Study Desk

Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you.

"You saw for yourself what the Lord did to you at Baal-peor. There the Lord your God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor.

But all of you who were faithful to the Lord your God are still alive today—every one of you.

"Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him?

Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.'

And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don't be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.

"But the Lord was angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.

So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has forbidden this.

The Lord your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.

"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.

But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.

"In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the Lord your God and listen to what he tells you.

For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.

"Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?

Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire—as you did—and survived?

Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.

"He showed you these things so you would know that the Lord is God and there is no other.

"So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time."