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The Great Commandment

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long.(A) Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.(B)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a](C) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.(D) Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.(E) Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem[b] on your forehead,(F) and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.(G)

Caution against Disobedience

10 “When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build,(H) 11 houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill,(I) 12 take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 The Lord your God you shall fear, him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear.(J) 14 Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, 15 because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.(K)

16 “Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.(L) 17 You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his decrees and his statutes that he has commanded you.(M) 18 Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors,(N) 19 thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.

20 “When your children ask you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’(O) 21 then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 The Lord displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. 23 He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case.(P) 25 If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.’(Q)

Footnotes

  1. 6.4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord, or The Lord our God, the Lord is one, or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one
  2. 6.8 Or as a frontlet

Love the Lord Your God

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear(A) the Lord your God as long as you live(B) by keeping all his decrees and commands(C) that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.(D) Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey(E) so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly(F) in a land flowing with milk and honey,(G) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised(H) you.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a](I) Love(J) the Lord your God with all your heart(K) and with all your soul and with all your strength.(L) These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.(M) Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.(N) Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.(O) Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.(P)

10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,(Q) 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig,(R) and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,(S) 12 be careful that you do not forget(T) the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

13 Fear the Lord(U) your God, serve him only(V) and take your oaths(W) in his name.(X) 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the Lord your God(Y), who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test(Z) as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep(AA) the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you.(AB) 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight,(AC) so that it may go well(AD) with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies(AE) before you, as the Lord said.

20 In the future, when your son asks you,(AF) “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.(AG) 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God,(AH) so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.(AI) 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law(AJ) before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone