Deuteronomy 4
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
World English Bible
1And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, giveth you.
1Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances which I teach you, to do them, that you may live and go in and possess the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you.
2Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
2You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
3Your eyes have seen what the LORD did in Baal-peor; for all the men that followed the Baal of Peor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from the midst of thee.
3Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed all the men who followed Baal Peor from among you.
4But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.
4But you who were faithful to the LORD your God are all alive today.
5Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it.
5Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do so in the middle of the land where you go in to possess it.
6Observe therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that, when they hear all these statutes, shall say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
6Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who shall hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
7For what great nation is there, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is whensoever we call upon Him?
7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to them as the LORD our God is whenever we call on him?
8And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
8What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you today?
9Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children;
9Only be careful, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children’s children—
10the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me: 'Assemble Me the people, and I will make them hear My words that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
10the day that you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, “Assemble the people to me, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.”
11And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.
11You came near and stood under the mountain. The mountain burned with fire to the heart of the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.
12And the LORD spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire; ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only a voice.
12The LORD spoke to you out of the middle of the fire: you heard the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice.
13And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even the ten words; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone.
13He declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments. He wrote them on two stone tablets.
14And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
14The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it.
15Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves — for ye saw no manner of form on the day that the LORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire —
15Be very careful, for you saw no kind of form on the day that the LORD spoke to you in Horeb out of the middle of the fire,
16lest ye deal corruptly, and make you a graven image, even the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
16lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself a carved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the heaven,
17the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
18the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;
18the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;
19and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.
19and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky.
20But you hath the LORD taken and brought forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
20But the LORD has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as it is today.
21Now the LORD was angered with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance;
21Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance;
22but I must die in this land, I must not go over the Jordan; but ye are to go over, and possess that good land.
22but I must die in this land. I must not go over the Jordan, but you shall go over and possess that good land.
23Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image, even the likeness of any thing which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
23Be careful, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you.
24For the LORD thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
24For the LORD your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
25When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have been long in the land, and shall deal corruptly, and make a graven image, even the form of any thing, and shall do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke Him;
25When you father children and children’s children, and you have been long in the land, and then corrupt yourselves, and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the LORD your God’s sight to provoke him to anger,
26I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
26I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed.
27And the LORD shall scatter you among the peoples, and ye shall be left few in number among the nations, whither the LORD shall lead you away.
27The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will lead you away.
28And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
28There you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29But from thence ye will seek the LORD thy God; and thou shalt find Him, if thou search after Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
29But from there you shall seek the LORD your God, and you will find him when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
30In thy distress, when all these things are come upon thee, in the end of days, thou wilt return to the LORD thy God, and hearken unto His voice;
30When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you shall return to the LORD your God and listen to his voice.
31for the LORD thy God is a merciful God; He will not fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them.
31For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them.
32For ask now of the days past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
32For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything as great as this thing is, or has been heard like it?
33Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
33Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as you have heard, and live?
34Or hath God assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before thine eyes?
34Or has God tried to go and take a nation for himself from among another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
35Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightiest know that the LORD, He is God; there is none else beside Him.
35It was shown to you so that you might know that the LORD is God. There is no one else besides him.
36Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire; and thou didst hear His words out of the midst of the fire.
36Out of heaven he made you to hear his voice, that he might instruct you. On earth he made you to see his great fire; and you heard his words out of the middle of the fire.
37And because He loved thy fathers, and chose their seed after them, and brought thee out with His presence, with His great power, out of Egypt,
37Because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their offspring after them, and brought you out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt;
38to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day;
38to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.
39know this day, and lay it to thy heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else.
39Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that the LORD himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else.
40And thou shalt keep His statutes, and His commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.
40You shall keep his statutes and his commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God gives you for all time.
41Then Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising;
41Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise,
42that the manslayer might flee thither, that slayeth his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in time past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live:
42that the man slayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally and didn’t hate him in time past, and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:
43Bezer in the wilderness, in the table-land, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.
43Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.
44And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel;
44This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
45these are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, when they came forth out of Egypt;
45These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt,
46beyond the Jordan, in the valley over against Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, when they came forth out of Egypt;
46beyond the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel struck when they came out of Egypt.
47and they took his land in possession, and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising;
47They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise;
48from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even unto mount Sion — the same is Hermon —
48from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, even to Mount Siyon (also called Hermon),
49and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.
49and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.
Tip: use the ← and → keys to turn chapters.