Study Desk

"He may have him beaten forty times, but no more. He is not to be beaten with more stripes than these and he is not to be degraded [that is, treated like an animal] in your sight.

"But if the man does not want to marry his brother's [widowed] wife, then she shall go up to the gate [of the city, where court is held] to the elders, and say, 'My brother-in-law refuses to continue his brother's name in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband's brother.'

"And you shall say before the LORD your God, 'My father [Jacob] was a wandering Aramean, and he [along with his family] went down to Egypt and lived there [as strangers], few in number; but while there he became a great, mighty and populous nation.

"The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.

"The LORD will open for you His good treasure house, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.

"But it shall come about, if you do not listen to and obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, then all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

"The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out against them one way, but flee before them seven ways, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth [when they see your destruction].

and you will be groping at noon [in broad daylight], just as the blind grope in the darkness, and nothing you do will prosper; but you will only be oppressed and exploited and robbed continually, with no one to save you.

"You will be pledged to marry a wife, but another man will be intimate with her [before you]; you will build a house, but you will not live in it; you will plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit.

"Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it; your donkey will be torn away from you, and it will not be returned to you; your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.

"Your sons and daughters will be given to another people, while your eyes look on and long for them continually; but there will be nothing you can do.

"A people whom you do not know will eat the produce of your land and all the products of your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and exploited and crushed continually.

"You will bring out a great quantity of seed to the field, but you will gather in little, because the locusts will consume it.

"You will plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because the worm will eat them.

"You will have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourselves with the oil, because your olives will drop off.

"You will have sons and daughters, but they will not be yours [for long], because they will go into captivity.

"He will lend to you [out of his affluence], but you will not lend to him [because of your poverty]; he will be the head, and you the tail.

"Among those nations you will find no peace (rest), and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul.

"The LORD will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way about which I said to you, 'You will never see it again!' And there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no one to buy you."

"When you reached this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out to meet us in battle, but we defeated them;