The Law Inscribed on Stones

27 Now Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded the people, saying: “Keep all the commandments which I command you today. And it shall be, on the day (A)when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, that (B)you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, (C)‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the Lord God of your fathers promised you. Therefore it shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that (D)on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, and you shall whitewash them with lime. And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; (E)you shall not use an iron tool on them. You shall build with [a]whole stones the altar of the Lord your God, and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. You shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and (F)rejoice before the Lord your God. And you shall (G)write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.”

Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, “Take heed and listen, O Israel: (H)This day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 Therefore you shall obey the voice of the Lord your God, and observe His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.”

Curses Pronounced from Mount Ebal

11 And Moses commanded the people on the same day, saying, 12 “These shall stand (I)on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin; 13 and (J)these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

14 “And (K)the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel: 15 (L)‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, [b]an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’

(M)“And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’

16 (N)‘Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

17 (O)‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

18 (P)‘Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the road.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

19 (Q)‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

20 (R)‘Cursed is the one who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s bed.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

21 (S)‘Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

22 (T)‘Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

23 (U)‘Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

24 (V)‘Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

25 (W)‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

26 (X)‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ ”

Blessings on Obedience(Y)

28 “Now it shall come to pass, (Z)if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God (AA)will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and (AB)overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

(AC)“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be (AD)in the country.

“Blessed shall be (AE)the [c]fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

“Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

(AF)“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

“The Lord (AG)will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

“The Lord will (AH)command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you (AI)set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

(AJ)“The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are (AK)called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be (AL)afraid of you. 11 And (AM)the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord [d]swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you His good [e]treasure, the heavens, (AN)to give the rain to your land in its season, and (AO)to bless all the work of your hand. (AP)You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make (AQ)you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you [f]heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 (AR)So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Curses on Disobedience(AS)

15 “But it shall come to pass, (AT)if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

16 “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

17 “Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

18 “Cursed shall be the [g]fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

19 “Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 27:6 uncut
  2. Deuteronomy 27:15 a detestable thing
  3. Deuteronomy 28:4 offspring
  4. Deuteronomy 28:11 promised
  5. Deuteronomy 28:12 storehouse
  6. Deuteronomy 28:13 listen to
  7. Deuteronomy 28:18 offspring

The Altar on Mount Ebal

27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands(A) that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan(B) into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones(C) and coat them with plaster.(D) Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,(E) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal,(F) as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. Build there an altar(G) to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool(H) on them. Build the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. Sacrifice fellowship offerings(I) there, eating them and rejoicing(J) in the presence of the Lord your God.(K) And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones(L) you have set up.”(M)

Curses From Mount Ebal

Then Moses and the Levitical(N) priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God.(O) 10 Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”

11 On the same day Moses commanded the people:

12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim(P) to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,(Q) Joseph and Benjamin.(R) 13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal(S) to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

14 The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

15 “Cursed is anyone who makes an idol(T)—a thing detestable(U) to the Lord, the work of skilled hands—and sets it up in secret.”

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”(V)

16 “Cursed is anyone who dishonors their father or mother.”(W)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

17 “Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor’s boundary stone.”(X)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

18 “Cursed is anyone who leads the blind astray on the road.”(Y)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner,(Z) the fatherless or the widow.”(AA)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

20 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s bed.”(AB)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

21 “Cursed is anyone who has sexual relations with any animal.”(AC)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

22 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.”(AD)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

23 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his mother-in-law.”(AE)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

24 “Cursed is anyone who kills(AF) their neighbor secretly.”(AG)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

25 “Cursed is anyone who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.”(AH)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

26 “Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”(AI)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”(AJ)

Blessings for Obedience

28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow(AK) all his commands(AL) I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.(AM) All these blessings will come on you(AN) and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

You will be blessed(AO) in the city and blessed in the country.(AP)

The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.(AQ)

Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.(AR)

The Lord will grant that the enemies(AS) who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.(AT)

The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless(AU) you in the land he is giving you.

The Lord will establish you as his holy people,(AV) as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands(AW) of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name(AX) of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock(AY) and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.(AZ)

12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse(BA) of his bounty,(BB) to send rain(BC) on your land in season and to bless(BD) all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.(BE) 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow(BF) them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.(BG) 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left,(BH) following other gods and serving them.

Curses for Disobedience

15 However, if you do not obey(BI) the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today,(BJ) all these curses will come on you and overtake you:(BK)

16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.(BL)

17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.(BM)

18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.(BN)

19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.(BO)