1 Luister dan nou, Israel, na die insettinge en die verordeninge wat ek julle leer om te doen, sodat julle mag lewe en inkom en die land wat die HERE, die God van julle vaders, aan julle sal gee, in besit mag neem.
2 Julle mag by die woord wat ek julle beveel, niks byvoeg nie, en julle mag daar niks van weglaat nie; sodat julle die gebooie van die HERE julle God mag onderhou, wat ek julle beveel.
3 Julle oë het gesien wat die HERE weens Ba„l-Peor gedoen het; want al die manne wat agter Ba„l-Peor aan geloop het, die het die HERE jou God onder jou uit verdelg.
4 Julle daarenteen wat die HERE julle God aangehang het, is vandag nog almal in die lewe.
5 Kyk, ek het julle insettinge en verordeninge geleer soos die HERE my God my beveel het, om so te handel in die land waarheen julle gaan om dit in besit te neem.
6 Onderhou dit dan en doen dit; want dit is julle wysheid en julle verstand voor die oë van die volke wat al hierdie insettinge sal hoor en sê: Waarlik, hierdie groot nasie is 'n wyse en verstandige volk.
7 Want watter groot nasie het gode wat vir hulle so naby is soos die HERE onse God so dikwels as ons Hom aanroep?
8 En watter groot nasie is daar wat sulke regverdige insettinge en verordeninge het soos hierdie hele wet wat ek julle vandag voorhou?
9 Neem jou net in ag en wees terdeë op jou hoede, dat jy die dinge nie vergeet wat jou oë gesien het nie, en dat hulle uit jou hart nie wyk al die dae van jou lewe nie; en jy moet dit aan jou kinders en jou kindskinders bekend maak:
10 die dag dat jy voor die aangesig van die HERE jou God by Horeb gestaan het, toe die HERE aan my gesê het: Vergader die volk vir My, en Ek sal hulle my woorde laat hoor, dat hulle kan leer om My te vrees al die dae wat hulle op die aarde lewe, en dit aan hulle kinders kan leer.
11 Toe het julle nader gekom en onder aan die berg gaan staan; en die berg het met vuur gebrand tot in die middel van die hemel, met duisternis, wolke en wolkedonkerheid.
12 En die HERE het met julle uit die vuur gespreek; julle het 'n stem van woorde gehoor, maar geen verskyning gesien nie -- net 'n stem was daar.
13 Toe het Hy aan julle sy verbond verkondig wat Hy julle beveel het om te doen, die tien woorde, en dit op twee kliptafels geskrywe.
14 Ook het die HERE my in die tyd bevel gegee om julle die insettinge en verordeninge te leer, dat julle dit kan doen in die land waarheen julle oortrek om dit in besit te neem.
15 Neem julle dan terdeë in ag ter wille van julle siele -- want julle het g,,n verskyning gesien op die dag dat die HERE by Horeb uit die vuur met julle gespreek het nie --
16 sodat julle nie verderflik handel deurdat julle vir julle 'n gesnede beeld, 'n gelykenis van enige afgodsbeeld, maak nie: 'n afbeelding van man of vrou,
17 'n afbeelding van enige dier wat op die aarde is, 'n afbeelding van enige gevleuelde voël wat in die lug vlieg,
18 'n afbeelding van enigiets wat op die aarde kruip, 'n afbeelding van enige vis wat in die water onder die aarde is;
19 dat jy ook jou oë nie na die hemel opslaan, en as jy die son sien en die maan en die sterre, die hele leër van die hemel, jou laat verlei en voor hulle neerbuig en hulle dien nie -- dinge wat die HERE jou God aan al die volke onder die hele hemel uitgedeel het.
20 Maar die HERE het julle geneem en julle uit die yster-smeltoond, uit Egipte, uitgelei om sy erfvolk te wees soos dit vandag is.
21 Ook was die HERE toornig op my om julle ontwil, en Hy het gesweer dat ek oor die Jordaan nie sal gaan en nie sal kom in die goeie land wat die HERE jou God jou as erfenis sal gee nie.
22 Want ek sal in hierdie land sterwe, ek sal oor die Jordaan nie gaan nie; maar julle sal oorgaan en daardie goeie land in besit neem.
23 Neem julle in ag dat julle die verbond van die HERE julle God, wat Hy met julle gesluit het, nie vergeet en vir julle geen gesnede beeld maak nie -- 'n gelykenis van enigiets wat die HERE jou God jou verbied het.
24 Want die HERE jou God is 'n verterende vuur, 'n jaloerse God.
25 As jy kinders en kindskinders sal verwek en julle in die land verouderd sal wees en verderflik handel deurdat julle 'n gesnede beeld maak, 'n gelykenis van enigiets, en doen u wat verkeerd is in die oë van die HERE jou God om Hom te terg,
26 dan neem ek vandag die hemel en die aarde as getuies teen julle dat julle sekerlik gou uit die land sal vergaan waarheen julle oor die Jordaan trek om dit in besit te neem; julle sal die dae daarin nie verleng nie, maar sekerlik verdelg word.
27 En die HERE sal julle onder die volke verstrooi, en 'n klein klompie van julle sal onder die nasies oorbly waarheen die HERE julle sal drywe.
28 En daar sal julle gode dien, die werk van mensehande, hout en klip wat nie sien en nie hoor en nie eet en nie ruik nie.
29 Dan sal julle daarvandaan die HERE jou God soek en vind as jy Hom met jou hele hart en jou hele siel soek.
30 As jy in die nood is en al hierdie dinge aan die einde van die dae oor jou kom, sal jy na die HERE jou God terugkeer en na sy stem luister.
31 Want die HERE jou God is 'n barmhartige God; Hy sal jou nie verlaat en jou nie in die verderf stort nie; en Hy sal die verbond van jou vaders wat Hy hulle besweer het, nie vergeet nie.
32 Want doen tog ondersoek na die vorige dae wat voor jou gewees het, van die dag af dat God mense op die aarde geskape het, en van die een einde van die hemel tot by die ander einde van die hemel, of so iets groots gebeur het of iets dergeliks gehoor is.
33 Het 'n volk die stem van God uit die vuur hoor spreek, soos jy gehoor het, en in die lewe gebly?
34 Of het 'n god probeer om vir hom 'n nasie uit 'n ander nasie te gaan neem deur versoekinge, deur tekens en wonders en deur oorlog en deur 'n sterke hand en 'n uitgestrekte arm en deur groot skrikwekkende dade soos die HERE julle God met julle voor jou oë in Egipte gedoen het?
35 Jy self het dit te sien gekry, dat jy kan weet dat die HERE God is; daar is geen ander buiten Hom nie.
36 Uit die hemel het Hy jou sy stem laat hoor om jou te onderrig; en op die aarde het Hy jou sy groot vuur laat sien, en jy het sy woorde uit die vuur gehoor.
37 En omdat Hy jou vaders liefgehad en hulle nageslag na hulle uitverkies het, en Hy self jou deur sy grote krag uit Egipte uitgelei het,
38 om nasies groter en magtiger as jy voor jou uit te verdrywe en jou in te bring om hulle land aan jou as erfenis te gee soos dit vandag is --
39 daarom moet jy vandag weet en ter harte neem dat die HERE God is, bo in die hemel en onder op die aarde; daar is geen ander nie.
40 En jy moet sy insettinge en sy gebooie hou wat ek jou vandag beveel, dat dit met jou en jou kinders n jou goed mag gaan, en dat jy die dae mag verleng in die land wat die HERE jou God jou vir altyd sal gee.
41 Toe het Moses drie stede afgesonder oos van die Jordaan, teen sonop,
42 sodat hy wat 'n doodslag begaan het, daarheen kon vlug, wat sy naaste sonder opset doodgeslaan het, terwyl hy hom van gister en eergister af nie vyandig was nie; sodat hy in een van hierdie stede kan vlug en in die lewe bly.
43 Beser in die woestyn, in die landstreek van die gelykveld, vir die Rubeniete; en Ramot in G¡lead vir die Gadiete; en Golan in Basan vir die Manassiete.
44 En dit is die wet wat Moses die kinders van Israel voorgehou het.
45 Dit is die getuienisse en die insettinge en die verordeninge wat Moses meegedeel het aan die kinders van Israel by hulle uittog uit Egipte,
46 oos van die Jordaan, in die dal teenoor Bet-Peor, in die land van Sihon, die koning van die Amoriete, wat in Hesbon gewoon het, wat deur Moses en die kinders van Israel verslaan is by hulle uittog uit Egipte;
47 en hulle het sy land in besit geneem en die land van Og, die koning van Basan, die twee konings van die Amoriete oos van die Jordaan, teen sonop;
48 van Aroër af, wat aan die kant van die Arnonrivier lê, tot by die berg Sion, dit is Hermon,
49 en die hele Vlakte oos van die Jordaan, teen sonop tot by die See van die Vlakte, onderaan die hange van Pisga.
1 And now give ear, O Israel, to the laws and the decisions which I am teaching you, and do them; so that life may be yours, and you may go in and take for yourselves the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
2 Make no addition to the orders which I give you, and take nothing from them, but keep the orders of the Lord your God which I give you.
3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor: for destruction came from the Lord on all those among you who went after Baal-peor.
4 But you who kept faith with the Lord are living, every one of you, today.
5 I have been teaching you laws and decisions, as I was ordered to do by the Lord my God, so that you might keep them in the land to which you are going to take it for your heritage.
6 So keep these laws and do them; for so will your wisdom and good sense be clear in the eyes of the peoples, who hearing all these laws will say, Truly, this great nation is a wise and far-seeing people.
7 For what great nation has a god so near to them as the Lord our God is, whenever we are turned to him in prayer?
8 And what great nation has laws and decisions so right as all this law which I put before you today?
9 Only take care, and keep watch on your soul, for fear that the things which your eyes have seen go from your memory and from your heart all the days of your life; but let the knowledge of them be given to your children and to your children's children;
10 That day when you were waiting before the Lord your God in Horeb, and the Lord said to me, Make all the people come together, so that hearing my words they may go in fear of me all the days of their life on earth and give this teaching to their children.
11 And you came near, waiting at the foot of the mountain; and flames of fire went up from the mountain to the heart of heaven, with dark clouds, and all was black as night.
12 And the voice of the Lord came to you out of the fire: the sound of his words came to your ears but you saw no form; there was nothing but a voice.
13 And he gave you his agreement with you, the ten rules which you were to keep, which he put in writing on the two stones of the law.
14 And the Lord gave me orders at that time to make clear to you these laws and decisions, so that you might do them in the land to which you are going, and which is to be your heritage.
15 So keep watch on yourselves with care; for you saw no form of any sort on the day when the voice of the Lord came to you in Horeb out of the heart of the fire:
16 So that you may not be turned to evil ways and make for yourselves an image in the form of any living thing, male or female,
17 Or any beast of the earth, or winged bird of the air,
18 Or of anything which goes flat on the earth, or any fish in the water under the earth.
19 And when your eyes are lifted up to heaven, and you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the army of heaven, do not let yourselves be moved to give them worship, or become the servants of what the Lord has given equally to all peoples under heaven.
20 But the Lord has taken you out of the flaming fire, out of Egypt, to be to him the people of his heritage, as you are today.
21 And the Lord was angry with me because of you, and made an oath that I was not to go over Jordan into the good land which the Lord is giving you for your heritage:
22 But death is to come to me in this land, I may not go over Jordan: but you will go over and take that good land for your heritage.
23 Take care that you do not let the agreement of the Lord your God, which he has made with you, go out of your mind, or make for yourselves images of any sort, against the orders which the Lord your God has given you.
24 For the Lord your God is an all-burning fire, and he will not let the honour which is his be given to any other.
25 If, when you have had children and children's children, and have been living a long time in the land, you are turned to evil ways, and make an image of any sort, and do evil in the eyes of the Lord your God, moving him to wrath:
26 May heaven and earth be my witnesses against you today, that destruction will quickly overtake you, cutting you off from that land which you are going over Jordan to take; your days will not be long in that land, but you will come to a complete end.
27 And the Lord will send you wandering among the peoples; only a small band of you will be kept from death among the nations where the Lord will send you.
28 There you will be the servants of gods, made by men's hands, of wood and stone, having no power of seeing or hearing or taking food or smelling.
29 But if in those lands you are turned again to the Lord your God, searching for him with all your heart and soul, he will not keep himself from you.
30 When you are in trouble and all these things have come on you, if, in the future, you are turned again to the Lord your God, and give ear to his voice:
31 Because the Lord your God is a God of mercy, he will not take away his help from you or let destruction overtake you, or be false to the agreement which he made by an oath with your fathers.
32 Give thought now to the days which are past, before your time, from the day when God first gave life to man on the earth, and searching from one end of heaven to the other, see if such a great thing as this has ever been, or if anything like it has been talked of in story.
33 Has any people ever gone on living after hearing the voice of God out of the heart of the fire as you did?
34 Has God ever before taken a nation for himself from out of another nation, by punishments and signs and wonders, by war and by a strong hand and a stretched-out arm and great acts of wonder and fear, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes?
35 All this he let you see, so that you might be certain that the Lord is God and there is no other.
36 Out of heaven itself his voice came to you, teaching you; and on earth he let you see his great fire; and his words came to your ears out of the heart of the fire.
37 And because of his love for your fathers, he took their seed and made it his, and he himself, present among you, took you out of Egypt by his great power;
38 Driving out before you nations greater and stronger than you, to take you into their land and give it to you for your heritage, as at this day.
39 So today be certain, and keep the knowledge deep in your hearts, that the Lord is God, in heaven on high and here on earth; there is no other God.
40 Then keep his laws and his orders which I give you today, so that it may be well for you and for your children after you, and that your lives may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for ever.
41 Then Moses had three towns marked out on the far side of Jordan looking to the east;
42 To which anyone causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate, might go in flight; so that in one of these towns he might be kept from death:
43 The names of the towns were Bezer in the waste land, in the table-land, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for Manasseh.
44 This is the law which Moses put before the children of Israel:
45 These are the rules and the laws and the decisions which Moses gave to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt;
46 On the far side of Jordan, in the valley facing Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who was ruling in Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel overcame after they had come out of Egypt:
47 And they took his land for a heritage, and the land of Og, king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, whose lands were on the other side of Jordan to the east;
48 From Aroer on the edge of the valley of the Arnon as far as Mount Sion, which is Hermon,
49 And all the Arabah on the far side of Jordan to the east, as far as the sea of the Arabah under the slopes of Pisgah.