Deuteronomy 4:1-43

Deuteronomy 4:1-43

[1] Now therefore hearken,  O Israel,  unto the statutes  and unto the judgments,  which I teach  you, for to do  them, that ye may live,  and go in  and possess  the land  which the LORD  God  of your fathers  giveth  you. [2] Ye shall not add  unto the word  which I command  you, neither shall ye diminish  ought from it, that ye may keep  the commandments  of the LORD  your God  which I command  [3] Your eyes  have seen  did  because of Baalpeor:  for all the men  that followed  Baalpeor,  thy God  hath destroyed  them from among  you. [4] But ye that did cleave  unto the LORD  your God  are alive  every one of you this day.  [5] Behold,  I have taught  you statutes  and judgments,  even as  the LORD  my God  commanded  me, that ye should do  so in  the land  whither ye go  to possess  [6] Keep  therefore and do  them; for this is your wisdom  and your understanding  in the sight  of the nations,  which shall hear  all these statutes,  and say,  Surely this great  nation  is a wise  and understanding  people.  [7] For what nation  is there so great,  who hath God  so nigh  unto them, as the LORD  our God  is in all things that we call  upon him for? [8] And what nation  is there so great,  that hath statutes  and judgments  so righteous  as all this law,  which I set  before  you this day?  [9] Only take heed  thy soul  diligently,  lest thou forget  the things  which thine eyes  have seen,  and lest they depart  from thy heart  all the days  of thy life:  but teach  them thy sons,  [10] Specially the day  that thou stoodest  before  the LORD  thy God  in Horeb,  when the LORD  said  me the people  together,  and I will make them hear  my words,  that they may learn  to fear  me all the days  that they shall live  upon the earth,  and that they may teach  their children.  [11] And ye came near  and stood  under the mountain;  burned  with fire  unto the midst  of heaven,  with darkness,  clouds,  and thick darkness.  [12] And the LORD  spake  unto you out of the midst  of the fire:  ye heard  the voice  of the words,  but saw  no similitude;  only  ye heard a voice.  [13] And he declared  unto you his covenant,  which he commanded  you to perform,  even ten  commandments;  and he wrote  them upon two  tables  of stone.  [14] And the LORD  commanded  me at that time  to teach  you statutes  and judgments,  that ye might do  them in the land  whither ye go over  to possess  [15] Take ye therefore good  heed  unto yourselves;  for ye saw  no manner of similitude  on the day  that the LORD  spake  unto you in Horeb  out of the midst  of the fire:  [16] Lest ye corrupt  yourselves, and make  you a graven image,  the similitude  of any figure,  the likeness  of male  or female,  [17] The likeness  of any beast  that is on the earth,  the likeness  of any winged  fowl  that flieth  in the air,  [18] The likeness  of any thing that creepeth  on the ground,  the likeness  of any fish  that is in the waters  beneath  the earth:  [19] And 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,  shouldest be driven  to worship  them, and serve  them, which the LORD  thy God  hath divided  unto all nations  under the whole heaven.  [20] But the LORD  hath taken  you, and brought you forth  out of the iron  furnace,  even out of Egypt,  to be unto him a people  of inheritance,  as ye are this day.  [21] Furthermore the LORD  was angry  with me for your sakes,  and sware  that I should not go over  Jordan,  and that I should not go  in unto that good  land,  which the LORD  thy God  giveth  thee for an inheritance:  [22] But I must die  in this land,  I must not go over  Jordan:  but ye shall go over,  and possess  that good  land.  [23] Take heed  unto yourselves, lest ye forget  the covenant  of the LORD  your God,  which he made  with you, and make  you a graven image,  or the likeness  of any  thing, which the LORD  thy God  hath forbidden  thee. [24] For the LORD  thy God  is a consuming  fire,  even a jealous  God.  [25] When thou shalt beget  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:  [26] heaven  and earth  to witness  against you this day,  that ye shall soon  utterly  from off the land  whereunto ye go over  Jordan  to possess  it; ye shall not prolong  your days  upon it, but shall utterly  [27] 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  [28] And there ye shall serve  gods,  the work  of men's  hands,  wood  and stone,  which neither see,  nor hear,  nor eat,  nor smell.  [29] But if from thence thou shalt seek  the LORD  thy God,  thou shalt find  him, if thou seek  him with all thy heart  and with all thy soul.  [30] When thou art in tribulation,  and all these things  are come  upon thee, even in the latter  days,  if thou turn  to the LORD  thy God,  and shalt be obedient  unto his voice;  [31] (For the LORD  thy God  is a merciful  God;)  he will not forsake  thee, neither destroy  thee, nor forget  the covenant  of thy fathers  which he sware  unto them. [32] For ask  now of the days  that are past,  which were  before  thee, since the day  that God  created  man  upon the earth,  and ask from the one side  of heaven  unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great  thing  is, or hath been heard  [33] Did ever people  hear  the voice  of God  speaking out  of the midst  of the fire,  as thou hast heard,  and live?  [34] Or hath God  assayed  to go  and take  him a nation  from the midst  of another nation,  by temptations,  by signs,  and by wonders,  and by war,  and by a mighty  hand,  and by a stretched out  arm,  and by great  terrors,  according to all that the LORD  your God  did  for you in Egypt  before your eyes?  [35] Unto thee it was shewed,  that thou mightest know  that the LORD  he is God;  there is none else  beside him.  [36] Out of heaven  he made thee to hear  his voice,  that he might instruct  thee: and upon earth  he shewed  thee his great  fire;  and thou heardest  his words  out of the midst  of the fire.  [37] And because he loved  thy fathers,  therefore he chose  their seed  after  them, and brought thee out  in his sight  with his mighty  power  out of Egypt;  [38] To drive out  nations  from before  thee greater  and mightier  than thou art, to bring  thee in, to give  thee their land  for an inheritance,  as it is this day.  [39] Know  therefore this day,  and consider  it in thine heart,  that the LORD  he is God  in heaven  above,  and upon the earth  [40] Thou shalt keep  therefore 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 earth,  which the LORD  thy God  giveth  thee, for ever. [41] Then Moses  severed  three  cities  on this side  Jordan  toward the sunrising;  [42] That the slayer  might flee  thither, which should kill  his neighbour  unawares,  and hated  him not in times  past;  and that fleeing  unto one  of these  cities  he might live:  [43] Namely, Bezer  in the wilderness,  in the plain  country,  of the Reubenites;  and Ramoth  in Gilead,  of the Gadites;  and Golan  in Bashan,  of the Manassites.