Deuteronomy 7:12

THE MESSAGE

And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God , on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. God will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God , your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods—they'll trap you for sure. You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. And to top it off, the Hornet. God will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. So don't be intimidated by them. God , your God, is among you— God majestic, God awesome. God , your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God , your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you'll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it's an abomination to God , your God. And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God 's holiness.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the lovingkindness which he swore to your fathers:

King James Version
Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

Lexham English Bible
"And then because you listen to these regulations and you diligently keep and you do them, then Yahweh your God will maintain his covenant and his loyal love that he swore to your ancestors.

English Standard Version
"And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.

New Century Version
If you pay attention to these laws and obey them carefully, the Lord your God will keep his agreement and show his love to you, as he promised your ancestors.

New English Translation
If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you as he promised your ancestors.

Amplified Bible
"Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the [steadfast] lovingkindness which He swore to your fathers.

New American Standard Bible
"Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep His covenant with you and His faithfulness which He swore to your forefathers.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if ye hearken vnto these lawes, and obserue and doe them, then the Lorde thy God shal keepe with thee the couenant, and the mercie which he sware vnto thy fathers.

Legacy Standard Bible
"Then it will be, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that Yahweh your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your fathers.

Contemporary English Version
Moses said to Israel: If you completely obey these laws, the Lord your God will be loyal and keep the agreement he made with you, just as he promised our ancestors.

Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore, you are to keep the mitzvot, laws and rulings which I am giving you today, and obey them. Haftarah Va'etchanan: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 40:1–26 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Va'etchanan: Mattityahu (Matthew) 4:1–11; 22:33–40; Mark 12:28–34; Luke 4:1–13; 10:25–37; Acts 13:13–43; Romans 3:27–31; 1 Timothy 2:4–6; Ya‘akov (James) 2:14–26; and all the readings for Parashah 17 "Because you are listening to these rulings, keeping and obeying them, Adonai your God will keep with you the covenant and mercy that he swore to your ancestors.

Darby Translation
And it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that Jehovah thy God will keep with thee the covenant and the mercy which he swore unto thy fathers;

Easy-to-Read Version
"If you listen to these laws, and if you are careful to obey them, the Lord your God will keep his agreement of love with you. He promised this to your ancestors.

George Lamsa Translation
Wherefore if you hearken to these judgments, and keep them and do them, the LORD your God shall keep with you the covenant and the mercy which he swore to your fathers;

Good News Translation
"If you listen to these commands and obey them faithfully, then the Lord your God will continue to keep his covenant with you and will show you his constant love, as he promised your ancestors.

Christian Standard Bible®
“If you listen to and are careful to keep these ordinances, the Lord your God will keep his covenant loyalty with you, as he swore to your fathers.

Literal Translation
And it shall be, because you hear judgments, and keep and do them, even Jehovah your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf ye shall heare these lawes and kepe them, and do therafter, then shal the LORDE thy God also kepe the couenaunt and mercy with the, which he sware vnto thy fathers:

American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass, because ye hearken to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that Jehovah thy God will keep with thee the covenant and the lovingkindness which he sware unto thy fathers:

Bible in Basic English
And it will be, that if you give attention to these decisions and keep and do them, then the Lord will keep his agreement with you and his mercy, as he said in his oath to your fathers.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If ye hearken vnto these lawes, and obserue & do them: the Lord thy God also shall kepe vnto thee the appoyntment and the mercie which he sware vnto thy fathers.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall come to pass, because ye hearken to these ordinances, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep with thee the covenant and the mercy which He swore unto thy fathers,

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore it shal come to passe, if ye hearken to these iudgements, and keepe and do them: That the Lord thy God shall keepe vnto thee the Couenant and the Mercy which he sware vnto thy fathers.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass when ye shall have heard these ordinances, and shall have kept and done them, that the Lord thy God shall keep for thee the covenant and the mercy, which he sware to your fathers.

English Revised Version
And it shall come to pass, because ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep with thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

Berean Standard Bible
If you listen to these ordinances and keep them carefully, the LORD your God will keep His covenant with loving devotion, as He swore to your fathers.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If aftir that thou herist these domes, thou kepist, and doist tho, thi Lord God schal kepe to thee couenaunt, and mersi, which he swoor to thi fadris.

Young's Literal Translation
`And it hath been, because ye hear these judgments, and have kept, and done them, that Jehovah thy God hath kept to thee the covenant and the kindness which He hath sworn to thy fathers,

Update Bible Version
And it shall come to pass, because you listen to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving-kindness which he swore to your fathers:

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God will keep to thee the covenant and the mercy which he swore to thy fathers:

World English Bible
It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the lovingkindness which he swore to your fathers:

New King James Version
Leviticus 26:1-13; Deuteronomy 28:1-14">[xr] "Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.

New Living Translation
"If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors.

New Life Bible
"If you listen to these Laws and keep and obey them, the Lord your God will keep His agreement and loving-kindness as He promised to your fathers.

New Revised Standard
If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the Lord your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then shall it come to pass if ye will hearken unto these regulations, and keep and do them, then will Yahweh thy God keep with thee the covenant and the lovingkindness which he sware unto thy fathers;

Douay-Rheims Bible
If after thou hast heard these judgments, thou keep and do them, the Lord thy God will also keep his covenant to thee, and the mercy which he swore to thy fathers:

Revised Standard Version
"And because you hearken to these ordinances, and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love which he swore to your fathers to keep;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers.

Contextual Overview

¹²And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God , on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. God will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God , your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods—they'll trap you for sure. You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. And to top it off, the Hornet. God will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. So don't be intimidated by them. God , your God, is among you— God majestic, God awesome. God , your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God , your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you'll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it's an abomination to God , your God. And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God 's holiness. ¹⁴ When God , your God, brings you into the country that you are about to enter and take over, he will clear out the superpowers that were there before you: the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Those seven nations are all bigger and stronger than you are. God , your God, will turn them over to you and you will conquer them. You must completely destroy them, offering them up as a holy destruction to God . Don't make a treaty with them. Don't let them off in any way. Don't marry them: Don't give your daughters to their sons and don't take their daughters for your sons—before you know it they'd involve you in worshiping their gods, and God would explode in anger, putting a quick end to you. Here's what you are to do: Tear apart their altars stone by stone, smash their phallic pillars, chop down their sex-and-religion Asherah groves, set fire to their carved god-images. Do this because you are a people set apart as holy to God , your God. God , your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure. God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God , your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time. So keep the command and the rules and regulations that I command you today. Do them. And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God , on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. God will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God , your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods—they'll trap you for sure. You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. And to top it off, the Hornet. God will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. So don't be intimidated by them. God , your God, is among you— God majestic, God awesome. God , your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God , your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you'll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it's an abomination to God , your God. And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God 's holiness. ¹⁵ When God , your God, brings you into the country that you are about to enter and take over, he will clear out the superpowers that were there before you: the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Those seven nations are all bigger and stronger than you are. God , your God, will turn them over to you and you will conquer them. You must completely destroy them, offering them up as a holy destruction to God . Don't make a treaty with them. Don't let them off in any way. Don't marry them: Don't give your daughters to their sons and don't take their daughters for your sons—before you know it they'd involve you in worshiping their gods, and God would explode in anger, putting a quick end to you. Here's what you are to do: Tear apart their altars stone by stone, smash their phallic pillars, chop down their sex-and-religion Asherah groves, set fire to their carved god-images. Do this because you are a people set apart as holy to God , your God. God , your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure. God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God , your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time. So keep the command and the rules and regulations that I command you today. Do them. And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God , on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. God will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. ¹⁶ You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God , your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods—they'll trap you for sure. ¹⁷You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. ²⁰ And to top it off, the Hornet. God will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. ²¹So don't be intimidated by them. God , your God, is among you— God majestic, God awesome. God , your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God , your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. ²⁵Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you'll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it's an abomination to God , your God. And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God 's holiness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: Heb. because, Deuteronomy 28:1, Leviticus 26:3

Lord: Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalms 105:8-10, Micah 7:20, Luke 1:55, Luke 1:72, Luke 1:73

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:26 - If thou Deuteronomy 6:11 - when thou Deuteronomy 8:18 - that he may 2 Samuel 22:23 - judgments 1 Kings 2:4 - That the Lord Proverbs 28:10 - but Jeremiah 11:5 - a land

Cross-References

Genesis 7:17
The flood continued forty days and the waters rose and lifted the ship high over the Earth. The waters kept rising, the flood deepened on the Earth, the ship floated on the surface. The flood got worse until all the highest mountains were covered—the high-water mark reached twenty feet above the crest of the mountains. Everything died. Anything that moved—dead. Birds, farm animals, wild animals, the entire teeming exuberance of life—dead. And all people—dead. Every living, breathing creature that lived on dry land died; he wiped out the whole works—people and animals, crawling creatures and flying birds, every last one of them, gone. Only Noah and his company on the ship lived.

Exodus 24:18
Moses entered the middle of the Cloud and climbed the mountain. Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Deuteronomy 9:18
Then I prostrated myself before God , just as I had at the beginning of the forty days and nights. I ate no food; I drank no water. I did this because of you, all your sins, sinning against God , doing what is evil in God 's eyes and making him angry. I was terrified of God 's furious anger, his blazing anger. I was sure he would destroy you. But once again God listened to me. And Aaron! How furious he was with Aaron—ready to destroy him. But I prayed also for Aaron at that same time.

Deuteronomy 10:10
I stayed there on the mountain forty days and nights, just as I did the first time. And God listened to me, just as he did the first time: God decided not to destroy you.

1 Kings 19:8
He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep. Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep and do them,.... Attentively listen to the declaration made of them, and be careful to observe them:

that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers; to bring them into the land of Canaan, and continue them in it; yea, to send the Messiah to them, and bring him the salvation of Israel out of Zion; see Luke 1:68.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 7:12. The Lord - shall keep unto thee the covenant — So we find their continuance in the state of favour was to depend on their faithfulness to the grace of God. If they should rebel, though God had chosen them through his love, yet he would cast them off in his justice. The elect, we see, may become unfaithful, and so become reprobates. So it happened to 24,000 of them, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness because they had sinned; yet these were of the elect that came out of Egypt. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.