Study Desk

You must do what is right and good—what pleases the Lord . Then everything will go well for you, and you can go in and take the good land that the Lord promised your ancestors.

"The Lord your God will lead you into the land that you are entering to take for your own. He will force out many nations for you—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations greater and more powerful than you.

You must destroy all the people the Lord your God helps you defeat. Don't feel sorry for them, and don't worship their gods! They will trap you—they will ruin your life.

The Lord your God will force those nations to leave your country little by little. You will not destroy them all at once. If you did, the wild animals would grow to be too many for you.

"You must throw the statues of their gods into the fire and burn them. You must not want to keep the silver or the gold that is on those statues for yourselves. It will be like a trap to you—it will ruin your life. The Lord your God hates those idols.

You will have all you want to eat. Then you will praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

In the desert he fed you manna—something your ancestors had never seen. He tested you to make you humble so that everything would go well for you in the end.

The Lord is destroying other nations for you. But if you stop listening to the Lord your God, you will be destroyed just like them!

"The Lord your God will force those nations out for you. But don't say to yourselves, ‘The Lord brought us to live in this land because we are such good people.' No, the Lord forced those nations out because they were evil, not because you were good.

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and quickly go down from here. The people you brought out of Egypt have ruined themselves. They stopped obeying my commands so quickly. They melted gold and made an idol for themselves.'

Then I bowed down before the Lord with my face to the ground for 40 days and 40 nights, as I did before. I did not eat any food or drink any water. I did this because you had sinned so badly. You did the thing that is evil to the Lord , and you made him angry.

The Lord was very angry with Aaron—enough to destroy him! So I also prayed for Aaron at that time.

At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi from the other tribes for his special work. They had the work of carrying the Lord 's Box of the Agreement. They also served as priests before the Lord . And they had the work of blessing people in the Lord 's name. They still do this special work today.

That is why the people from the tribe of Levi did not get any share of land like the other tribes did. They have the Lord for their share. That is what the Lord your God promised them.)

So obey the laws and commands of the Lord that I am giving you today. These laws and commands are for your own good.

He is the one you should praise. He is your God. He has done great and amazing things for you. You have seen them with your own eyes.

It was you, not your children, who saw everything he did for you in the desert until you came to this place.

The Lord your God cares for that land. The Lord your God watches over it, from the beginning to the end of the year.

I will send rain for your land at the right time. I will send the autumn rain and the spring rain. Then you can gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil.

And I will make grass grow in your fields for your cattle. You will have plenty to eat.'