Deuteronomy 29

1 These are the words [terms, conditions] of the covenant [agreement, promise] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] commanded [instructed, directed] Moses [the Israelite leader] to make [establish, confirm] with the Israelites [the children of Israel, God’s chosen people] in the land [territory, region] of Moab [a place east of the Jordan River], in addition to [beside, apart from] the covenant [promise, agreement] He had made [established, given] with them at Horeb [Mount Sinai, the mountain of God]. word study 2 Moses summoned [called unto, gathered] all Israel and proclaimed [said unto, announced] to them, “You have seen [beheld] with your own eyes everything [all that the Lord did] the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] did in Egypt [the land of the Nile, a place of bondage] to Pharaoh [the king, ruler], to all his officials [servants, leaders], and to all his land [entire country, territory]. word study 3 You saw with your own eyes [with your physical and spiritual vision] the great trials [temptations, tests of faith], and those miraculous [amazing, extraordinary] signs [wonders, demonstrations of God’s power] and wonders [mighty works, marvelous deeds]. word study 4 Yet to this day the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah] has not given you a mind [heart, inner being] to understand [perceive, know], eyes [organs of spiritual sight] to see [discern, behold], or ears [organs of spiritual hearing] to hear [listen, obey]. word study 5 For forty years [a prolonged period of testing] I led you [as your Guide and Provider] in the wilderness [a desolate and barren land], yet your clothes [garments, outer coverings] and sandals [footwear, protection for your feet] did not wear out [become old, waxen old, or consumed]. word study 6 You ate [did not have] no bread and drank [did not partake of] no wine or strong drink [intoxicating beverage], so that you might know [understand, recognize] that I am [exist as, am present as] the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] your God [the one who rules over and cares for you]. word study 7 When you reached [arrived at, came unto] this place [location, territory], Sihon [the king who ruled] king of Heshbon [a city, a region] and Og [a powerful ruler] king of Bashan [a territory, a region] came out [marched out, went out to meet] against us [in opposition to us, to fight us] in battle [to fight, for war], but we defeated [overcame, smote] them [our enemies, the opposing forces]. word study 8 We took [conquered, seized] their land [territory, possession] and gave [delivered, assigned] it as an inheritance [heritage, possession] to the Reubenites [the tribe of Reuben], the Gadites [the tribe of Gad], and the half-tribe [part, division] of Manasseh [Manasses, the son of Joseph]. word study 9 So keep [faithfully obey, fulfill] and follow [walk in, observe carefully] the words [commands, teachings] of this covenant [agreement, pact], that you [as individuals, collectively] may prosper [succeed, thrive] in all [every aspect, everything] you do [undertake, accomplish]. word study 10 All of you [as a unified assembly, every single one] are standing today [in this present moment, before the covenant is sealed] before the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] your God [the one who has chosen and redeemed you]—you leaders [heads, chiefs] of tribes [family groups, clans], elders [respected authorities, spiritual leaders], officials [judges, administrators], and all the men [every male, from youngest to oldest] of Israel [the chosen people, God’s covenant nation], word study 11 your children [little ones, infants] and wives [women], and the foreigners [strangers, sojourners] in your camps [midst of your camps] who cut [hew, chop] your wood [firewood] and draw [carry, fetch] your water [from the source]— word study 12 so that you may enter [pass into, become a part of] into the covenant [agreement, promise] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God], which He is making [establishing, bringing about] with you today [at this present time, now], and into His oath [solemn promise, vow], word study 13 and so that He may establish [confirm, make firm] you today as His people [a nation, a community], and He may be [exist, dwell] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] as He promised [vowed, swore] you and as He swore [made an oath, gave a solemn pledge] to your fathers [ancestors, forefathers], to Abraham [the father of faith], Isaac [the son of promise], and Jacob [the one who wrestled with God]. word study 14 I am making [entering into, establishing] this covenant [agreement, promise] and this oath [solemn promise, vow] not only [exclusively, solely] with you [together with, in the presence of], word study 15 but also with those who are standing [present, gathered] here with us today [at this moment, in this generation] in the presence [before the face, under the gaze] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] our God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler], as well as with those who are not [absent, not yet born] here today [in this assembly, at this time]. word study 16 For you yourselves know [are intimately aware of] how we lived [dwelt, resided] in the land [region, territory] of Egypt [a place of bondage] and how we passed through [traveled among, came through the midst of] the nations [Gentile countries, pagan peoples] on the way [the path, the journey] here [to this place, into this land]. word study 17 You saw the abominations [disgusting practices, idols] and idols [images of wood and stone] among them made of wood [carved wooden figures] and stone, of silver [precious metal] and gold [valuable treasure]. word study 18 Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart [the innermost part of a person, including mind, will, and emotions] turns away from the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] our God to go and worship the gods [idols, false deities] of those nations. Make sure there is no root [a source of evil, a corrupting influence] among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit [gall and wormwood], word study 19 because when such a person hears [hearing with understanding] the words [spoken promises] of this oath [solemn promise, curse], he invokes [calls down upon himself] a blessing [divine favor, peace] on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace [prosperity, well-being], even though I walk [live, conduct myself] in the stubbornness [imagination, pride] of my own heart [inner being, conscience].’ This will bring [result in, cause] disaster [calamity, destruction] on the watered [fertile, prosperous] land as well as the dry [barren, unproductive]. word study 20 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will never be willing to forgive him [show no mercy, pardon]. Instead, His anger [wrath, intense displeasure] and jealousy [zeal, passionate protection] will burn against that man, and every curse [oath, promise of judgment] written in this book [scroll, written document] will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out [completely erase, remove] his name from under heaven [the sky] word study 21 and single him out [separate, set apart] from all the tribes [nations, families] of Israel for disaster [evil, calamity], according to all the curses [judgments, punishments] of the covenant [agreement, promise] written in this Book of the Law [divine instructions]. word study 22 Then the generation [rising up after you] to come—your sons [your children, descendants] who follow you and the foreigner [stranger, sojourner] who comes from a distant [far, remote] land—will see the plagues [punishments, disasters] of the land [earth, territory] and the sicknesses [diseases, afflictions] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] has inflicted [laid upon, brought upon] on it. word study 23 All its soil [entire land, whole territory] will be a burning waste [completely destroyed, ruined] of sulfur [brimstone, burning stone] and salt, unsown [not planted, unfruitful] and unproductive [barren, useless], with no plant [grass, herb] growing on it, just like the destruction [overthrow, devastation] of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD [Yehovah] overthrew [destroyed, overturned] in His fierce anger [intense wrath, burning fury]. word study 24 So all the nations [every people, all countries] will ask [say, inquire], ‘Why has the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] done [accomplished, brought about] such a thing [this great event, this disaster] to this land [the earth, this country, Egypt]? Why this great [fierce, intense] outburst [heat, burning wrath] of anger [wrath, indignation]?’ word study 25 And the people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned [forsook, gave up] the covenant [agreement, pledge] of the LORD [Yehovah], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of their fathers, which He made [established, ratified] with them when He brought them out of the land [territory, region] of Egypt [the land of the Nile, a place of bondage]. word study 26 They went [and turned away] and served [worshiped, gave allegiance to] other gods [foreign deities, idols], and they worshiped [bowed down to, gave reverence to] gods [divine beings, false idols] they had not known [been acquainted with, previously encountered]—gods [heathen deities, pagan idols] that the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] had not given [assigned, allotted] to them. word study 27 Therefore the anger [wrath, intense rage] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] burned [was kindled, ignited] against this land [earth, territory], and He brought [rained down, sent] upon it every curse [reviling, punishment] written [recorded, inscribed] in this book [volume, scroll]. word study 28 The LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] uprooted them from their land in His anger [indignation, wrath], rage [fury, intense anger], and great wrath [strong indignation], and He cast them into another land [a foreign country, a strange land], where they are today [as at this day, to this day].’ word study 29 The secret things [hidden things, mysteries] belong to the LORD [Yehovah] our God, but the things revealed [disclosed, made clear] belong to us and to our children [descendants, offspring] forever [for all time, eternally], so that we may follow [observe, do] all the words [commands, instructions] of this law [Torah, teaching]. word study