Moses Commands Obedience

4 “Now, O Israel, listen to athe statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and 1possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. 2 bYou shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at cBaal Peor; for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

5 “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is dyour wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

7 “For ewhat great nation is there that has fGod 2so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently gkeep yourself, lest you hforget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And iteach them to your children and your grandchildren, 10 especially concerning jthe day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

11 “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 kAnd the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no 3form; lyou only heard a voice. 13 mSo He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, nthe Ten Commandments; and oHe wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 And pthe Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might 4observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

Beware of Idolatry

15 q“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no rform when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest you sact corruptly and tmake for yourselves a carved image in the 5form of any figure: uthe likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 19 And take heed, lest you vlift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, wall the host of heaven, you feel driven to xworship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has 6given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. 20 But the Lord has taken you and ybrought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be zHis people, an inheritance, as you are this day. 21 Furthermore athe Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that bI would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 But cI must die in this land, dI must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and 7possess ethat good land. 23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, fand make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For gthe Lord your God is a consuming fire, ha jealous God.