The Altar on Mount Ebal
1 Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, "Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. 2 And on the day Josh. 4:1you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. 3 Josh. 8:32And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, See Ex. 3:8a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. 4 And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, ch. 11:29;Josh. 8:30on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. 5 And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Ex. 20:25;Josh. 8:31You shall wield no iron tool on them; 6 you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut27:6 Hebrew whole stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, 7 and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and See ch. 12:7shall eat there, and you See ch. 12:7shall rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 And [Hab. 2:2]you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly."
Curses from Mount Ebal
9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, "Keep silence and hear, O Israel: ch. 26:18this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today."
11 That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12 "When you have crossed over the Jordan, ch. 11:29;Josh. 8:33;[Judg. 9:7]these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And [ch. 33:10;Dan. 9:11]the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:
15 See Ex. 20:4;34:17"‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ [Num. 5:22;Neh. 5:13;Ps. 106:48;Jer. 11:5;28:6;1 Cor. 14:16]And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16 Ex. 20:12;21:17;Lev. 19:3;See ch. 21:18-21"‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17 See ch. 19:14"‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18 Lev. 19:14"‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19 See Ex. 22:21,22"‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20 See Lev. 18:8"‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has See ch. 22:30uncovered his father’s nakedness.’27:20 Hebrew uncovered his father’s skirt And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21 See Lev. 18:23"‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22 Lev. 18:9;20:17;[Ezek. 22:11]"‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23 Lev. 18:17;20:14"‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24 ch. 19:11;Ex. 21:12,14"‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25 ch. 16:19;Ex. 23:7,8;Ezek. 22:12"‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26 ch. 28:15;Jer. 11:3;Cited Gal. 3:10"‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’