Study Desk

You have seen for yourselves what the Lord did at Baal Peor, how the Lord your God destroyed everyone among you who followed Baal in Peor.

When you look up at the sky, you see the sun, moon, and stars, and everything in the sky. But don't bow down and worship them, because the Lord your God has made these things for all people everywhere.

But the Lord brought you out of Egypt, which tested you like a furnace for melting iron, and he made you his very own people, as you are now.

Be careful. Don't forget the Agreement of the Lord your God that he made with you, and don't make any idols for yourselves, as the Lord your God has commanded you not to do.

But even there you can look for the Lord your God, and you will find him if you look for him with your whole being.

No other god has ever taken for himself one nation out of another. But the Lord your God did this for you in Egypt, right before your own eyes. He did it with tests, signs, miracles, war, and great sights, by his great power and strength.

Obey his laws and commands that I am giving you today so that things will go well for you and your children. Then you will live a long time in the land that the Lord your God is giving to you forever.

These were the cities: Bezer in the desert high plain was for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead was for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan was for the Manassites.

"You must not make for yourselves any idols or anything to worship that looks like something in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water below the land.

But I will be very kind for a thousand lifetimes to those who love me and obey my commands.

"Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you. Then you will live a long time, and things will go well for you in the land that the Lord your God is going to give you.

I wish their hearts would always respect me and that they would always obey my commands so that things would go well for them and their children forever!

Listen, Israel, and carefully obey these laws. Then all will go well for you, and you will become a great nation in a fertile land, just as the Lord , the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

Do what the Lord says is good and right so that things will go well for you. Then you may go in and take the good land the Lord promised to your ancestors.

The right thing for us to do is this: Obey all these rules in the presence of the Lord our God, as he has commanded."

The Lord did not care for you and choose you because there were many of you—you are the smallest nation of all.

So know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God. He will keep his agreement of love for a thousand lifetimes for people who love him and obey his commands.

You must destroy all the people the Lord your God hands over to you. Do not feel sorry for them, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.

You saw for yourselves the troubles, signs, and miracles he did, how the Lord 's great power and strength brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will do the same thing to all the nations you now fear.

Burn up their idols in the fire. Do not wish for the silver and gold they have, and don't take it for yourselves, or you will be trapped by it. The Lord your God hates it.