^4:25After you have produced children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time,⁴² if you become corrupt and make an image of any kind⁴³ and do other evil things before the Lord your God that enrage him,⁴⁴^4:26I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you⁴⁵ today that you will surely and swiftly be removed⁴⁶ from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be⁴⁷ annihilated. ^4:27Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you⁴⁸ among the nations where the Lord will drive you.

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Footnotes

42 Heb “have grown old in the land,” i.e., been there for a long time.
43 Heb “a form of anything.” Cf. , , , “an idol.”
44 The infinitive construct is understood here as indicating the result, not the intention, of their actions.
45 I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you. This stock formula introduces what is known form-critically as a רִיב (riv) or controversy pattern. It is commonly used in the ancient Near Eastern world in legal contexts and in the OT as a forensic or judicial device to draw attention to Israel’s violation of the Lord’s covenant with them (see Deut 30:19; Isa 1:2; 3:13; Jer 2:9). Since court proceedings required the testimony of witnesses, the Lord here summons heaven and earth (that is, all creation) to testify to his faithfulness, Israel’s disobedience, and the threat of judgment.
46 Or “be destroyed”; “utterly perish”; “will quickly disappear”; “you won’t have long to live.”
47 Or “be completely” (so , ). It is not certain here if the infinitive absolute indicates the certainty of the following action (cf. ) or its degree.
48 Heb “you will be left men (i.e., few) of number.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“When you father children and children’s children, and have grown old in the land, and you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“When you have children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, and if you act corruptly, make an idol in the form of anything, and do what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, angering him, I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will quickly perish from the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not live long there, but you will certainly be destroyed. The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be reduced to a few survivors among the nations where the Lord your God will drive you.

NLTNew Living Translation

“In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols of any kind. This is evil in the sight of the Lord your God and will arouse his anger.

“Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against you. If you break my covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will live there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed. For the Lord will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“When you have had children and grandchildren and you have grown old in the land and you act corruptly and you make a divine image of the form of anything and you do evil in the eyes of Yahweh your God, thus provoking him to anger, I call to witness against you today the heaven and the earth, that you will perish soon and completely from the land that you are crossing the Jordan into it to take possession of it; you will not live long on it, but you will be completely destroyed. And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations to where Yahweh will lead you.

KJV 1900King James Version

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

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