes an idol of stone, wood, or metal and secretly worships it; the Lord hates idolatry.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

16 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who dishonours his father or mother.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

17 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who moves a neighbour’s boundary mark.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

18 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who leads a blind person in the wrong direction.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

19 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who deprives foreigners, orphans, and widows of their rights.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

20 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who disgraces his father by having intercourse with any of his father’s wives.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

21 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who has sexual relations with an animal.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

22 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who has intercourse with his sister or half sister.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

23 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who has intercourse with his mother-in-law.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

24 “ ‘God’s curse on anyone who secretly commits murder.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

25 “ ‘God’s curse on anyone who accepts money to murder an innocent person.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

26 *“ ‘God’s curse on anyone who does not obey all of God’s laws and teachings.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

The Blessings of Obedience

(Lev 26:3–13; Deut 7:12–24)

28 * “If you obey the Lord your God and faithfully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, he will make you greater than any other nation on earth. 2*Obey the Lord your God and all these blessings will be yours:

3 *“The Lord will bless your towns and your fields.

4 *“The Lord will bless you with many children, with abundant crops, and with many cattle and sheep.

5 *“The Lord will bless your corn crops and the food you prepare from them.

6 *“The Lord will bless everything you do.

7 *“The Lord will defeat your enemies when they attack you. They will attack from one direction, but they will run from you in all directions.

8 *“The Lord your God will bless your work and fill your barns with corn. He will bless you in the land that he is giving you.

9 *“If you obey the Lord your God and do everything he commands, he will make you his own people, as he has promised. 10*Then all the peoples on earth will see that the Lord has chosen you to be his own people, and they will be afraid of you. 11*The Lord will give you many children, many cattle, and abundant crops in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you. 12*He will send rain in season from his rich storehouse in the sky and bless all your work, so that you will lend to many nations, but you will not have to borrow from any. 13*The Lord your God will make you the leader among the nations and not a follower; you will always prosper and never fail if you obey faithfully all his commands that I am giving you today. 14*But you must never disobey them in any way, or worship and serve other gods.

The Consequences of Disobedience

(Lev 26:14–46)

15 “But if you disobey the Lord your God and do not faithfully keep all his commands and laws that I am giving you today, all these evil things will happen to you:

16 “The Lord will curse your towns and your fields.

17 “The Lord will curse your corn crops and the food you prepare from them.

18 “The Lord will curse you by giving you only a few children, poor crops, and few cattle and sheep.

19 “The Lord will curse everything you do.

20 “If you do evil and reject the Lord, he will bring on you disaster, confusion, and trouble in everything you do, until you are quickly and completely destroyed. 21He will send disease after disease on you until there is not one of you left in the land that you are about to occupy. 22The Lord will strike you with infectious diseases, with swelling and fever; he will send drought and scorching winds to destroy your crops. These disasters will be with you until you die. 23No rain will fall, and your ground will become as hard as iron. 24Instead of rain, the Lord will send down duststorms and sandstorms until you are destroyed.

25 “The Lord will give your enemies victory over you. You will attack them from one direction, but you will run from them in all directions, and all the people on earth will be terrified when they see what happens to you. 26When you die, birds and wild animals will come and eat your bodies, and there will be no one to scare them off. 27The Lord will send boils on you, as he did on the Egyptians. He will make your bodies break out with sores. You will be covered with scabs, and you will itch, but there will be no cure. 28The Lord will make you lose your mind; he will strike you with blindness and confusion. 29You will grope about in broad daylight like a blind person, and you will not be able to find your way. You will not prosper in anything you do. You will be constantly oppressed and robbed, and there will be no one to help you.

30 “You will be engaged to a young woman—but someone else will marry her. You will build a house—but never live in it. You will plant a vineyard—but never eat its grapes. 31Your cattle will be butchered before your very eyes, but you will not eat any of the meat. Your donkeys will be dragged away while you look on, and they will not be given back to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and there will be no one to help you. 32Your sons and daughters will be given as slaves to foreigners while you look on. Every day you will strain your eyes, looking in vain for your children to return. 33A foreign nation will take all the crops that you have worked so hard to grow, while you receive nothing but constant oppression and harsh treatment. 34Your sufferings will make you lose your mind. 35The Lord will cover your legs with incurable, painful sores; boils will cover you from head to foot.

36 “The Lord will take you and your king away to a foreign land, where neither you nor your ancestors ever lived before; there you will serve gods made of wood and stone. 37In the countries to which the Lord will scatter you, the people will be shocked at what has happened to you; they will make fun of you and ridicule you.

38 “You will sow plenty of seed, but reap only a small harvest, because the locusts will eat your crops. 39You will plant vineyards and take care of them, but you will not gather their grapes or drink wine from them, because worms will eat the vines. 40Olive trees will grow everywhere in your land, but you will not have any olive oil, because the olives will drop off. 41You will have sons and daughters, but you will lose them, because they will be taken away as prisoners of war. 42All your trees and crops will be devoured by insects.

43 “Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power, while you gradually lose yours. 44They will have money to lend you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers.

45 “All these disasters will come on you, and they will be with you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and keep all the laws that he gave you. 46They will be the evidence of God’s judgement on you and your descendants for ever. 47The Lord blessed you in every way, but you would not serve him with glad and joyful hearts. 48So then, you will serve the enemies that the Lord is going to send against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, and naked—in need of everything. The Lordy will oppress you harshly until you are destroyed. 49The Lord will bring against you a nation from the ends of the earth, a nation whose language you do not know. They will swoop down on you like an eagle. 50They will be ruthless and show no mercy to anyone, young or old. 51They will eat your livestock and your crops, and you will starve to death. They will not leave you any corn, wine, olive oil, cattle, or sheep; and you will die. 52They will attack every town in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and the high, fortified walls in which you trust will fall.

53 “When your enemies are besieging your towns, you will become so desperate for food that you will even eat the…