From the Greek Septuagint text as was used by First Century Christians

Chapter 1

¹ These are the things that Moses said to all the Israelites when they were on the west side of the desert at the Jordan, near the Red Sea (between Pharan-Tophol, Lobon, Aulon, and the gold works), ² eleven day’s journey from Horeb and Mount Seir, near Kadesh Barne.

³ It was the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year that Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and [he recounted] all the instructions that Jehovah had given Him concerning them. ⁴ This was after he had cut down Seon, the king of the Amorites (who lived in Hesh-Eboneh), as well as Og and the king of Bashan (who lived in AstarOth and Edrain) ⁵ in the land of Moab. Moses said this about [God’s] Law:

⁶ ‘It was while we were at Mount Horeb that Jehovah your God spoke to us and said, You have lived on this mountain long enough. ⁷ Now, turn away… leave and go to the mountains of the Amorites and to those who live near the Araba; to the mountains and valleys south of the land of the CanaAnites, from the [Mediterranean] Sea to Lebanon, and as far as the great Euphrates River. ⁸ {Look!} God has given you all the land that’s before you; so go there and inherit the land that I swore to your ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) that I would give to them and their seed.

⁹ ‘As I told you before, I was unable to lead you all by myself, ¹⁰ for Jehovah your God has made you grow. Look! There are now so many of you… like the stars in the sky in numbers! ¹¹ For, Jehovah the God of your ancestors has made you grow a thousand-times more, and He blest you and He spoke to you. ¹² So, how could I handle all the work, burdens, and complaints by myself? ¹³ Therefore, [I told you to] select some wise, understanding, and sensible men from your tribes who I would make your leaders. ¹⁴ Then you answered me and said, What you have told us to do is a good thing.

¹⁵ ‘So I took your wise, understanding, and sensible men and assigned them to be the rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, to serve as your officers and judges. ¹⁶ And at the time, I told your judges to hear cases between you brothers, and to judge honestly, whether it is [a dispute] between a man and His brother, or with converts who are living among you. ¹⁷ And they were not to favor one over the other when it comes to judgment. Rather, they were to judge both the rich and the poor in the same way. Nor were they to fear anyone, because the judgment is God’s. ¹⁸ And whenever a case was too hard for them, they were to bring it to me and I would hear it.

¹⁹ ‘Then we left the Dry Place (Horeb) and traveled through that great and terrible desert; and (as Jehovah our God instructed us) you saw all the land from the mountains of the Amorites to Kadesh Barne. ²⁰ Then, when we reached the mountains of the Amorites, I told you: ²¹ {Look!} Jehovah your God has given you all the land that lies before you. So, go there and inherit it. And as Jehovah the God of your ancestors said to you, don’t be afraid!

²² ‘But you all came to me and said, Let’s send men ahead of us into the land and have them bring back a report about which way we should travel and which of the cities we should enter.

²³ ‘Well, that sounded good to me, so I chose twelve men, one man from each tribe, ²⁴ and they went to the mountain and traveled as far as the valley of the [grape] clusters and surveyed it. ²⁵ Then they took some of the fruit of the land and brought it back to you, and they said, The land that Jehovah our God is giving us is good!

²⁶ ‘However, you refused to enter it and you rebelled against the words of our God Jehovah. ²⁷ Then you went back to your tents and started complaining, saying, Jehovah hates us, because he has brought us out of the land of Egypt just to put us into the hands of the Amorites who will destroy us! ²⁸ Why would we want to go there?

‘Then your brothers grabbed at your heart strings when they said, It’s a big country and they have many more people who are stronger than we are. And their cities are huge, with walls that are as high as the sky. And we saw the sons of the giants there!

²⁹ ‘But I told you, Don’t be afraid and don’t fear them, ³⁰ because Jehovah your God is traveling before you and He will fight them with you… and He will win, just as He did for you in the land of Egypt! ³¹ Why, you’ve seen this happen [many times] while you were in this desert on the way to the mountains of the Amorites… Jehovah your God has carried you as dearly as any man could nurse his child during all your travels coming to this place.

³² ‘But you didn’t believe Jehovah your God, ³³ who travels before you and chooses where you will stay… who guides you with a fire each night and shows you the way to go with a cloud each day.

³⁴ ‘And when Jehovah heard the things you were saying, He became very angry. So He swore and said, ³⁵ None of these men will see the good land that I swore to give to their ancestors, ³⁶ except Caleb (the son of JephonNe)… he will see it and I will give this land that he traveled to, to him and his sons, because he did what Jehovah said.

³⁷ ‘Then Jehovah became angry with me because of you. For he told me, You won’t enter the land either. ³⁸ Rather, JoShua (the son of NaWeh) who stands at your side will enter [the land]. So you must give him [your] strength, because he will help Israel to inherit it. ³⁹ But only the young children who haven’t yet come to know good from evil will enter [the land with him]. I’m going to give it to them and they will inherit it!

⁴⁰ ‘Then you turned and marched back into the desert, along the banks of the Red Sea.

⁴¹ ’But later you said, We have sinned against Jehovah our God. And now we will go there and fight, just as Jehovah our God commanded us. So everyone grabbed his weapons of war and assembled to go back to the mountain.

⁴² ‘But Jehovah said to me, Tell them not to go and fight, because I’m not with them. Their enemies will destroy them!

⁴³ ‘So I told you, but you wouldn’t listen to me! You disobeyed Jehovah’s Commandments and you forced your way up the mountain. ⁴⁴ Then the Amorites who lived there came out to meet you and chased you like bees all the way from [Mount] Seir to [Mount] Herman. ⁴⁵ And then you sat down and bawled before our God Jehovah, but He wouldn’t listen to you or pay any attention to you. ⁴⁶ So, you spent a long time living in Kadesh.’

Chapter 2

¹ ‘Then we turned left and [traveled] through the desert, following the Red Sea, just as Jehovah told me, and we circled Mount Seir for many days. ² And finally, Jehovah said to me: ³ You have circled this Mountain long enough; now turn and head north. ⁴ Tell the people that you’re going to cross the borders of your brothers, the children of Esau who live in Seir, and that will really make them fear you. ⁵ But don’t fight against [the children of Esau], because I won’t give you enough of their land to stand on. For, I have given Mount Seir to the children of Esau as their inheritance. ⁶ You may buy food from them with money and eat it, and you will have to pay for any water that you drink.

⁷ ‘Yet, Jehovah our God has blest you in everything that you’ve done. Just think of how you went through that great and terrible desert. {Look!} During those forty years under Jehovah your God, you haven’t lacked anything!

⁸ ‘Then we passed by our brothers, the children of Esau who lived in Seir, walking through the Araba, from AiLon to Gesion Gaber, and we turned and walked through the desert of Moab. ⁹ It was then that Jehovah said to me, Don’t argue with the Moabites and don’t war against them, for I won’t give you their land as an inheritance, since I have given AroEr to the children of Lot as their inheritance. ¹⁰ The Ommin, a nation that was as large and powerful as the Enakim, used to live there. ¹¹ They are also called the Raphain, as were the Enakim, but the Moabites call them the Ommin. ¹² The ChorRhites also lived in Seir before the sons of Esau destroyed them and wiped them out; and then they took possession of the land, as Israel will take possession of the land that Jehovah is giving them as an inheritance.

¹³ ‘Then I told them to leave and cross the Valley of Zaret. ¹⁴ And we spent the next thirty-eight years traveling between Kadesh Barne and the Zaret Valley, until the whole generation of the men of war had died (as Jehovah God swore to them). ¹⁵ For, it was the hand of Jehovah that destroyed them from among the camp, until they were all gone.

¹⁶ ‘It was after all the men of war had died ¹⁷ that Jehovah spoke to me and said, ¹⁸ Now cross the borders of Moab and go on to AroEr today. ¹⁹ But don’t go near the children of Amman… don’t argue with them or war with them, for I won’t give you the children of Amman’s land as an inheritance, because I’ve given it to the children of Lot as their inheritance. ²⁰ It is also called the land of Raphain, because the Raphain (who the AmMonites call the Zochommin) also used to live there. ²¹ They were once a great nation. They had more people and they were mightier than you are (as were the Enakim). But Jehovah destroyed them and [the AmMonites] inherited the land, where they live to this day, ²² [in the same way that] the children of Esau who live in Seir destroyed the ChorRhites and inherited their land, where they live to this day, ²³ and the Evites (who lived between AsedOth and Gaza) were conquered by the Cappadocians, they came from Cappadocia to destroy them and live in their property.

²⁴ ‘Now, get up and cross the Arnon Valley, for {Look!} I have given Seon (the Amorite king of Hesh-Eboneh) and his land into your hands. War with him and inherit his land today. ²⁵ Start putting fear and terror into the faces of all the nations under heaven, for they will be disturbed whenever they hear your name, and they will become very sad when you’re heading toward them.

²⁶ ‘Then I sent ambassadors (from the KedamOth Desert) to Seon the king of Hesh-Eboneh, with words of peace, saying, ²⁷ I wish to pass through your land. I will just travel along the road and I won’t turn to the right or to the left. ²⁸ We will pay for any food that we eat with money, and we will pay for any water that we drink. We will pass through on foot, ²⁹ as we did with the sons of Esau who lived in Seir, and with the Moabites who lived in AroEr, until we reach the Jordan and the land that Jehovah our God is giving us.

³⁰ ‘But Seon (the king of Hesh-Eboneh) wouldn’t allow us to pass through his land, because Jehovah our God hardened his spirit and gave him a stubborn heart, so he would be delivered into our hands that day.

³¹ ‘Jehovah said to me, Look! I’m putting Seon (the Amorite king of Hesh-Eboneh) and his land into your hands. Now inherit his land!

³² ‘Then Seon (the king of Hesh-Eboneh) came out with all his people to fight against us at JasSa. ³³ But our God Jehovah handed him over to us and we cut them all down (him, his sons, and all of his people). ³⁴ Then we took over all of his cities, and we destroyed each city in succession, along with their wives and children… we left no one alive. ³⁵ However, we took their cattle and looted the cities. ³⁶ And all the way from AroEr (which lies at the edge of the brook of Arnon, and its city in the valley) to Mount Gilead, there was not a town that escaped us. Jehovah our God gave them all into our hands. ³⁷ However, following Jehovah’s instructions, we didn’t go near the children of Amman or even close to its border at the Jaboc Brook and their cities in the mountains.’

Chapter 3

¹ ‘Then we turned and traveled toward Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out to fight us with all his people at Edraim. ² And Jehovah said to me, Don’t be afraid of him, because I’m giving him, all his people, and all of his land into your hands. So, do to him as you did to Seon, the king of the Amorites who lived in Hesh-Eboneh.

³ ‘And Jehovah our God did give him into our hands, as well as all of his people. We cut them down until none of his seed was left, ⁴ and then we captured all of his cities. For at that time, there were sixty cities all around the country of Argob that belonged to King Og. ⁵ They were all strong cities with high walls, high gates, and strong locks. [We also captured] many Pherezite cities, ⁶ and we destroyed everything, as we had done to Seon the king of Hesh-Eboneh. We destroyed each city in its order, as well as all the women and children. ⁷ However, we took all the cattle and looted the cities.

⁸ ‘At that time, we also captured land that belonged to two Amorite kings who [lived on] the other side of the Jordan, which land ran from the brook of Arnon to Hermon. ⁹ (The Phoenicians call Hermon, SaniOr, but the Amorites called it SanIr.) ¹⁰ We captured all the cities of Misor, all of Gilead, all of Bashan as far as Elcha and Edraim, which were cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

¹¹ ‘Og, the king of Bashan was the last of the Raphain. {Look!} His bed (which was found in the capital city of the children of Ammon) was made of iron, and {Look!} it was thirteen feet long and six feet wide!

¹² ‘So at that time, we inherited all the land from AroEr (along the border of the Arnon), plus half of Mount Gilead, which cities I gave to Reuben and Gad. ¹³ Then I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Og’s kingdom of Bashan to the half-tribe of ManasSeh, which includes all the country around Argob (which [used to be] the land of the Raphain).

¹⁴ ‘Then JaIr (the son of ManasSeh) took all the country around Argob, as far as the borders of GarGasi and MachAthi, and he named them after himself – Bashan, ThavOth, and JaIr – which is what they are still called today. ¹⁵ Then I gave Gilead to MachIr, ¹⁶ and I gave the land below Gilead – from the middle of the brook of Arnon, which borders the children of Amman, all the way to Jaboc – to Reuben and Gad. ¹⁷ So, the Araba and the Jordan are the boundaries of MachanAreth, running east from the Sea of [Galilee] to the [Dead] Sea below AsedOth Phasga.

¹⁸ ‘And at that time, I told [the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of ManasSeh] that Jehovah their God had given them this land by lottery, and that all the mighty [men] should then arm themselves and march ahead of their brothers, the children of Israel. ¹⁹ However, they are to leave their wives, children, and cattle (I know that they have many cattle) in the cities that I have given them, ²⁰ until Jehovah our God provides their brothers a haven (as He has given them) and they inherit the land that Jehovah is giving them on the other side of Jordan… when each one has his own inheritance.

²¹ ‘That’s when I told JoShua: You have seen everything that Jehovah our God did to these two kings, and that’s what He’s going to do to all the kingdoms that you are crossing over to there. ²² So, you must not be afraid of them, because Jehovah our God will fight for you.

²³ ‘Then I went to Jehovah and asked, ²⁴ Lord God; You have just begun to show Your strength, Your power, Your mighty hand and mighty arm to Your servants. For, what God is there in heaven or on earth that can do as You have done by Your might? ²⁵ So, [please] allow me to cross into this good land and see what’s beyond the Jordan… its wonderful mountains and the borders of Lebanon.

²⁶ ‘But Jehovah replied, Because you didn’t show respect or listen to Me, don’t ask Me about this anymore. ²⁷ Now, climb to the top of the rocks and look west, north, south, and east… look with your eyes, because you may not cross the Jordan! ²⁸ Then speak to JoShua… give him strength and encourage him, because he’s going to lead these people, and it is he who will give them their inheritance in the land that you’ve seen.

²⁹ ‘Well thereafter, we camped in the valley near the house of Phogor.’

Chapter 4

¹ ‘And now, O Israel; Listen to the rules and decisions – everything that I’m going to teach you today – so that you can live, grow, and inherit the land that Jehovah the God of your ancestors is giving you. ² And don’t add anything to or take anything away from these Commandments that I’m giving you… obey the Commandments of Jehovah our God and do everything that I’m commanding you today!

³ ‘Why, you’ve seen everything that Jehovah our God did to the men [who started worshiping] Beel Phegor. Jehovah destroyed them all from among you… ⁴ and it’s only because you stayed close to your God that you’re all still alive today!

⁵ ‘{Look} I’ve shown you the rules and decisions, just as Jehovah gave them to me, so you may follow them in the land that you’re traveling to and which you will inherit. ⁶ Obey them and do them, because this is what will brand you as a wise and understanding people to the nations. For when they hear all these rules they will say, Look; They’re a great nation of wise and understanding people!

⁷ ‘Why, what other nation is so great that they have a God as close to them as Jehovah our God is [to us], so that we may call to Him about everything? ⁸ And what other nation has rules and decisions that are as righteous as all these laws that I’m setting before you today?

⁹ ‘Keep an eye on yourselves and carefully guard your hearts. Don’t forget any of the things that you’ve seen, and keep them in your hearts throughout your lives! You must teach your sons and your grandsons ¹⁰ the things that happened when you gathered before Jehovah our God at Horeb… when Jehovah said to me, Gather the people to Me and have them listen to My words, so they can learn to fear Me for as long as they live in the land, and then teach this to their sons.

¹¹ ‘Why, you went and stood at the base of the mountain as it burned with fire all the way to heaven… and there was darkness, blackness, and wind. ¹² Then Jehovah spoke to you from the midst of the fire with a voice and words that you heard… and although you saw no shape, you heard the voice. ¹³ Then He proclaimed His Sacred Agreement with you, and He commanded you to keep the Ten Commandments that He wrote on the two tablets of stone.

¹⁴ ‘And then Jehovah commanded me to teach you His rules and decisions, so you should obey them in the land that you’re going to inherit. ¹⁵ Now, keep them in your hearts, for you’ve never seen another day like the one when Jehovah spoke to you on Mount Horeb from the midst of the fire!

¹⁶ ‘So, don’t sin by carving images of any kind – not in the shape of males or females, ¹⁷ of any animals on the ground, of any winged creatures that fly in the sky, ¹⁸ of any slithering animals that crawl on the ground, of any creatures that live in the waters under the ground, ¹⁹ or look up in the sky and see the sun, moon, stars, or any of the other heavenly bodies that Jehovah your God provided to all the nations under heaven – and then go off and worship and serve them. ²⁰ For God took you and led you out of the land of Egypt – out of its iron furnace – to be His people and His inheritance today.

²¹ ‘Then Jehovah God became angry with me over things that you said, and He swore that I wouldn’t cross the Jordan and enter the land that He’s giving to you as an inheritance. ²² So I will die in this land and I won’t [be allowed to] cross the Jordan; but you will cross it and inherit that good land.

²³ ‘Now, pay attention to yourselves and don’t forget the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah our God made with you. Don’t sin and carve images of any of the things that Jehovah your God told you not to do. ²⁴ For Jehovah your God is zealous, and He can be a consuming fire.

²⁵ ‘Then, after you have fathered sons then grown old and had grandchildren; if you sin and carve images of things and start acting wickedly toward Jehovah your God and anger Him; ²⁶ I swear before heaven and earth that you will be destroyed from the land that you’re going to inherit across the Jordan… you won’t live to get any older and you’ll be cut off! ²⁷ Then Jehovah will scatter you among all the nations and you will become the minority among all the [people] wherever Jehovah sends you. ²⁸ And there you will serve other gods that men make with their hands from wood and stones… gods that can’t see, hear, eat, or smell.

²⁹ ‘But if you search for Jehovah your God there, you’ll find Him. For, whenever you are oppressed and you search for Him with all your hearts and souls, [you will find Him]… ³⁰ and that’s what will happen to you in the last days. Then you must turn to Jehovah your God and listen to His voice, ³¹ because Jehovah your God is also a God of pity, so He won’t forget the Sacred Agreement that He promised to your ancestors, and He won’t leave you or destroy you.

³² ‘Ask from one end of the sky to the other; Since the time when God created man on the earth, has anyone has ever heard of such a great thing happening… ³³ has any nation has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst fire, as you’ve heard it and experienced it? ³⁴ What [other] nation has God elevated and taken as His own with trials, signs, wonders, and war (with His mighty hand and mighty arm)… with all these great things that we saw Jehovah our God do in Egypt? ³⁵ So, you should know that Jehovah your God is The God, and that there is none other than Him! ³⁶ For, it was His voice that you heard from heaven that was teaching you when He showed you His great fire and when you heard His words from the midst of the fire!

³⁷ ‘It was only because He loved your ancestors that He chose you (because you’re their seed) and drew you to Him; and with His great strength He brought you out of Egypt. ³⁸ Then He destroyed nations that were much greater and stronger than you are – right in front of you – to bring you here today and give you their land as your inheritance.

³⁹ ‘So, recognize all of this and consider it in your hearts. For, Jehovah your God is the God of heaven above and the earth below, and there are no others! ⁴⁰ And if you keep His Commandments and rules – all that I’m giving you today – it will go well for you and your descendants, and you may live on the land that Jehovah your God is giving you for a long time… for ages.’

⁴¹ Then Moses set aside three towns on the east side of the Jordan ⁴² as refuge cities where men who have unintentionally killed a neighbor (someone who they never hated) can run to and live. ⁴³ [They were] Bosor in the plains of Reuben, RamOth in Gilead (Gad’s land), and GauLon in Bashan (ManasSeh’s land).

⁴⁴ These were the laws that Moses laid out before the children of Israel… ⁴⁵ they are the testimonies, rules, and decisions that Moses told the sons of Israel after they left Egypt, ⁴⁶ while they were on the other side of Jordan in the valley near the house of Phogor in the land of Seon (the king of the Amorites who lived in Hesh-Eboneh), who Moses and the sons of Israel destroyed.

⁴⁷ So they inherited this land… the land of Og (the king of Bashan) and of the two Amorite kings, east of the Jordan ⁴⁸ from AroEr (which borders on the Arnon Brook) to Mount Seon (or Hermon)… ⁴⁹ the entire Araba from the Jordan east, down to [Mount Pisgah].

Chapter 5

¹ Then Moses called all of Israel and said to them, ‘Listen to the rules and decisions… all that I’m going to tell you today! Learn them and obey them, O Israel. ² For, Jehovah your God made a Sacred Agreement with you at the Dry Place (Horeb). ³ He didn’t make it with your ancestors, but with you… you who are all here and living today! ⁴ Jehovah spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire. ⁵ And I stood between Jehovah and you at that time, and reported the words of Jehovah to you, because you were afraid of the fire and you didn’t want to get close to the mountain. And [there He] said:

⁶ ‘I am Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. ⁷ So, you must have no gods other than Me.

⁸ ‘You must not make images for yourselves of anything in the skies above, on the earth below, or of things that live in the water beneath the ground. ⁹ You must not bow before them or serve them, for I, Jehovah your God, am a zealous God, and I bring the sins of the ancestors upon the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who hate Me. ¹⁰ But I am merciful to the thousands who love Me and keep My Commandments.

¹¹ ‘You must not misuse the Name of your God Jehovah, for your God Jehovah will not forgive those who misuse His Name.

¹² ‘Keep the Sabbath day and make it holy, as Jehovah your God commanded you. ¹³ You may work and get everything done in six days, ¹⁴ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of your God Jehovah, and you must do no work… not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your oxen, your burros, any of your cattle, or any converts that are visiting among you. Both you and your servants must rest. ¹⁵ For, remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt, then Jehovah your God brought you out of there with His strong hand and mighty arm. So, Jehovah has instructed you to keep the Sabbath and to make it holy.

¹⁶ ‘Honor your father and mother, as Jehovah your God commanded you, so that things may go well for you and that you may live a long time in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you.

¹⁷ ‘You must not commit murder.

¹⁸ ‘You must not commit adultery.

¹⁹ ‘You must not steal.

²⁰ ‘You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

²¹ ‘You must not desire your neighbor’s wife, his house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his burro, any other animal, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

²² ‘These are the words that Jehovah spoke to the gathering with a loud voice at the mountain, from the midst of the fire, darkness, blackness, and storms… and He didn’t add any more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone, and then He gave them to me.

²³ ‘And when you heard the voice from the midst of the fire (for the mountain was burning with fire when all of you came there, including all the heads of your tribes and your elders), ²⁴ you said, {Look!} Jehovah our God has shown us His glory and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire today. We have seen that when God speaks to men we can still live. ²⁵ And now we’re [afraid] that we will die, because this great fire will burn us up and kill us if we listen to the voice of Jehovah our God anymore. ²⁶ For, what flesh has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking from a fire as we have, and still lived? ²⁷ So, we want you to go closer and listen to everything that Jehovah our God wishes say, then tell us whatever Jehovah our God says to you and we will all do it!

²⁸ ‘And when Jehovah heard what you said to me, He replied: I have heard all the things that these people have said to you, and everything that they’ve said is good. ²⁹ O how I wish that they had the type of heart in them that would cause them to fear Me and keep My commands, so things would always go well for them and their descendants through the ages!

³⁰ ‘Now, go and tell them to return to their homes. ³¹ Then you can stand here with Me and I will give you all the Commandments, rules, and decisions… and then you must teach it to them, and they must obey them all when they reach the land that I’m giving them as their inheritance. ³² They must pay attention and do as Jehovah their God commands them. They must not turn to the right or to the left, ³³ but they must follow the path that Jehovah their God will tell them to walk, so He may provide them rest and things may go well with them; and so that they may live even longer upon the land that they’re going to inherit.’

Chapter 6

¹ ‘These are all the Commandments, rules, and decisions that Jehovah our God gave us and taught you to obey in the land that you will inherit. ² So, fear Jehovah your God and follow all the rules and Commandments that I’m giving to you, to your sons, and to your grandsons, for as long as you all may live!

³ ‘Now listen, O Israel, and obey them, so that things may go well for you, and your [families] will grow, just as Jehovah the God of your ancestors promised that He would do for you when He gives you a land flowing with milk and honey. Yes, these were the rules and decisions that Jehovah gave as Commandments to the children of Israel while they were in the desert, after they left the land of Egypt. ⁴ [He said], Listen, O Israel; Jehovah our God is [the only] Lord, ⁵ and you must love Him with your whole mind, with your whole life force, and with all your strength. ⁶ These words that I am commanding you today must stay in your hearts and in your lives. ⁷ Then you must teach them to your children… speak of them while you’re sitting [with them] at home, while you’re walking along, before you go to bed, and when you get up. ⁸ You must tie them to your hands as a sign and keep them before your eyes. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates!

¹⁰ ‘And when Jehovah your God brings you into the land that He promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – that He would give you great and beautiful cities that you won’t build, ¹¹ houses that are full of all sorts of good things that you won’t put there, wells dug in rock that you won’t dig, vineyards and olive groves that you won’t plant, and where you will eat and be filled – ¹² you must be careful not to forget Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. ¹³ So, you must fear Jehovah your God and serve only Him! You must stick to Him and swear by His Name.

¹⁴ ‘Don’t follow other gods, such as the gods of the nations around you, ¹⁵ for Jehovah your God (who is among you) is a zealous God. Otherwise, Jehovah your God will be very angry with you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

¹⁶ ‘You must not test Jehovah your God as you tested Him in the [desert]. ¹⁷ You must absolutely keep all the Commandments, decisions, and rules that He gave you. ¹⁸ And you must do everything that is pleasing and good before Jehovah, so that things may go well for you, and so that you may enter and inherit the good land that Jehovah promised to your ancestors, ¹⁹ where He promised to chase away all your enemies before you.

²⁰ ‘Then if your son should ever ask you, What are the words, rules, and decisions that Jehovah our God has given us? ²¹ You must tell him, We were once slaves to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt; then Jehovah brought us out of there with His strong hand and mighty arm. ²² For, Jehovah performed signs and great miracles for us there in Egypt, before Pharaoh and His house. ²³ Then He brought us out of there to give us this land, which He promised our ancestors that He would give us. ²⁴ Then Jehovah taught us to obey all His rules and to fear our God, so things will go well for us through the ages of our lives, down to today. ²⁵ For, Jehovah our God will be merciful to us if we pay attention and obey all these Commandments that He has given us.’

Chapter 7

¹ ‘And when Jehovah your God brings you in and gives you the land where you are going, [He] will remove great nations before you – the Hittites, Gergesites, Amorites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Evites, and Jebusites – seven nations that are larger and stronger than you are. ² Jehovah your God will give them into your hands and you must cut them down… destroy them! You must not make any treaties with them or feel pity for them, ³ nor may you marry among them. You may not give your daughters to their sons, nor may you take their daughters for your sons. ⁴ For they will draw your sons away to serve other gods, and Jehovah will be very angry with you and will soon destroy you.

⁵ ‘This is what you should do to them: Destroy their altars and break down their [sacred] columns, then cut down their sacred poles and burn the carved images of their gods with fire; ⁶ for you are a holy people to Jehovah your God, and He chose you to be His people over all the other nations on the face of the earth!

⁷ ‘But Jehovah didn’t prefer and choose you because there are more of you than there are in other nations, for you are smaller than the rest. ⁸ Rather, He chose you because He loves you, and because He wants to keep the promise that He made to your ancestors. So, He brought you out of the house of slavery – out of the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt – with His strong hand. ⁹ Therefore, you should know that Jehovah your God is a faithful God who keeps His Sacred Agreements, and that He is merciful to those who love Him and keep His Commandments through thousands of generations. ¹⁰ Yet, He pays back those who hate Him to their faces by destroying them… He doesn’t cut any slack for those who hate Him.

¹¹ ‘So you must keep His Commandments, rules, and these decisions that I am giving you today. ¹² And after you hear them (if you decide to do them), Jehovah your God will keep His Sacred Agreement with you and show the mercy to you that He promised to your ancestors. ¹³ He will love you, bless you, and make you grow; and He will bless the children who come from you, as well as the fruitage of your [fields] – your grain, wine, oil, herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep – in the land that Jehovah swore to your ancestors that He would give to you. ¹⁴ You will be blest beyond all other nations, and neither you nor your cattle will be impotent or sterile. ¹⁵ Jehovah your God will also take away all illnesses… He won’t bring any of the terrible diseases that you saw in Egypt upon you, but He will bring them upon all those who hate you.

¹⁶ ‘Also, you may eat all that you loot from the nations that Jehovah your God is giving you. For you must not spare them, nor may you serve their gods, because that would be a sin!

¹⁷ Now, if you start thinking that some nation is stronger than you are, and you wonder how you can destroy them, ¹⁸ just remember all that Jehovah your God did to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians. ¹⁹ For you have seen the great signs, wonders, and the strong hand and mighty arm that Jehovah your God used to bring you out of there, and that’s what He will do to all the nations… they will [shake in] fear when they see you! ²⁰ Jehovah your God will send hornets against them until any who are left and hiding from you are destroyed. ²¹ Yet, none of you will even be wounded, because Jehovah your God who is among you, is a great and powerful God.

²² ‘However, Jehovah your God will destroy these nations a little at a time… you won’t be able to destroy them quickly, otherwise the land would become desert again and there would be too many wild animals in your fields. ²³ Yet, Jehovah your God will give them all into your hands, so you must [keep on] destroying them until they are all gone. ²⁴ For, He will deliver their kings into your hands and you will wipe away their names… no one will be able to stand before you until you’ve destroyed them all!

²⁵ ‘Then you must burn the carved images of their gods in fires. You must not loot their [images] of silver or gold, for that would offend Jehovah your God… because these things are disgusting to Him! ²⁶ So, don’t bring their disgusting things into your homes… hate them and consider them as cursed, because they really are cursed!’

Chapter 8

¹ ‘You must be careful to obey all the Commandments that I’m giving you today, so you can live and grow, then enter and inherit the land that Jehovah your God promised to your ancestors. ² Don’t forget how Jehovah your God led you through the desert where He tested and tried you in order to show what’s in your hearts… whether you would keep His Commandments or not. ³ For, He tested you and corrected you with hunger, and then He fed you with manna (which was something that your ancestors had never heard of) to show you that men don’t just need bread to live, they also require all the words that come from the mouth of God. ⁴ Also, your clothes didn’t wear out, nor did your shoes; and yet your feet never grew hard during these past forty years.

⁵ ‘So, in your hearts you must know that Jehovah your God is disciplining you in the same way that any man should discipline his son. ⁶ Therefore, you must keep His Commandments, follow His paths, and fear Him. ⁷ For Jehovah your God will bring you into a large and good land where there are flowing rivers and deep springs that run through the plains and through the mountains. ⁸ It’s a land where there is wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates – a land of olive oil and honey – ⁹ where no one will go hungry. Nobody will be [poor] there, because it’s a land where stones are made of iron, and copper is mined in the mountains.

¹⁰ ‘Then, when you have eaten and are filled, you must praise Jehovah your God in the good land that He’s giving you. ¹¹ Pay attention to yourselves and don’t forget Jehovah your God or forget His Commandments, decisions, and rules, which I’m giving you today. ¹² So, after you’ve eaten and are full, and have built good houses and are living in them, ¹³ and your herds of oxen and sheep have increased, and you’ve become wealthy and have many possessions; ¹⁴ don’t become proud in your in hearts and forget Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery, ¹⁵ then through that great and terrible desert where there are scorpions, biting snakes, and drought. For, when there was no water, He brought you a fountain of water out of flinty rock. ¹⁶ Then He fed you with manna in the desert, which was something that you and your ancestors had never heard of. He did all of this to [discipline] you, so He could do good things for you in the future.

¹⁷ ‘So you must never say in your hearts; I’ve gained all this wealth with my own hands and by my own power. ¹⁸ But you must remember that Jehovah your God is the One who gives you the power to gain your wealth… and this is due to the Sacred Agreement that He swore to your ancestors.

¹⁹ ‘And if you ever forget Jehovah your God and choose to follow, worship, and serve other gods, then I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that you will be destroyed! ²⁰ For, just as Jehovah is destroying the nations before you, that’s how you will be destroyed if you fail to listen to the voice of your God!’

Chapter 9

¹ ‘Listen [to me], O Israel; Today you’re going to cross the Jordan and you will inherit nations that are greater and stronger than you are, and large cities with walls that reach into the sky. ² The people are great, numerous, and tall… such as the sons of Enac, who you are familiar with and of whom you’ve heard it said, Who can stand before the children of Enac? ³ But I want you to know today, that your God Jehovah will go ahead of you. For He is a consuming fire and He will destroy them… He will move them back before you and destroy them quickly, just as He promised.

⁴ ‘Now, after Jehovah your God has destroyed all these nations before you, don’t say in your hearts, Jehovah brought me here to inherit this good land because I’m so righteous. ⁵ For, it isn’t because of your righteousness or due to the holiness in your hearts that you’re inheriting their land. Rather, it’s because these nation are so wicked that Jehovah will destroy them; and [He’s doing it] so that He may fulfill the Sacred Agreement that He swore to our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

⁶ ‘No, it isn’t because of your righteousness that Jehovah your God is giving you this good land as an inheritance, for you are a [rebellious] people. ⁷ Don’t forget how much you angered Jehovah your God in the desert, starting from the day that you left Egypt until you arrived here, because you have continued to disobey Him!

⁸ ‘[Remember how] you made Jehovah so angry in the dry place (Horeb) that He wanted to destroy you? ⁹ Why, when I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets of the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah made with you, I was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, during which I had nothing to eat or drink. ¹⁰ Then Jehovah gave me the two stone tablets that had been written on by the finger of God… all the words that Jehovah said to you on the day that you gathered at the mountain were written on them!

¹¹ ‘It was at the end of those forty days and nights that Jehovah gave me the two stone tablets that contained the Sacred Agreement. ¹² Then He said to me, Now get up and hurry down the mountain, because the people you brought out of the land of Egypt have sinned! They’ve already left the Commandments that I told them and they’ve made an image for themselves against Me!

¹³ ‘Then Jehovah said to me, As I told you before, I have seen these people and {Look!} they are rebellious. ¹⁴ Now, may I destroy them – blot out their names from under the sky – and make a great and strong nation out of you… [a nation] that is even greater than [they are].

¹⁵ ‘So, as the mountain burned with fire into the skies, I turned and went down the mountain carrying the two tablets of Proofs, one in each hand. ¹⁶ And when I saw that you had sinned against Jehovah your God and made yourselves an idol – something that Jehovah had commanded you not to do – ¹⁷ I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands and broke them there before you. ¹⁸ Then I prayed, begging Jehovah, for forty more days and nights. I didn’t eat or drink anything then either, because of all your sins and the evil things that you did before Jehovah God to anger Him. ¹⁹ And I was really frightened, because He was so angry with you that He wanted to destroy you! However, Jehovah listened to me one more time.

²⁰ ‘He was also so angry with Aaron that He wanted to destroy him, but I also prayed for Aaron. ²¹ Then, because of your sin, I took the calf and burned it in a fire… I beat it down and ground it into dust and threw the dust into the brook that runs down the mountain!

²² ‘You also angered Jehovah at the Burning, at the Temptation, and at the Graves of Greed. ²³ And when Jehovah sent you from Kadesh Barne and said, Now go and inherit the land that I am Giving you, you disobeyed Jehovah your God… you didn’t believe Him and your wouldn’t do what He said. ²⁴ Why, you’ve been disobedient to everything that Jehovah has said since the day that you came to know Him!

²⁵ ‘So, I prayed to Jehovah for forty days and forty nights… that’s how long I prayed to Jehovah, begging Him not to destroy you! ²⁶ I prayed this to God: O Lord, King of gods; Don’t destroy Your people… Your inheritance who You purchased and brought out of the land of Egypt with Your great power, strong hand, and mighty arm. ²⁷ Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom You swore by Your [Name]. Don’t look at the hard hearts of these people and at their lack of respect and their sins. ²⁸ Otherwise, those who live in the land that You took us from will say, It’s just because Jehovah couldn’t bring them into the land He promised to them that He didn’t care for them and carried them away from here to kill them in the desert. ²⁹ Why, these are Your people! They belong to You! For You brought them out of the land of Egypt with Your great strength, Your mighty hand, and Your mighty arm!’

Chapter 10

¹ ‘Then Jehovah said to me, Cut two stone tablets for yourself, like the first ones, then come up to Me on the mountain. Also, make a wooden chest for yourself. ² Then you must write the same words as were on the first tablets upon these tablets, and then put them into the chest.

³ ‘So I made a chest from boards of durable wood, and I cut stone tablets that were like the first ones, then I climbed the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. ⁴ And there He wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets, the same as He did on the first ones (which Jehovah spoke to you about from the midst of the fire on the mountain), and He gave them to me. ⁵ Then I turned and came down the mountain, and I put the tablets into the chest that I had made, just as Jehovah had commanded me.

⁶ ‘Well, the children of Israel left BeerOth (of the sons of JakIm) and traveled to MisadAi, where Aaron died and was buried. Then his son EliEzer replaced him as the Priest.

⁷ ‘From there we left for GadGad, and from GadGad [we went] to EteBatha, which is a land where there is a lot of running water. ⁸ It was there that Jehovah assigned the tribe of Levi to carry the Chest of Jehovah’s Sacred Agreement and to stand before Jehovah to serve and praise His Name to this day. ⁹ And from that point on, the Levites were to have no part in the inheritance of their brothers, because (as He told them), Jehovah is their inheritance.

¹⁰ ‘Well, I stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. And Jehovah listened to me and decided not to destroy you. ¹¹ And He told me, Now lead these people… let them enter and inherit the land that I promised their ancestors that I would give to them.

¹² ‘And now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you other than that you fear Him, walk in His paths, love Him, and serve Him with all your hearts and souls? ¹³ So, obey the Commandments of your God Jehovah and follow all His rules that I’m telling you today, so things may go well for you. ¹⁴ Look into the sky and into the heaven of heavens, for they, the earth, and all things that are in them belong to Jehovah your God.

¹⁵ ‘It is Jehovah who chose your ancestors and their seed (which includes you) over all the other nations, to be loved by Him. ¹⁶ So, circumcise the hardness from your hearts and don’t be [rebellious], ¹⁷ for Jehovah your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He’s the great, strong, and terrifying God who doesn’t [show special] favor to anyone or accept bribes. ¹⁸ He brings justice to converts, orphans, and widows, for He loves converts and provides them with food and clothing. ¹⁹ So you must love the converts also, for you were once [aliens] in the land of Egypt.

²⁰ ‘You must fear Jehovah your God… serve Him, stick to Him, and swear by His Name! ²¹ He’s the One who you have to brag about, because He’s your God, and it’s He who did all these great and glorious things that you’ve seen while He’s been among you. ²² Why, there were only seventy people (your ancestors) who went down to Egypt, but Jehovah your God has now made you like the stars in the sky in numbers!’

Chapter 11

¹ ‘So you must love your God Jehovah and follow His assignments, rules, Commandments, and decisions throughout your lives.

² ‘Now, recognize that I’m not [addressing] your children here today… those who don’t know and haven’t seen the discipline of your God Jehovah, or His wonderful works, strong hand, mighty arm, ³ miracles, and the wonders that He performed before Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) and on his whole land, ⁴ or what He did to the Egyptian army and their chariots and cavalry when He made the waters of the Red Sea cover them and destroy them as they were chasing after us, ⁵ or all the things that He did for us in the desert as we were coming here, ⁶ or the things that he did to Dathan and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb and grandsons of Reuben) when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them, their families, their tents, and all their belongings there in the midst of all Israel. ⁷ Rather, [I’m addressing you]; for it was your eyes that have seen all these mighty deeds that Jehovah performed among us.

⁸ ‘So, as I’ve told you before, you must keep all His Commandments so you can live, grow, and inherit the land across the Jordan ⁹ that’s flowing with milk and honey, and then live a long time on the land that Jehovah promised your ancestors that He would give to them and to their seed. ¹⁰ For the land that you’re going to inherit isn’t like the land of Egypt that you left, where you plant the seeds and then water them under your feet as in an herb garden. ¹¹ Rather, the land that you’re going to inherit is a land of mountains and plains, so it will drink its water from the skies. ¹² It’s a land that Jehovah your God will keep an eye on and watch over throughout the whole year.

¹³ Now, if you will listen to all the Commandments that I’m telling you today and love and serve Jehovah your God with your whole heart and soul, ¹⁴ He will bring the rains to your land (early rains and late rains in their seasons); you will have a full harvest of grain, wine, and oil; ¹⁵ and He will put food in the fields for your cattle. But after you’re full and satisfied, ¹⁶ be careful not to allow your hearts to become proud and cause you to sin by worshiping and serving other gods. ¹⁷ For, if Jehovah becomes angry with you, He will bind up the skies and there won’t be any rain, the earth won’t produce its fruit, and you will soon be destroyed from the good land that Jehovah is giving you.

¹⁸ ‘Keep these words in your hearts and souls… tie them on your hands as a sign, and keep them in front of your eyes, ¹⁹ then teach them to your children… talk to your children about them while you’re sitting at home, while you’re walking along, before you go to sleep, and when you get up. ²⁰ Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children will last a long time in the land that Jehovah swore to your ancestors that He would give to them for as long as the skies cover the earth.

²² ‘Now, if you listen to all these Commandments that I’m telling you today, and you love Jehovah your God, walk in all His ways, and stick close to Him, ²³ He will drive out all these nations that are before you and you will inherit nations that are greater and stronger than you are. ²⁴ And everywhere that the soles of your feet touch the ground will become yours, from the desert to the borders of Lebanon, and from the great River Euphrates to the [Mediterranean] Sea… these will all be your borders. ²⁵ Then no one will be able to stand against you, and your God Jehovah will put the fear and dread of you over all the land that you walk on, just as He promised.

²⁶ ‘Look, I’m putting a blessing and a curse on you today. ²⁷ The blessing will come if you listen to all the Commandments of your God Jehovah that I’m giving you today. ²⁸ And the curse will come if you don’t listen to the Commandments of your God Jehovah that I’m giving you today and you stray from the path that I’m setting out, and then start serving other gods who you don’t know.

²⁹ ‘Now, after our God Jehovah has brought you into the land that you’re going to inherit, you must put the blessings on Mount GiriZim and the curses on Mount Ebal. ³⁰ {Look!} These [mountains] are on the other side of the Jordan, to the west in the land of CanaAn, near GolGol and the big oak tree.

³¹ ‘So, as you cross the Jordan to enter the land that Jehovah our God is giving you to live in and inherit throughout your lives, ³² pay attention and obey all His rules and decisions… all that I’m setting before you today.’

Chapter 12

¹ ‘Now, these are the rules and decisions that you must be sure to follow in the land that Jehovah the God of your ancestors is giving you as your inheritance, and during the entire time that you will live in the land: ² You must destroy all the places where they serve their gods, whether they’re on high mountains, on hills, or under the trees. ³ You must destroy their altars, break their [sacred] columns into pieces, then cut down their sacred poles and burn the carved images of their gods with fire… you must wipe their names out of that land!

⁴ ‘However, you must never do that to [the Name of] your God, ⁵ for your God Jehovah will choose one of your cities to have His Name put there, and that’s where He’ll call for you; then you must go there to search for Him. ⁶ And that’s where you’ll carry your whole burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your first fruitage, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, your thanksgiving offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. ⁷ Then you must eat [the sacrifices] there before Jehovah your God, as you rejoice over all the things that Jehovah your God has touched and blest you and your families with.

⁸ ‘At that time, you won’t be doing the same things that we are doing here today, where every man does whatever he wishes. ⁹ For until now, you haven’t arrived at the resting place and the inheritance that Jehovah our God is giving you. ¹⁰ But you will soon cross the Jordan to live in the land that Jehovah our God is taking as an inheritance for you. And soon He will provide you rest from all your enemies round about you, and you will live in security.

¹¹ ‘So there will be a place which Jehovah your God will choose to be called by His Name. And it’s there that you must bring all the things that I’m telling you to bring today… your whole burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the first fruitage of your hands, and any gifts that you choose to offer as a freewill vow to Jehovah your God. ¹² And it’s there that you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites who live outside your [city] gates (because they won’t have their own inheritance among you) must rejoice before Jehovah your God. ¹³ So, pay attention to yourselves and make sure that you don’t offer your whole burnt offerings in just any place that you may see fit to choose… ¹⁴ just in the place that Jehovah your God will choose from among one of your tribes. That’s [the only place] where you may offer your whole burnt offerings, and that’s where you must do all the things that I’m telling you today.

¹⁵ ‘Now, you may kill and eat all the flesh you desire that has the blessings of your God Jehovah (such as male and female deer) in any city. And both the clean and the unclean may eat it there. ¹⁶ But you may not eat its blood… you must pour it out on the ground like water. ¹⁷ And in your own cities, you may not eat any tithes of grain, wine, oil, the firstborn of your herd or flock, anything that you’ve offered as a vow, or offerings of thanks, or the first fruitage of your hands. ¹⁸ You, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the strangers who are staying inside your [city] gates must eat such things before Jehovah your God in the place that He will choose for Himself; and it’s there that you must rejoice before Jehovah your God with whatever you’re bringing to Him. ¹⁹ Also, be sure that you never abandon the Levites for as long as you live on the earth!

²⁰ ‘Now, when Jehovah your God enlarges your borders, as He told you He would do, and you desire to eat flesh; you may eat all the flesh that your soul desires. ²¹ And if the place that Jehovah your God chooses for Himself (where His Name will be called) is far away from you; you may kill any [animals] from your herd or flock that God has given you (just as I’ve told you), and you may eat as much of it as you want in your own cities. ²² And those among you may eat male and female deer, whether you are clean or unclean. ²³ Just make sure that you don’t eat any of its blood, because its blood is its life, and the life can’t be eaten with the flesh. ²⁴ You must not eat it; you must pour it out out on the ground like water. ²⁵ You mustn’t eat it if you want things to go well for you and your descendants. Always do what is good and pleasing before Jehovah your God!

²⁶ ‘But whenever you have holy things, you must take them and your vow offerings to the place where Jehovah your God will choose to put His Name. ²⁷ It is there that you must sacrifice the flesh of your whole burnt offerings… on the Altar of your God Jehovah. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured out at the foot of the Altar of your God Jehovah, and then you may eat the flesh.

²⁸ ‘Be careful! Listen to and obey all the Commandments that I’m telling you, and then things will go well for you and your descendants through the ages… that is, if you do whatever is pleasing and good before Jehovah your God.

²⁹ ‘Now, after Jehovah your God destroys the nations where you are going and you inherit their land and start living there, ³⁰ be careful not to become like them (after they’ve been destroyed) and start asking, How did those nations worship their gods? I think I’ll start doing the same thing! ³¹ No, don’t do this to your God, because the things they sacrifice to their gods are disgusting to Jehovah, and He hates those who offer their sons and daughters to their gods in fires.

³² ‘So, obey every word that I’m commanding you today, and don’t add anything to it or take anything away from it!’

Chapter 13

¹ ‘And if a prophet or someone who [has visions] in dreams should arise among you and foretell a sign or miracle, ² and the sign or miracle that he foretells comes true… and then he comes to you and says, Let’s go and serve other gods, ³ don’t listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, because Jehovah your God may be testing you to find out whether you love your God with your whole heart and soul.

⁴ ‘You must follow Jehovah your God and fear Him! You must listen to His voice and trust in just Him! ⁵ Then that prophet or dreamer of dreams must be put to death for what he said in trying to make you turn from your God Jehovah (He who brought you out of the land of Egypt and who purchased you from slavery), and for trying to lead you away from the direction that Jehovah your God has commanded you to walk. So, you must remove any evil that is among you.

⁶ ‘Why, even if your own brother (by your father or mother), your son or daughter, your loved wife, or a friend who you love as your own life should come to you and say, Let’s go and serve gods that our ancestors didn’t know… ⁷ or the gods of the nations that live around us… or even those at the ends of the earth, ⁸ you must not agree with them or listen to them.

‘Then your eyes shouldn’t spare them and you mustn’t feel sorry for them or try to protect them in any way. ⁹ You must report them and you must be among the first to kill them… before all the other people become involved. ¹⁰ Then they must stone him/her with rocks until the person dies, because he/she has tried to draw you away from Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. ¹¹ Then all Israel will hear of it and become afraid to do such evil things among you.

¹² ‘And if you should hear people in one of the cities (which Jehovah God is giving you to live in) ¹³ say that evil men have caused all the inhabitants of a land to fall away, by saying, Let’s go and worship other gods, ¹⁴ you must ask about it and see if this is true. And {Look!} if it is true and this disgusting thing has really happened among you, ¹⁵ you must destroy all those who live in that land with swords; then you must pronounce the land and everything in it as cursed. ¹⁶ You most take all its valuable things into the streets and burn the city and its loot with fire before Jehovah your God, and it must remain uninhabited through the ages, never to be rebuilt. ¹⁷ Don’t allow any of their cursed things to stick to your hands, so that Jehovah’s rage may turn away and He may show you mercy.

‘He will care for you and cause you to grow, just as He swore to your ancestors, ¹⁸ if you will listen to the voice of your God Jehovah, keep His Commandments that I’m telling you today, and do everything that’s good and pleasing before Jehovah your God.’

¹ ‘You are the children of your God Jehovah, so you must not shave your heads whenever someone dies.

² ‘You are a holy people to Jehovah your God, and He has chosen you as His alone from among all the nations on the face of the earth. ³ So, you must not eat anything that is disgusting. ⁴ These are the animals that you may eat:

· From the herd, calves;

· From the flocks, lambs;

· From the goats, kids;

· ⁵ Male and female deer;

· Antelope;

· Wild goats;

· Wild sheep.

⁶ You may eat all animals that have split hooves and chew the cud.

⁷ ‘You may not eat these animals: Those that chew the cud but don’t have split hoofs, such as camels, hares, and rabbits, because they chew the cud but they don’t have split hooves, so they are unclean.

⁸ And the same is true of pigs. They have split hooves, but they don’t chew the cud. So you must consider them unclean, and you may not eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies.

⁹ ‘You may eat anything that lives in the water and has fins and scales. ¹⁰ Anything that doesn’t have fins and scales must be considered unclean and may not be eaten.

¹¹ ‘You may eat all clean flying creatures. ¹² However, these are the ones that you may not eat:

· Eagles

· Vultures

· Ospreys

· ¹³ Falcons

· Kites and the like, ¹⁴ –––

· ¹⁵ Terns

· Owls

· Seagulls

· ¹⁶ Herons

· Swans

· Storks

· ¹⁷ Cormorants

· Hawks and the like

· Hoopoes

· Ravens

· ¹⁸ Pelicans

· Diving birds

· Red bills

· Bats.

¹⁹ ‘You may not eat winged creatures that slither (insects), for they are unclean.

²⁰ You may eat any sort of clean winged creature, ²¹ but you may not eat anything that dies on its own. You may give it to people who are visiting in your cities and they can eat it, or you may sell it to strangers, but you are a holy people to Jehovah your God.

‘You must not boil a lamb in its mother’s milk.

²² ‘You must bring a tenth of all the grain and fruit of your fields as a tithe each year, ²³ and you must eat it in that place where Jehovah your God will choose to have His Name called. That’s where you must bring your tithes of grain, wine, oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

‘So, learn to always fear Jehovah your God!

²⁴ ‘Now, if the journey to that place where Jehovah your God will choose to have His Name called is too far for you, and you are unable to take [your offerings] there because of the distance, Jehovah will bless you ²⁵ if you sell them for money and take the money to the place that Jehovah will choose. ²⁶ And there you may use the money to buy whatever your soul desires (oxen, sheep, wine, liquor… anything that your soul desires). Then you must eat it there before Jehovah your God, and you and your family must rejoice ²⁷ along with the Levites who live in your cities, because they will not have shared in your inheritance and will have nothing to bring.

²⁸ ‘You may store the tithes in your cities, but every three years you must bring them all. ²⁹ Then you must invite all the Levites, and all the strangers, orphans, and widows in your cities (those who don’t have anything to bring) to come with you, and they may eat until they are full. Then Jehovah your God will bless you in everything that you do.’

Chapter 15

¹ ‘Every seven years you must cancel debts, ² and these are the rules: You must cancel any debts that your neighbors owe you personally, and you must not ask to have them paid back, because this is a cancellation [of debts] to Jehovah your God. ³ You may ask strangers to pay whatever they owe you, but not your brothers… you must cancel their debts. ⁴ That way, there won’t be any poor people among you and Jehovah your God will surely bless you in the land that He’s giving you as your inheritance.

⁵ ‘Now, if you listen to the voice of your God Jehovah and obey all these Commandments that I’m giving you today, ⁶ Jehovah your God will bless you (as He told you), and then you will lend [money] to many nations. However, you must never borrow from them, nor may you rule over them… but they won’t rule over you either.

⁷ ‘If you find a poor man among your brothers in your city in that land which Jehovah your God is giving you, you must not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted with your brother who is in need… ⁸ you must reach out to him and lend him as much as he needs!

⁹ ‘Now, be careful not to secretly say in your hearts, The seventh year (the year of cancellation) is getting close, then allow your eyes to look wickedly at your brother who is in need and not lend him anything. For, he will call out to Jehovah about you, and you will be guilty of a serious sin. ¹⁰ So you must be sure to lend Him as much as he needs and not hold a grudge in your hearts. For, because of your good deeds, Jehovah your God will bless everything you do and everything you touch.

¹¹ ‘There will always be poor people in your land, and that’s why I’m telling you to do this. You must reach out to your poor brothers, and to anyone who is having a hard time in your land.

¹² ‘And if your brother (a Hebrew man or woman) should be sold to you, he may serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you must set him free. ¹³ And when you set him free, don’t send him away empty-handed! ¹⁴ You must give him provisions from your flock, your grain, and your wine… as Jehovah your God has blest you, that’s how you must treat him.

¹⁵ ‘Don’t forget that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah your God bought you out of there; that’s why I’m telling you to do this!

¹⁶ ‘However, if [the slave] should tell you that he doesn’t want to leave you, because he loves you and your family; and if you approve of this, ¹⁷ you must take an awl and punch a hole through his ear against the door. Then he will be your servant for ages… and female servants should be dealt with in the same way.

¹⁸ ‘[None of] this will create a hardship on you, because the people will serve you for six years as hired hands, and Jehovah your God will bless you in everything you do.

¹⁹ ‘Now, when it comes to the firstborn among your oxen and sheep; you must offer the males as holy to Jehovah your God. You may not work a firstborn calf, and you may not shear a firstborn sheep. ²⁰ You and your household must eat them before Jehovah each year in the place that Jehovah your God will choose. ²¹ However; if it’s lame, blind, or deformed, you must not sacrifice it to Jehovah your God. ²² Both the clean and unclean among you may eat it in your cities, as you would a male or female deer. ²³ But you must not eat its blood… you must pour it out on the ground like water!’

Chapter 16

¹ ‘You must celebrate the month of New Grain and sacrifice the Passover to Jehovah your God, because that’s the month when you left Egypt during the night. ² You must sacrifice your Passover sheep and oxen in that place where Jehovah your God will select to have His Name called. ³ And you may not eat bread made with fermentation for seven days. You may only eat fermentation-free bread, which is the bread of persecution, because you left Egypt in a hurry. So, remember the day when you left the land of Egypt for as long as you may live.

⁴ ‘Fermentation must not be seen anywhere inside your borders for seven days, and none of the flesh that you sacrifice in the evening may be left over until the next morning. ⁵ Nor are you allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of the cities that Jehovah your God is giving you. ⁶ The Passover may not be sacrificed anywhere other than in the place that Jehovah your God will choose to have His Name called, in the evening just after sunset… which is the time that you left Egypt. ⁷ Then you must boil or roast it, and then eat it in the place that Jehovah your God will choose; and don’t return home until the next morning! ⁸ You must eat fermentation-free bread for six days, and then the seventh day is to be a holiday and a feast to Jehovah your God, during which you may not do any work other that which is common to everyone.

⁹ ‘Then start counting off seven weeks from the time that you first start cutting the grain with a sickle, ¹⁰ and you must celebrate the Festival of Weeks to Jehovah your God with as much strength and with as many things as Jehovah your God has given you. ¹¹ You must rejoice before Jehovah your God with your sons and daughters, male and female servants, the Levites, strangers, orphans, and the widows who live among you in that place where Jehovah your God will choose to have His Name called. ¹² For, you must remember the [time] when you were slaves in the land of Egypt, then you must do all these things and obey these Commandments.

¹³ ‘You must also celebrate the Festival of Temporary Dwellings for seven days, after you’ve stored your grain and made your wine. ¹⁴ Then you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites, the strangers, the orphans, and the widows in your cities should rejoice. ¹⁵ You must hold a feast to Jehovah your God for seven days in the place that Jehovah your God will choose for Himself. And you must rejoice over all the harvest that Jehovah your God has blest you with and for all the things that you’ve accomplished.

¹⁶ ‘All your males must appear before Jehovah your God three times each year in the place that Jehovah will choose, for:

· The Festival of Fermentation-free Bread

· The Festival of Weeks

· The Festival of Temporary Dwellings.

And don’t appear before Jehovah your God empty handed! ¹⁷ Each one must bring whatever he can, as Jehovah your God has blest him.

¹⁸ ‘You must appoint judges and officials in the cities that Jehovah your God is giving to each of your tribes, and they must judge the people righteously. ¹⁹ They must not be unfair, show anyone special favor, or accept gifts; because gifts blind the eyes of the wise and twist the words of the righteous. ²⁰ You must always work at being just, so you may live and inherit the land that Jehovah your God is giving you.

²¹ ‘You must never erect poles or plant any trees for yourselves near the Altar of your God, ²² nor may you erect sacred columns for yourselves, for Jehovah your God hates such things!’

Chapter 17

¹ ‘You must not sacrifice a calf or a sheep to Jehovah your God that is scarred or deformed in any way, for that would be disgusting to Jehovah your God.

² ‘And if a man or a woman should ever be found among you (in any of the cities that Jehovah your God is giving you) who chooses to do what is evil before Jehovah and sins against His Sacred Agreement ³ by going and serving other gods, or by worshiping the sun, moon, or any of the stars in the sky (something that He has commanded you not to do), ⁴ and someone tells you about it; you must ask about it and investigate to see if this disgusting thing has really happened in Israel. ⁵ [And if so], you must bring that man or woman outside [the city] and stone him/her to death with rocks.

⁶ ‘The person must be put to death if there are two or three witnesses to testify against him. But no one should be put to death on the testimony of just one witness. ⁷ And then, those who testified against him must be the first to put him/her to death… before the rest of the people [throw their rocks]. So, you must remove the evil person from among yourselves.

⁸ ‘Now, whenever a matter is too difficult for you to judge in your cities (as between blood and blood, cause and cause, stroke and stroke, and contradiction and contradiction), ⁹ you must take the matter to the Levite Priests who will then be at the place which Jehovah your God will choose, and have them try the case. They must perform their own investigation and report their findings to you. ¹⁰ Then you must do whatever they have decided in the place that Jehovah your God will choose. You must be sure to do whatever the Law tells you to do.

¹¹ ‘You must always follow the Law and abide by any judgments that they hand down! Don’t vary to the right or left from any decisions that they reach. ¹² For, any man who acts so haughtily that he won’t listen to the Priests who stand and serve in the Name of your God Jehovah, or to a presiding judge, must be put to death. You must remove that evil person from Israel; ¹³ then everyone will hear about it and be afraid to show so little respect in the future!

¹⁴ ‘And when you enter the land that Jehovah your God is giving you (after you’ve inherited it and lived there), and you decide that you want a king to rule over you (like the other nations around you), ¹⁵ he must be chosen by Jehovah God. Kings may only be selected from among your brothers, so don’t empower yourselves to select a king who isn’t a brother.

¹⁶ ‘[And no king should] accumulate horses for himself, nor may he send [My] people back to Egypt. He may [decide to] do this if he starts collecting horses for himself, but Jehovah has told you not to go back there again! ¹⁷ Nor may he start accumulating many wives for himself, for they will change his heart… and he shouldn’t collect a lot of silver and gold for himself.

¹⁸ ‘And when [these kingships] are established and they start to rule, they must each write their own copy of these Laws in a scroll, with the help of the Levite Priests. ¹⁹ Then they must keep it and read from it all the days of their lives, so they will learn to fear Jehovah their God and keep and observe all these Commandments and rules. ²⁰ Then they won’t consider themselves more important than their brothers in their hearts, nor will they swerve to the right or to the left of the Commandments. And then they and their sons will reign a long time in their land among the children of Israel.’

Chapter 18

¹ ‘None of the Priests, including the whole tribe of Levi, will have any inheritance in Israel, because the burnt offerings of Jehovah are their inheritance and what they will eat. ² They will have no inheritance among their brothers, because Jehovah is their portion, just as He told them.

³ ‘The Priests will get the things that the people offer as sacrifices, such as [a portion of] the calves and sheep (the shoulder, cheeks, and belly), ⁴ and the first-fruitage of your grain, your wine, your oil, and the fleece from your sheep. ⁵ This is because Jehovah has chosen them from among all your tribes to stand before Jehovah your God, to serve and praise His Name, and [to serve] His sons, the children of Israel.

⁶ ‘Now, if a Levite is living in one of the cities of the children of Israel (and he can live wherever he chooses), ⁷ he must serve the Name of His God Jehovah. And all His brothers (the Levites who stand and offer [the sacrifices] to Jehovah your God) ⁸ must be given their share… in addition to any property they inherit and choose to sell.

⁹ ‘And once you’ve entered the land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must not learn [any of] the disgusting things that those nations are doing, such as:

· ¹⁰ Offering your sons or daughters in fire

· Using occult powers to tell the future

· Looking for omens

· ¹¹ Serving as witches

· Speaking incantations

· Consulting spirits to tell the future

· Looking for signs

· Asking [questions of] the dead.

¹² For through the ages, those who have done such things have been disgusting to Jehovah your God. And if you do such disgusting things, Jehovah will destroy you from before His face… ¹³ you must be perfect before Jehovah your God!

¹⁴ ‘Now, all those nations whose land you will inherit have listened to these omens and [followed these] occult practices, but Jehovah your God doesn’t allow you to do that.

¹⁵ ‘Then Jehovah your God will raise a Prophet like me from among your brothers, and you must listen to him, ¹⁶ as when you received all that you desired from Jehovah your God in the dry place (Horeb) after the whole gathering said, We don’t want to listen to the voice of your God Jehovah again or see His great fire, so we won’t die. ¹⁷ For, Jehovah said to me, What they have said is good, ¹⁸ so I will raise a Prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put My words in his mouth and he will tell them whatever I command him. ¹⁹ Then I will bring vengeance upon anyone who doesn’t listen to what that Prophet says in My name. ²⁰ But, any prophet who uses My Name in an irreverent way by saying things that I didn’t tell him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, must die!

²¹ ‘And if you ever wonder in your hearts which words Jehovah didn’t say; ²² [remember that] anything a prophet says in the Name of the Lord that doesn’t come true, is something that Jehovah didn’t say. So, that prophet has spoken wickedly and he must die!’

Chapter 19

¹ ‘And when Jehovah your God has destroyed the nations that He’s giving you, along with their lands, cities, and houses that you will inherit and live in, ² you must set aside three cities in the midst of the land that Jehovah your God is giving you. ³ Perform a survey and divide the borders of your land into three parts, [then assign central cities as] refuges for those who have [unintentionally] killed someone.

⁴ ‘And this is the rule: Those who are guilty of manslaughter (anyone who has accidentally struck his neighbor – someone who he has never disliked) may run to [these cities] and stay. ⁵ For example; Say, someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his ax head flies off its handle and hits his neighbor, killing him. He must flee to one of these cities and live there, ⁶ so that the angry blood avenger doesn’t chase him down and kill him (although he hasn’t been sentenced to death, because he hasn’t hated his [neighbor] in the past). And that’s what will happen if [the refuge cities] are too far away… ⁷ and that’s why I’m telling you to set aside these three cities.

⁸ ‘And if Jehovah enlarges your borders (as He promised your ancestors), and if He gives you all the land that He said He would give you, ⁹ you must obey all these Commandments that I’m giving you today. [You must] love Jehovah your God and always walk in His ways. And you must choose three cities within these borders, ¹⁰ so that the blood of those who are innocent won’t be spilled in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that none of you will have bloodguilt.

¹¹ ‘However, if someone truly hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, then sneaks up and kills him, and he thereafter flees to one of these cities, ¹² the local elders must hand him over to the blood avengers, who must kill him. ¹³ Don’t feel sorry for him, because you must purge the innocent blood from Israel, so that things may go well for you.

¹⁴ ‘Don’t move your neighbor’s property markers that were set by your ancestors as their inheritance… those which will been assigned to you in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you as your inheritance.

¹⁵ ‘The testimony of a single witness may not be used to blame a man for any sins that he may commit. It requires two or three witnesses to prove anything.

¹⁶ ‘Now, if someone brings a charge against a person [that can’t be proven], ¹⁷ both people in the controversy must stand before Jehovah and before the Priests or judges in those days. ¹⁸ Then the judges must seriously investigate the matter to see if he has brought a false charge against his brother. ¹⁹ And if he has, you must do the same wicked thing that he wanted to do to his brother, to him. You must remove the evil from among yourselves, ²⁰ so the rest will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing among you. ²¹ Don’t forgive him; It must be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot!’

Chapter 20

¹ ‘And when you go to war against your enemies and find that they have a larger army and more horsemen than you do; don’t be afraid of them, for Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt is with you! ² And before you go to fight, the Priests must come and speak to the people, and tell them: ³ Listen, O Israel! Today you’re going to fight against your enemies. So be courageous! Don’t be afraid, don’t get confused, and don’t retreat, ⁴ because Jehovah your God is with you and He will fight against your enemies and save you!

⁵ ‘Then the scribes must speak to the people and say, If any man has built a new house and hasn’t dedicated it yet, let him go home; otherwise he might die in the war and someone else would then dedicate it. ⁶ And any man who has planted a vineyard and not yet [enjoyed its wine] may go home; otherwise he might die in the battle and then someone else would get to enjoy it. ⁷ And if any man is engaged [to marry] and has not yet taken [the woman] as his wife, he should go home; otherwise he might die in the battle and then someone else would have her.

⁸ ‘And the scribes should also speak to the people and tell them, If there is any man who isn’t [brave] and is afraid, he should go home, so his fear doesn’t discourage his brothers.

⁹ ‘And after the scribes have finished speaking to the people, they must appoint generals over the army to lead them.

¹⁰ ‘Now, whenever you approach a city, before you go to battle against them, you must call out to them peacefully. ¹¹ And if they answer you peacefully and open [their gates] to you, all the people who are found there must become your subjects and serve you. ¹² But if they don’t listen to you and they choose to fight a war against you, then you must [lay siege on the city] ¹³ until Jehovah your God gives it into your hands. Then you must kill all the men there with swords. ¹⁴ You may spare the women, their possessions, all the cattle, and anything else that is in the city… you may loot it and take whatever you wish, and you may also eat whatever your enemies have, because Jehovah your God has given it to you.

¹⁵ ‘Now, that’s what you must do to the distant cities, not to the cities of these nations that Jehovah your God is giving you and where you will inherit their land. ¹⁶ You must not leave anything alive there! ¹⁷ You must curse the Hittites, Amorites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Evites, Jebusites, and Gergesites, just as Jehovah your God commanded you, ¹⁸ so they don’t teach you to do all the disgusting things that they are doing before their gods and cause you to sin before Jehovah your God.

¹⁹ ‘And whenever you lay siege to a city and you don’t succeed in capturing it right away; don’t cut down and destroy its [fruit] trees. Rather, [pick the fruit] and eat it… for the trees in the fields aren’t men that must be cut down to capture [the city]. ²⁰ However, you must cut down and destroy any trees that you know aren’t fruit bearing. Then you must build a mound against the [walls] of the city that has chosen a war with you, until it is captured.’

Chapter 21

¹ ‘And if anyone is found murdered with a knife, and [his body is] left in a field in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you to inherit, and no one knows who did it, ² your elders and judges must go there and measure the distances from the slain man to the cities round about. ³ And from whichever city is nearest to him, the elders of that city must choose a heifer from the herd that has never worn a yoke or been worked, ⁴ then lead it into a valley that has never been tilled or planted, and slaughter the heifer there. ⁵ Then the Levite Priests must go there (because they’re the ones who Jehovah has chosen to represent Him and to praise His Name), and whatever they decide must stand.

⁶ ‘Then all the elders of that city who went out to the murdered man must wash their hands over the head of the heifer that was slaughtered in the valley ⁷ and say, Our hands didn’t shed this blood and our eyes didn’t witness it. ⁸ Be merciful to Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, so that Your people Israel aren’t held responsible for this innocent blood. And by doing this, the blood will have been paid for by them. ⁹ For, you must remove all innocent blood from among yourselves if you wish to do what is good and pleasing before Jehovah your God.

¹⁰ ‘And when you’re going to war against your enemies and Jehovah your God allows you to conquer them and carry away loot, ¹¹ and if you then notice a woman with a pretty face among the captives who you want to take as your wife; ¹² when you bring her home you must shave her head, cut her nails, ¹³ and remove the clothes she was wearing when she was captured. Thereafter, she must be allowed to mourn for her father and mother in your home for a month. Only after that may you may have sex with her, live with her, and take her as your wife. ¹⁴ Then if you aren’t happy with her, you must send her away free. She can’t be sold, nor may you mistreat her, because you’ve dishonored her.

¹⁵ And if a man has two wives and he loves one and doesn’t care as much for the other, and both have given birth, and the son of the one he cares for less is the firstborn; ¹⁶ when he divides his property among his sons as their inheritance, he may not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves more. ¹⁷ He must recognize the rights of the firstborn and give him twice as much of the things he owns, because he’s the first of his children, and he owns that birthright.

¹⁸ ‘Now, if any man has a son who is disobedient, likes to argue, and refuses to obey his father and mother or listen when they correct him, ¹⁹ they must take him before the elders at their city gate ²⁰ and tell them, This is our disobedient son. He won’t listen to us and he has become a drunk and a partier. ²¹ Then the men of the city must stone him to death with rocks; for you must remove those who are evil from among yourselves, and then the rest will hear about it and fear.

²² And if someone sins and is sentenced to death, and you choose to execute him by hanging him on a tree, ²³ don’t allow his body to remain on the tree overnight. You must bury it on that same day, because through the ages, anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed before God, and you must not [allow it to] dirty the land that Jehovah your God is giving you as your inheritance.’

Chapter 22

¹ ‘Whenever you see your brother’s calf or sheep wandering loose in the road, don’t ignore it; you must lead it back to your brother and give it to him. ² However, if your brother doesn’t live near you and you don’t know [who owns the animal], you must take it home with you and keep it until your brother comes searching for it, then give it back to him. ³ That’s what you must do for his burro, his clothing, or anything else that your brother has lost… don’t overlook anything. ⁴ And if you see your brother’s burro or ox fallen on the road, don’t pass it by; be sure to help him to get it back on its feet.

⁵ ‘A woman should never wear men’s clothing, nor should a man wear women’s clothing. For through the ages, such a thing has been considered disgusting by Jehovah your God.

⁶ ‘And if you should find a bird’s nest in the road, or in a tree, or on the ground, where the bird is brooding eggs or chicks, you must not take the nest with its young. ⁷ You may take the [eggs], but you must let the mother go, so things may go well for you and so you may live a long time.

⁸ ‘When you build a new house, you must erect a parapet around [the roof] to keep anyone from falling from it, so you don’t bring the guilt of someone’s blood upon your house.

⁹ ‘You must not plant different types of seeds in your vineyard, for the [plants] could [cross-pollinate] and make your vineyard unholy.

¹⁰ ‘You must not hitch an ox and a burro together to [pull] the same plow.

¹¹ ‘You must not wear clothing made of both linen and wool.

¹² ‘You must put fringes on all four sides of your clothing, no matter how you may be dressed.

¹³ ‘If any man should take a wife who he comes to dislike after he has lived with her, ¹⁴ and then he starts saying bad things about her and calling her bad names, saying, When I took this woman and had sex with her, she didn’t prove to be a virgin; ¹⁵ then her father and mother must bring the girl’s proof of virginity to the elders at the city gate, ¹⁶ and the girl’s father should tell the elders, I gave my daughter to be this man’s wife, ¹⁷ and now he no longer cares for her and he’s saying that he found no indication of my daughter’s virginity. But here’s the proof… and he must unfold the sheet with her [blood] before the city’s elders. ¹⁸ And [if that happens], the elders of that city must take the man and discipline him, ¹⁹ then fine him a hundred small silver coins and give it to the girl’s father for slandering the name of a virgin of Israel. Then she must continue to be his wife and he may never divorce her.

²⁰ ‘However, if what he says proves to be true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found, ²¹ they must take her in front of her father’s house and stone her to death with rocks, because she dishonored the children of Israel and the house of her father by her immorality. So, you must remove the evil person from among yourselves.

²² ‘Also, if [you find] a man having sex with another man’s wife, you must kill both the man and the woman. You must remove those who are wicked from Israel.

²³ ‘And if a young woman is already engaged to a man, and another man in the city has sex with her, ²⁴ you must bring them both outside the city gate and stone them to death with rocks; her because she didn’t scream, and him because he dishonored the wife of his neighbor. So, you must remove the evil ones from among yourselves.

²⁵ ‘However, if a man catches an engaged woman out in a field and rapes her, you must put just the man who did this to death, ²⁶ for the woman hasn’t committed a sin that she should be killed for. Something like this is just as serious as when one man murders another, ²⁷ because he found and [raped] an engaged woman who screamed, but no one was around to help her.

²⁸ ‘And if any man should assault a young virgin who isn’t engaged, and this can be proven, ²⁹ the man who assaulted her must pay her father fifty silver coins, then he must marry her and never be allowed to divorce her, because he dishonored her.

³⁰ ‘And no man may lay his father bare by having sex with his father’s wife.’

Chapter 23

¹ ‘No man who has been castrated or whose sexual parts have been damaged, ² or any son of a whore may enter the gathering of Jehovah.

³ ‘Ammonites and Moabites may not enter the gathering of Jehovah… not through the tenth generation or through the ages, ⁴ because they didn’t meet you and bring you bread and water as you were coming from Egypt, and because they hired BalaAm the son of Beor of MesoPotamia to curse you. ⁵ For, Jehovah your God didn’t listen to BalaAm and He changed the curses into blessings, because He loved you. ⁶ So, you must not speak to them in peace or for profit for as long as you live, and through the ages.

⁷ ‘You must not hate Edomites, because they’re your brothers; and you must not hate Egyptians, because you were once strangers in their land. ⁸ So, their third-generation sons may enter the gathering of Jehovah.

⁹ ‘Now, when you go out to fight with your enemies, you must refrain from doing anything wicked.

¹⁰ ‘And if any man is unclean because of a release [of semen] during the night, he must leave the camp (or not return to it); ¹¹ then in the evening he must wash his body in water and return to the camp after sundown. ¹² So, you must set aside a place outside the camp where he may go.

¹³ ‘And [each of] you must carry a spade in your belts, so that when you need to relieve yourselves somewhere [outside the camp], you may use it to dig [a hole] in the ground and then cover your excrement. ¹⁴ [You must do this] because Jehovah your God walks in your camp to save you and to give your enemies [into your hands], so your camp must be holy and nothing disgusting may be seen, so He doesn’t turn away from you.

¹⁵ ‘You must not return a slave to his master after he has run away and come to serve you. ¹⁶ He must live with you and among you, and you must not mistreat him, as long as he pleases you.

¹⁷ ‘There may be no whores among the daughters of Israel; nor may there be any [men] among the sons of Israel who are sexually immoral.

‘There may be no idol worshipers among the daughters of Israel; nor may there be any who [worship idols] among the sons of Israel.

¹⁸ ‘You may not bring the wages of a prostitute or the price of a dog into the House of your God Jehovah to pay for any vow, because both of them are disgusting to Jehovah.

¹⁹ ‘You must not charge your brother interest for borrowing silver, meat, or anything else that you may lend him. ²⁰ You may charge interest on loans to strangers, but not to your brothers, so Jehovah your God will bless what you do in the entire land that you are entering and will inherit.

²¹ ‘Whenever you swear an oath to Jehovah your God, you must be quick about paying it, for Jehovah your God requires that you do so. Otherwise, this would be a sin against you. ²² Now, if you are unwilling to offer anything, that isn’t a sin. ²³ But whatever you vow to offer as a gift to Jehovah God must be [paid] as promised.’

Chapter 24

¹ ‘If you’re walking through a neighbor’s wheat field, you may pick the heads with your hands… but you may not use a sickle in his field. ² Also, if you enter a neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but you may not carry any away in a container.

³ ‘If you take a wife, and after living with her, you find that you no longer love her because of some disgusting thing that she may have done, you may write out a divorce certificate and put it into her hands, then send her away from your home. ⁴ And if she chooses to remarry after she leaves her first husband ⁵ (due to the fact that her first husband didn’t care for here and divorced her and sent her away), and this [second] husband should die, ⁶ the former husband may not remarry her after she has had sex with the other man, because that is a disgusting thing before Jehovah your God. You must not dirty the land that Jehovah your God is giving you to inherit.

⁷ ‘And whenever a man has recently married, he must not go to war, nor may anyone require him to do so. He must live free in his house for one year, as a joy to the wife that he has taken.

⁸ ‘You may not take anyone’s millstone as collateral for a loan, because anyone who does that is requiring a life as a promise.

⁹ ‘Any man who is caught kidnapping and selling one of his brothers of the children of Israel, must die. You must remove that evil one from among yourselves.

¹⁰ ‘Pay special attention when it comes to the plague of leprosy… you must be very careful to obey all the laws that the Levite Priests give you, and to do as I have instructed you. ¹¹ For, remember all that Jehovah your God did to Miriam while you were traveling from Egypt.

¹² ‘If your neighbor owes you a debt (no matter what kind), you may not enter his house to collect it. ¹³ You must stand outside, and the man who owes you the debt should bring it out to you. ¹⁴ However, if the man is too poor [to pay it], you may not go to sleep while you’re holding the thing he pledged [as collateral]. ¹⁵ You must return it before sunset, so he can sleep in his clothes… then he will praise you, and Jehovah your God will be merciful to you.

¹⁶ ‘You must not be unfair and withhold the wages of those who are poor and needy among your brothers, or of strangers who are living in your cities. ¹⁷ You must pay them their wages on the same day. Don’t allow the sun to set before [paying them], because they are poor and they need it. For if you do, they will call out to Jehovah about you, and it will be a sin for you.

¹⁸ ‘Fathers shouldn’t be put to death for their children, nor may sons be put to death for their fathers. Each person must be put to death for his own sins.

¹⁹ ‘You must not be unjust to strangers, orphans, or widows; and you must never take a widow’s clothing as collateral. ²⁰ For, remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah your God bought you from there. So, do what I’m telling you!

²¹ ‘And when you’re harvesting the grain in your field and you realize that you’ve missed some, you must not return to get it. For these must be left for the strangers, orphans, and widows, so Jehovah your God will bless you in everything that you do.

²² ‘And when you pick your olives, you must not go back and pick them all; some must be left for the strangers, orphans, and widows. Don’t forget that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, so I’m commanding you to do this.

²³ And whenever you pick the grapes in your vineyard, you must not glean everything… you must leave some for the strangers, orphans, and widows. ²⁴ Don’t forget that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, so I’m commanding you to do this.’

Chapter 25

¹ ‘Whenever there’s a dispute between two men, they should carry it to the judges and allow them to decide who’s right and who’s guilty. ² And if the guilty one is sentenced to be beaten with a whip, he must be held down in front of the judges and they must have him whipped there before them for his sin. ³ They must have him lashed forty times, and no more; for if you whip your brother more than that, he will be disgraced.

⁴ ‘You must not muzzle the ox that [is used to] thresh the grain.

⁵ ‘If brothers should live together and one of them dies without producing a seed, his wife may not marry someone who isn’t related to her husband. Her husband’s brother must go and take her as his wife and live with her. ⁶ Then any children that she gives birth to will carry her deceased husband’s name, so his name won’t be blotted out of Israel.

⁷ ‘Now, if the man isn’t willing to take his brother’s wife, she should go to the elders at the [city] gate and say, My husband’s brother has refused to keep my husband’s name alive in Israel. ⁸ Then the city elders should call him and make him stand before them and tell them why he refuses to take her. ⁹ Then his brother’s wife must come up before the elders and remove one shoe from his foot, then spit in his face and say, This is how they treat the man who won’t build his brother’s house in Israel. ¹⁰ And from then on, everyone in Israel must call him, The house of the man who had his shoe removed.

¹¹ And if a man gets into a fight with a brother, and then one of their wives should come and try to stop the other man from beating her husband by grabbing him by the testicles, ¹² you must cut her hand off. Don’t allow your eyes [to feel sorry for] her.

¹³ ‘You must not carry oversized and undersized weights in your bag, ¹⁴ nor may you keep oversized and undersized units of measure in your house. ¹⁵ You must have accurate weights and units of measure, so you may live a long time in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you as your inheritance. ¹⁶ For through the ages, everyone who has done such unrighteous things has been disgusting to Jehovah your God.

¹⁷ ‘Don’t forget what the Amalechites did to you as you were traveling from the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ For, they got in your way and harassed those who were worn out at your rear, leaving you hungry and tired, and they didn’t fear God. ¹⁹ And so, when Jehovah your God finally provides you rest from your enemies in the land that He’s giving you to inherit, you must wipe the name of the Amalechites out from under the sky… don’t forget!

Chapter 26

¹ ‘Once you’ve entered the land that Jehovah your God is giving you as your inheritance, and you each have received your own inheritance and started living there, ² you must collect the first fruitage [from the harvest] in the land He’s giving you, and put it into a basket. Then carry it to the place where Jehovah your God will choose to have His Name called. ³ And when you get to the Priest (whoever it may be then), you must say to him, I’m testifying today before Jehovah My God that I’ve come to this land, which Jehovah swore to our ancestors that He would give to us.

⁴ ‘Then the Priest must take the basket from your hands and set it before the Altar of your God Jehovah, ⁵ and he must answer you and say before Jehovah, A small group of my ancestors (who came from Syria) went down to Egypt and stayed there, where they grew into a large number and a mighty nation. ⁶ But the Egyptians made life difficult for us, humiliated us, and put us to work at hard labor. ⁷ Then we called out to Jehovah our God and He heard us. And when He saw our humiliation, our hardships, and how hard we were working, ⁸ He brought us out of Egypt with His great strength, strong hand, and mighty arm, with great miracles, signs, and wonders. ⁹ Then He brought us into this place and gave us this land… a land flowing with milk and honey! ¹⁰ And now {Look!} I’m bringing the first fruits of the land that You gave us, O Lord, from the land that flows with milk and honey.

‘Then leave [the basket there] before Jehovah your God and bow low before Him, ¹¹ as you rejoice over all the good things that Jehovah your God has given to you, your family, and the Levites and strangers that live among you.

¹² ‘And in the third year, after you’ve brought all the tithes of your harvest, you must bring a second tithe for the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows, and they may eat it and enjoy themselves in your cities.

¹³ ‘Then you must come before Jehovah your God and say, I’ve collected a full measure of the holy things from my home and given them to the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows, just as You commanded. I didn’t sin against Your Commandments and I didn’t forget them, ¹⁴ nor did I eat any of it during a difficult time, or use it for an unclean purpose, or offer it to the dead. I’ve listened to the voice of our God Jehovah, and I’ve done just as You commanded me. ¹⁵ Now, look down from your Holy House in heaven and bless Your people Israel and the land flowing with milk and honey that You swore to our ancestors that You would give us.

¹⁶ ‘On this day, Jehovah your God is instructing you to keep all of His rules and decisions… and you must obey them and follow them with your whole heart and soul! ¹⁷ For, today you’ve chosen Him to be your God, and [you’ve agreed] to walk in all His ways, follow His rules and decisions, and listen to His voice. ¹⁸ And today, Jehovah has chosen you to be His people exclusively – as He promised in His Commandments – ¹⁹ to be above all other nations. He has made you famous, glorious, and something to brag about… a holy people to Jehovah your God, just as He promised.’

Chapter 27

¹ Then Moses addressed the elders of Israel and said, ‘Keep all these Commandments that I’m giving you today. ² And after you’ve crossed the Jordan and entered the land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must erect [two] huge stone [monuments] and cover them with plaster. ³ Then write all the words of this Law on them as soon as you’ve crossed the Jordan into the land that Jehovah the God of your ancestors is giving you… the land that’s flowing with milk and honey, which Jehovah the God of your ancestors promised to you.

⁴ ‘After you’ve crossed the Jordan, erect these stones with the Commandments that I’m giving you today upon Mount Ebal, then coat them with plaster. ⁵ Also, build an altar there to Jehovah your God from rocks that haven’t been cut with an iron tool. ⁶ Use whole stones and build an altar to Jehovah your God, then place whole burnt offerings to Jehovah your God upon it… ⁷ you must sacrifice peace offerings, which you must eat until you’re full, and rejoice before Jehovah your God.

⁸ ‘Make sure that the Law is clearly inscribed on the [monuments].’

⁹ Then Moses addressed the Levite Priests of Israel and said, ‘Be quiet and listen, O Israel, because today you’re becoming the people of your God Jehovah. ¹⁰ So, listen to His voice and obey all His Commandments and rules… all those that I’m [giving] you today.’

¹¹ And on that same day, Moses addressed the people and said, ¹² ‘After you’ve crossed the Jordan, these [tribes] must assemble on Mount GiriZim [to pronounce the blessings]: Levi, Judah, IsSachar, and those of Joseph and BenJamin. ¹³ And these [tribes] must assemble on Mount Ebal to pronounce the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, ZebuLon, Dan, and NaphTali. ¹⁴ And from there the Levites must shout to all Israel:

¹⁵ Any man who carves an idol or any other disgusting thing, or has one that has been manufactured, and puts it in a secret place, is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

¹⁶ Any man who shows disrespect to his father or mother is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

¹⁷ Any man who removes his neighbor’s property markers is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

¹⁸ Any man who misleads a blind person is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

¹⁹ Any man who is unfair to a stranger, orphan, or widow is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

²⁰ Any man who uncovers his father’s [naked body] by having sex with his father’s wife is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

²¹ Any man who has sex with an animal is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

²² Any man who has sex with [his sister] is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

²³ Any man who has sex with his daughter-in-law is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

Any man who has sex with his wife’s sister is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

²⁴ Any man who secretly [murders] his neighbor is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

²⁵ Any man who is paid to kill an innocent man is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.

²⁶ Any man who doesn’t observe and obey all the words of this Law is cursed! And all the people must answer and say, May it be.’

Chapter 28

¹ ‘Now, if you listen to the voice of your God Jehovah and follow and obey all these Commandments that I’m giving you today, Jehovah your God will lift you higher than all the other nations of the earth, ² and these blessings will search for you and find you. For if you listen to the voice of your God Jehovah:

· ³ Your fields and your cities will be blest.

· ⁴ The offspring that comes from your body, the fruit of your land, your herds of oxen, and your flocks of sheep will be blest.

· ⁵ Your barns and your storage bins will be blest.

· ⁶ You will be blest when you leave and blest when you return.

· ⁷ Jehovah will give your enemies [into your hands], and those who oppose you will fall before you. And if they come against you from one direction, they’ll run from you in seven directions.

· ⁸ Jehovah will put His blessings on your barns and on everything that you do in the land that He’s giving you.

· ⁹ Jehovah will raise you as a holy people to Himself, just as He promised your ancestors that He would do if you would listen to His voice and walk in all of His ways. ¹⁰ Then all the nations of the earth will see that you are called by the Name Jehovah, and they will stand in awe of you.

· ¹¹ Jehovah your God will bring [many children] from your bodies, many young from your cattle, and much fruit from your land… the land that Jehovah swore to your ancestors that He would give to you.

· ¹² Jehovah will open His treasures in the skies and bring rain to your land in [the proper] seasons, and He’ll bless everything that you do.

· You will lend to many nations and not borrow, and you’ll rule over many nations and not be ruled. ¹³ For Jehovah your God will make you the head not the tail, and He’ll put you on top. You’ll never be on the bottom if you listen to the voice of your God Jehovah, and if you obey all the things that I’m telling you today.

· ¹⁴ You must not swerve to the right or to the left from any of the Commandments that I’m giving you today, or follow and serve other gods.

¹⁵ ‘However, if you don’t listen to the voice of your God Jehovah and obey all His Commandments that I’m giving you today, these curses will come and catch up with you:

· ¹⁶ You will be cursed in your cities and in your fields.

· ¹⁷ Your barns and your storage sheds will be cursed.

· ¹⁸ [The children] who come from your bodies, the fruit from your land, your herds of oxen, and your flocks of sheep will be cursed.

· ¹⁹ You will be cursed when you leave and when you return.

· ²⁰ Jehovah will send shortages and famines [among you], and everything you do will be consumed until He has totally destroyed you. If you leave Him and start doing evil things, you will be quickly exterminated.

· ²¹ Jehovah will bring plagues among you until you’ve all been wiped from the land that you’re going to inherit.

· ²² Jehovah will strike you with dysentery, fever, chills, inflammations, sores, and paleness… they will chase you down and destroy you.

· ²³ He will turn the sky above you into brass and the ground beneath you into iron.

· ²⁴ Jehovah your God will turn the rain that falls from the skies into dust, until it destroys you and quickly consumes you.

· ²⁵ Jehovah will hand you over to your enemies and they will slaughter you. You will attack them from one direction, but you’ll run from them in seven other directions; then you’ll be scattered throughout all the kingdoms of the earth.

· ²⁶ Your dead will become food for the flying creatures in the sky and the animals on the ground, and nothing will scare them away.

· ²⁷ Jehovah will strike your bottoms with the sores of Egypt, and the scabs will itch and never heal.

· ²⁸ Jehovah will strike you with mental illnesses, blindness, and anxiety, ²⁹ so you’ll grope around in the daytime like the blind grope around in their darkness.

· Nothing you do will prosper; you’ll be treated unfairly and you’ll be looted continuously, then no one will come to your aid.

· ³⁰ You’ll take wives for yourselves, but other men will have them.

· You’ll build houses and not live in them.

· You’ll plant vineyards and not gather their grapes.

· ³¹ Your calves will be butchered before you, but you won’t eat any of the [meat].

· Your burros will be taken from you and never be returned.

· Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will get them back for you.

· ³² Your sons and daughters will be given to other nations; then you’ll search for them as your eyes are wasting away and your hands are growing feeble.

· ³³ A nation that you’re unfamiliar with will eat the produce of your land, and all your hard work will be crushed and done away with… ³⁴ you will be amazed by the things that you’ll see!

· ³⁵ Jehovah will strike you with bad sores on you knees and legs that won’t heal… from the soles of your feet to the tops of your heads.

· ³⁶ Jehovah will drive you and the leaders who you’ll set over yourselves away, and you’ll be sent to a nation that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known. And there you’ll serve gods made of wood and stone; ³⁷ and there [the all things that happened to you] will be used as amazing examples and illustrations among all the nations where Jehovah your God will send you.

· ³⁸ You’ll plant many seeds in your fields but harvest little, because the locust will eat it.

· ³⁹ You’ll plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you won’t drink the wine or enjoy any of it for yourselves, because worms will eat them.

· ⁴⁰ You’ll plant olive trees all around your land, but you won’t have any oil to anoint yourselves, because your trees will drop their fruit.

· ⁴¹ Sons and daughters will be born to you but they’ll never be yours, because they’ll be carried away as captives.

· ⁴² All the trees and produce of your land will be consumed by blight.

· ⁴³ The strangers who live among you will be lifted high, while you will be dragged down; ⁴⁴ then they will lend to you and you won’t be able to lend to them, for they’ll be the heads and you’ll be the tails.

⁴⁵ ‘All of these curses will come upon you and chase you down until they’ve consumed and destroyed you if you don’t listen to the voice of your God Jehovah and keep the Commandments and rules that He has given you. ⁴⁶ They will serve as signs and wonders among you and among your seed through the ages, ⁴⁷ if you fail to serve Jehovah your God happily and with a [cheerful] heart, because of all the many [good] things that you will have received.

⁴⁸ ‘Then you must serve the enemies that Jehovah will send against you. You’ll be hungry, thirsty, naked, in need of everything, and you’ll have to wear an iron yoke on your necks until they’ve destroyed you.

⁴⁹ ‘Jehovah will bring a nation against you from the ends of the earth; they will come like a fast-flying eagle, and you won’t understand their language. ⁵⁰ They’ll be a fearsome people who won’t respect old people or pity the young. ⁵¹ They’ll eat the young of your cattle and the fruit of your land, and they won’t leave any grain, wine, oil, herds of oxen, or flocks of sheep for you, until they’ve destroyed you ⁵² and totally crushed your cities. For, even your highest and strongest walls will be destroyed, and all your land and all the cities that He has given to you [will be theirs].

⁵³ ‘Then you will eat the fruit of your bodies… the flesh of all the sons and daughters that He has given you. For your enemy will bring a great time of stress and difficulty upon you. ⁵⁴ Then, even those who are kind and gentle among you will look at their brothers, their loved wives, and any children that may be left, in an evil way, ⁵⁵ and they won’t offer them any of the flesh of their children to eat, for they would have nothing left for themselves. That’s how your enemies will pressure you and make life difficult for you in all of your cities.

⁵⁶ ‘And even the tender, gentle women among you – those who have never searched the ground for delicacies – will look at their loved husbands, sons, and daughters in an evil way. ⁵⁷ For, they will eat the newborn that come from between their legs secretly because of their [hunger]. That’s how your enemies will make life difficult for you in your cities.

⁵⁸ ‘So, if you won’t listen to and obey all the words of the Law that have been written in this scroll and fear the glorious and wonderful Name of your God Jehovah, ⁵⁹ He will bring these horrible plagues and unending illnesses upon you and your seed. ⁶⁰ He will bring all the pain of Egypt that you were so afraid of, and make it stick to you. ⁶¹ And Jehovah will even bring sicknesses and plagues that haven’t been written about in the scroll of this Law, until He has destroyed you. ⁶² Then, although you were once as many as the stars of the sky, there won’t be many left, because you didn’t listen to the voice of your God Jehovah.

⁶³ ‘And as Jehovah once rejoiced over you, did good things for you, and made you grow, He will then rejoice over destroying you and in quickly removing you from the land you’re going to inherit. ⁶⁴ Then Jehovah your God will scatter you among all the nations – from one end of the earth to the other – and you must serve other gods there, which are made of wood and stone, and that neither you nor your ancestors have ever heard of.

⁶⁵ ‘In addition, [in the places where you will be] among those nations, He won’t give you a quiet [place to live], nor will the soles of your feet have any rest. For there Jehovah will give you weak hearts, failing eyes, and wasted lives. ⁶⁶ You won’t know [what each day will bring], and you’ll be afraid both night and day, for nothing in your lives will be sure. ⁶⁷ In the morning you’ll say, I wish it were evening! And in the evening you’ll say, I wish it were morning! Because, you’ll have fear in your hearts and you’ll be afraid of the things you can see. ⁶⁸ Then Jehovah will take you back to Egypt in ships – back to the place that He said you should never see again – where you’ll be offered for sale to your enemies as slaves… but nobody will [want to] buy you!’

Chapter 29

¹ These are the words of the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, which were added to the Sacred Agreement that He made with them at the dry place (Horeb).

² Moses called all the sons of Israel and said to them: ‘You have seen all the things that Jehovah did to Pharaoh, his servants, and to his entire land of Egypt. ³ Yes, you’ve seen the great signs and wonders with your eyes. ⁴ Yet down to this day, Jehovah God hasn’t given you the heart to understand, the eyes to see, or the ears to hear. ⁵ Still, He led you through the desert for forty years and your clothes didn’t wear out, nor did your sandals wear off your feet. ⁶ And you didn’t eat bread, or drink wine or liquor, so you would know that He is Jehovah your God.

⁷ ‘Then, when we got to this place, Seon (the king of Hesh-Eboneh) and Og (the king of Bashan) came to meet us in war, ⁸ and we cut them down and took their lands, which I gave to Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of ManasSeh, as their inheritance. ⁹ So now, pay attention to all the words of this Sacred Agreement and understand all the things that you must do.

¹⁰ ‘Here you stand before Jehovah your God today… the heads of your tribes, your elders, your judges, your officers – every man of Israel – ¹¹ as well as your wives, children, and the converts who live in your camp (from the wood cutters to those who draw the water). ¹² And now you’re going to enter the Sacred Agreement of your God Jehovah and swear as many oaths as Jehovah your God asks of you today, ¹³ so He may appoint you to be His people and He will be your God, as He told you, and as He swore to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

¹⁴ ‘Now, this Sacred Agreement and these oaths aren’t just for you. ¹⁵ They apply to everyone who is here before Jehovah your God today, and to anyone who isn’t here with you today. ¹⁶ For, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came through the midst of [several] nations, ¹⁷ and you saw their disgusting things and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold there. ¹⁸ So, if the heart of any man, woman, family, or tribe isn’t with Jehovah your God, then go and serve the gods of these nations, so there may be no root that is filled with gall and bitterness among you.

¹⁹ ‘And if there’s anyone who listens to these words and their curses, and who then chooses to flatter himself by saying in his heart, Good things will happen to me even if I keep on walking in the error of my heart, [he should leave]; or else those who are free from guilt may be destroyed along with the sinners; ²⁰ for God won’t pardon him. Rather, Jehovah’s rage and zeal will blaze against that man and all the curses of this Sacred Agreement that are written in this scroll will come upon him, and Jehovah will blot his name out from under the sky.

²¹ ‘Jehovah will also hold the children of Israel responsible for all their evil [and bring] all the curses of the Sacred Agreement that are written in this book of Law upon them. ²² Then future generations – your descendants who come after you and strangers who come from far away lands – will see the plagues on your land and the diseases that Jehovah has sent here. ²³ For, there will be brimstone and burning salt, and the entire land won’t be able to be cultivated, nor will anything green grow there. It will become like [the cities of] Sodom, GomorRah, Adama, and SeboIm, which Jehovah destroyed in His rage and anger.

²⁴ ‘Then all the nations will ask, Why has Jehovah done this to His land? What made Him so fierce and angry? ²⁵ And others will answer, It’s because they broke the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah, the God of their ancestors. For, this is what He warned their ancestors He would do to them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. ²⁶ But they went and served other gods, and He didn’t approve. ²⁷ So, Jehovah became very angry at that land and brought all the curses that are written in the scroll of this Law upon it. ²⁸ Then in His rage, anger, and indignation, He removed them from their land and threw them into other lands, as is now true.

²⁹ ‘The things that are done in secret [are known by Jehovah] our God, and He reveals them. So, the responsibility of we and our children is to obey all the words of this Law through the ages.’

Chapter 30

¹ ‘And when all these things happen to you, you must recall to mind the blessings and the curses that I’ve set before you today, wherever [you may be] among all the nations where Jehovah will have scattered you. ² Then you must return to Jehovah your God and listen to His voice, and [obey] everything that I’m telling you today with all your hearts and souls, ³ and Jehovah will heal you from your sins, have pity on you, and gather you back from all the nations where He scattered you.

⁴ ‘It won’t matter whether you’re dispersed from one end of the sky to the other; Jehovah will gather you from there and take you ⁵ back to the land that your ancestors inherited, and you will inherit it again. Then He will do good things for you and cause you to grow greater than your ancestors. ⁶ And Jehovah will purge your hearts and the hearts of your seed, and you must all love Jehovah your God with your whole hearts and souls, so you may live.

⁷ ‘Then Jehovah your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hated and persecuted you, ⁸ if you’ll return and listen to the voice of your God Jehovah and keep all His Commands that I’m telling you today. ⁹ Then Jehovah your God will bless everything you do, the offspring of your bodies and of your cattle, and the crops in your fields. And Jehovah your God will be happy over you once again… but [this time] in a good way, as He was happy with your ancestors. ¹⁰ [This will all happen] if you’ll just listen to the voice of your God Jehovah and keep His Commandments, rules, and decisions that are written in the scroll of this Law, and if you’ll return to Jehovah your God with all your hearts and souls.

¹¹ ‘For, these Commandments that I’m giving you today aren’t a burden, nor are they far away from you. ¹² They aren’t in the sky above, so you’d have to say, Who will go up into the sky and take them for us, so we can hear them and obey them? ¹³ Nor are they beyond the Sea, so you’d have to say, Who will cross the Sea and take them for us so we can hear them and obey them? ¹⁴ These words are near to you… in your mouths, in your hearts, and in your hands!

¹⁵ ‘Look, I’m setting life and death, good and evil, before you today. ¹⁶ If you’ll listen to the Commandments of your God Jehovah that I’m giving you today – to love Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, and to follow all His rules and decisions – then you’ll live and grow in numbers, and Jehovah your God will bless you throughout the land where you’re going and which you’ll inherit. ¹⁷ But if you have a change of heart and choose not to listen, and then go to worship and serve other gods… ¹⁸ I’m warning you today that you’ll be destroyed and you won’t live long on the land that you’re crossing the Jordan to inherit!

¹⁹ ‘I call the land and the sky as witnesses against you today, that I’ve set life and death, the blessings and the curses, before you. So, choose life so that you and your seed may live! ²⁰ Love Jehovah your God! Listen to His voice and stick to Him, for He’s your life, and [He’s] the length of the number of days that you will live in the land which Jehovah promised to your ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) that He would give to you.’

Chapter 31

¹ Well, after Moses finished telling the children of Israel all these things, ² he said, ‘I’m a hundred and twenty years old today, and I won’t be able to [represent] you anymore, for Jehovah has told me that I may not cross the Jordan. ³ So, Jehovah your God will walk before you. He will destroy the nations before you and you will inherit them. And Jehovah has said that JoShua will now lead you.

⁴ ‘Then Jehovah your God will do the same things to them that He did to Seon and Og, the two Amorite kings, and to their land on [this side] of the Jordan, when He destroyed them. ⁵ For, Jehovah has given them to you, and you must do what I’ve told you to do, to them. ⁶ So, be courageous and strong! Don’t be afraid or act like cowards, and don’t let them scare you, for Jehovah your God is marching with you and among you, and He won’t forsake you or leave you.’

⁷ Then Moses called JoShua and said to Him before all Israel, ‘Be courageous and strong, for you must walk ahead of these people into the land that Jehovah swore to your ancestors that He would give them, and then you must give it to them as their inheritance. ⁸ Jehovah will be going with you, and He won’t forsake you or abandon you; so don’t be afraid or have any fear.’

⁹ Then Moses wrote the words of this Law in a scroll and gave it to the Priests (those sons of Levi who bear the Chest of Jehovah’s Sacred Agreement), and to the elders of the sons of Israel. ¹⁰ And then Moses told them this: ‘After seven years, during the Year of Release and on the Feast of Temporary Structures, ¹¹ when all Israel assembles before Jehovah your God in the place that Jehovah will choose, you must read this Law where all Israel can hear it. ¹² The whole assembly – the men, the women, the children, and any converts who are living in your cities – must all hear it, so that they may learn to fear Jehovah your God, and to obey all the words of this Law. ¹³ Even the sons who haven’t [been born yet] must hear it and learn to fear Jehovah your God for as long as they live in the land that you’re crossing the Jordan to inherit.’

¹⁴ Then Jehovah said to Moses: ‘Look; The day of your death has arrived! Call JoShua and go stand at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs and I will speak to him.’

So, Moses and JoShua went to the Tent of Proofs and stood at the entrance. ¹⁵ Then Jehovah descended in a cloud and stood next to the entrance in a column of clouds. ¹⁶ And Jehovah said to Moses, ‘{Look!} [It’s time] for you to sleep with your ancestors. But, from among these people [some] will arise who will commit adultery with the strange gods of the land they’re entering. They will leave Me and break the Sacred Agreement that I made with them. ¹⁷ And when that happens, I will be very angry with them and I’ll leave them… I’ll turn My face away from them and they will be devoured. But after many bad things and plagues have come upon them, they will [finally] say, These bad things have happened to us because Jehovah our God isn’t with us. ¹⁸ But I’ll just look away, because of all the wicked and evil things they’ve done, and because they’ve turned to other gods.

¹⁹ ‘Now, write the words of this song and teach it to the children of Israel… have them learn to sing it, so this song may testify about Me to the faces of the children of Israel. ²⁰ For, I’m bringing them into the good land that I swore to their ancestors that I’d give them… a land flowing with milk and honey. But after they’ve eaten and are full and satisfied, they will turn and follow other gods and serve them… they will break My Sacred Agreement and anger Me. ²¹ And it’s this song that will stand up to witness against them, because they won’t forget it, nor will their seed ever forget it. For, I’ve known how wicked they are and of the wicked things they’ll do long before I brought them to this good land that I promised to their ancestors.’

²² So, Moses wrote the song that day to teach it to the children of Israel. ²³ Then he spoke to JoShua and said, ‘Be courageous and strong, because you’re now going to lead the sons of Israel into the land that Jehovah promised them, and He’ll be with you.’

²⁴ It was then that Moses finished writing all the words of this Law… all the way to the end. ²⁵ Then he gave these instructions to the Levites who bear the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah, saying ²⁶ ‘Take this scroll of the Law and put it inside the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of your God Jehovah, so it will [always] be there among you as proof.

²⁷ ‘Oh, I know how irritating and rebellious you can be, for throughout my life with you – down to this day – you’ve been provoking God by the way you act. So, how do you expect to be any different after my death?

²⁸ ‘Now, gather all the heads of your tribes, as well as your elders, judges, and officers, so I may speak all these words in their ears, as I call the land and the sky as witnesses against them. ²⁹ For, I know that after my death you’ll become very sinful and turn from the ways that I’ve commanded you. Then bad things will eventually happen to you because of making Jehovah God angry by all the evil things that you’ll do.’

Then Moses spoke the words of this song, [and taught it] to the whole gathering:

Chapter 32

¹ ‘Listen O heaven and I’ll speak:
May the land hear the words from my mouth.
² May the things that I say be looked for like rain;
May my words fall like the dew…
Like a shower on the plants and snow on the grass.

³ ‘For, I’ve called on the Name of the Lord,
And I’ve told of the greatness of our God.
⁴ His works are true and all His ways just.
Yes God is faithful… He isn’t unrighteous,
For Jehovah is holy and just.

⁵ ‘Against Him they have all sinned,
For they are children with spots;
A pushy and perverted generation.
⁶ Is this how you pay back Jehovah?

‘Are these people all foolish and stupid?
Didn’t He become your own Father,
Didn’t He purchase you back?
Didn’t He form you and make you?

⁷ ‘Remember the days of long ago;
Think of the years of past ages;
Ask your fathers and they will remind you,
And your elders and they’ll tell you.

⁸ ‘When the Most High divided the nations;
When the sons of Adam He moved apart,
He set the borders of the nations,
By the numbers of the messengers of God.

⁹ ‘His people (Jacob) was the portion of Jehovah;
Israel was His own inheritance.
¹⁰ He kept them alive on dry land;
And in the desert [He sated] their thirst.

‘He led them around and He taught them,
And kept them as the apple of His eye.

¹¹ ‘He takes them to Himself as an eagle,
Who keeps watch on his brood and yearns for his young.
He spreads his wings and carries them on his back.

¹² ‘It was Jehovah alone who led them,
When no other gods did they have.
¹³ He raised them on the strength of the land;
He fed them with the fruitage of the fields.
So, out of rocks they sucked honey,
And [they sucked] oil out of boulders.

¹⁴ ‘With the butter of cows and the milk of the sheep;
With the fat of lambs, and rams, calves, and kids;
With the fat of kidneys and wheat,
They drank their wine…the blood of the grape.
¹⁵ So, Jacob ate and was filled.

‘Then this loved one kicked and grew fat;
He became both thick and broad.
Then he turned from the God who had made him,
And he left the God who had saved him.

¹⁶ ‘They made Me enraged with strange gods;
And with disgusting things made Me mad.
¹⁷ They sacrificed to demons that they didn’t know,
And not to the God [of all] gods.

‘They turned to things fresh and new;
[Things] their ancestors never knew.
¹⁸ You’ve left the God who gave you birth;
You’ve forgotten the God who feeds you.

¹⁹ ‘When Jehovah saw this He was zealous;
He was enraged by His sons and His daughters.
²⁰ And said, From them I’ll turn My face;
I’ll show what will happen in the last days.
For they’re a perverted generation;
They are sons with no faith.

²¹ ‘They’ve angered Me and made Me jealous,
With gods that simply are not.
They’ve irritated Me with their idols.
So I’ll make them angry and jealous,
Over those who are not [yet] a nation…
I’ll enrage them with a nation that doesn’t understand.

²² ‘For a fire has been started by My rage,
Which will burn to the grave down below.
It’ll devour all the land and its fruitage,
And will burn to the bottom of the mountains.

²³ ‘I will gather evil things upon them…
With all My weapons I’ll fight against them.
²⁴ They’ll be consumed with hunger and eaten by birds…
Their destruction will never be repaired.
I’ll send against them the teeth of wild beasts…
The rage of those that crawl on the ground.

²⁵ ‘Their children will be taken without swords,
And in their bedrooms there’ll be terror.
Young men will be destroyed with the virgins,
Along with the newborn and those who’ve grown old.
²⁶ For I said: Them I will scatter;
I’ll cause their memory to be erased among men.

²⁷ ‘Were it not for their enemies’ rage,
They would have lived a long time.
But their enemies have combined to attack them.
And yet, may their enemies not say,
It was by my own mighty arm.
For, Jehovah has done all these things.

²⁸ ‘It’s a nation that has lost its direction,
And there’s no understanding among them.
²⁹ They have no sense, so they don’t understand.
Let them hold to these things, for the time will [soon] come.

³⁰ ‘O how can one man chase a thousand,
Or two men route tens of thousands,
If it weren’t God who had sold them,
And if Jehovah hadn’t handed them over?

³¹ ‘Yet, their gods aren’t like our God,
And our enemies don’t understand.
³² For, theirs is the vine of Sodom,
And the branch of their vine is GomorRah.

‘All their grapes are like gall,
And all their clusters are bitter.
³³ Their wine is the anger of snakes,
And the deadly rage of the asps.

³⁴ {‘Look!} Aren’t these the things that I stored?
Aren’t they sealed with My treasures?
³⁵ I will repay in the day of My vengeance,
When their feet stumble in that day,
And their destruction is very near,
And all My decisions have reached them.

³⁶ ‘For, Jehovah will judge all His people;
He’ll take comfort [in the fall of] His servants.
For, He saw they were weak and had failed,
So, in a hostile invasion they’ll become feeble.

³⁷ ‘Then Jehovah asked: Where are those gods that they trusted?
³⁸ Where’s the sacrificial fat that you ate,
And the wine of your offerings that you drank?
Let them arise and now help you…
Let them become your protectors!

³⁹ ‘Look! I AM… there are no gods other than Me!
I kill and I can make it alive;
I can strike it down and then heal it.
For, none can take it out of My hands!

⁴⁰ ‘I’ll lift My hand to heaven and I’ll swear;
Yes, by My right hand I will say:
I live through the ages!

⁴¹ ‘Then I will take hold of My sword,
And make it sharp as lightning in My hand.
To justice I’ll grab hold and judge My enemies…
I’ll repay all of those who hate Me.

⁴² ‘On blood I’ll make My weapons drunk,
And My sword will devour much flesh…
With the blood of the wounded and captured,
And the heads of the enemies that ruled them.

⁴³ ‘Rejoice with Him, O you heavens,
And may all God’s messengers bow low before Him.
Rejoice with His people, you nations,
And may all sons of God in Him become strong.

‘For, He will avenge the blood of His sons,
And bring vengeance and justice on His enemies.
He’ll bring their reward to all those who hate Him,
When He purges His people from the land.’

⁴⁴ This is the song that Moses wrote that day, and then he taught it to the children of Israel.

And thereafter, Moses and JoShua (the son of NaWeh) [stood up] and [read] all the words of this Law where the people could hear it. ⁴⁵ And when they finished, ⁴⁶ [Moses] added, ‘Pay attention with your whole hearts to these words that I [read] to you today, and command your sons to follow and obey all the words of this Law. ⁴⁷ These must not be just words to you… they’re your life! For, these words will allow you to live a long time in the land that you’re crossing the Jordan to inherit.’

⁴⁸ Then Jehovah spoke to Moses and said, ⁴⁹ ‘Now, go to the Abarim Mountains and climb Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab near Jericho, and look at the land of CanaAn that I’m giving to the sons of Israel. ⁵⁰ Then you will die on that mountain and be added to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Or and was added to his people. ⁵¹ This is because you disobeyed [Me before] the children of Israel at the Water of Rebellion, at Kadesh in the Sin desert, when you failed to [speak of] Me in a holy way among the sons of Israel. ⁵² However, [I want you to] see the land before you, which you won’t be able to enter.’

Chapter 33

¹ Then Moses, the man of God, gave this blessing to the children of Israel before he died. ² He said:

‘Jehovah came from Mount Sinai;
He appeared to us at Mount Seir;
He quickly moved to Mount Pharan,
With ten thousand Holy Ones at His right hand,
And [all] His messengers were with him.

³ ‘He has spared His people;
His holy ones are in His hands.
From below they got His words…
⁴ The Law that Moses gave as an inheritance,
To the assembly of Jacob.

⁵ ‘For, He is the [most] beloved leader,
Among the leaders of the people,
Who are gathered among Israel’s tribes.

⁶ ‘May Reuben live and never die out,
And may he grow into a crowd.’

⁷ And this is the blessing of Judah:
‘O Jehovah; listen to the voice of Judah,
And pay attention to [all of] his people.
Although he will fight with his hands,
With his enemies, You give him help.’

⁸ And for Levi he said:
‘Give Levi the signs and the truth,
Of a man who is holy.
For, they tested him in the Temptation,
And they spoke against him at the Water of Rebellion.

⁹ ‘It is he who must tell his father and mother,
[Sorry], I can’t [come and] see you.
He knows not his brothers, and won’t know his sons.
He has kept Your words and Your Sacred Agreement.

¹⁰ ‘[Levi] will proclaim your rules among Jacob,
And all your Laws among Israel.
They’ll always burn incense on Your Altar
Even in the time of Your rage.

¹¹ ‘O Jehovah; Please bless his strength,
And accept the things that he offers.
Break all the enemies that come against him,
And don’t allow those who hate him to stand.’

¹² And to BenJamin he said:
‘Jehovah’s loved one will live in safety.
For, God’s shadow will always be with him,
And between [God’s] shoulders he will rest.’

¹³ And to Joseph he said:
‘His land is the blessing of Jehovah…
Of seasons, sky, dew, and deep wells…
¹⁴ Of the fruitage of the changes in the sun and the seasons,
And the produce of [each of] the months.

¹⁵ ‘[It runs] from the tops of ancient mountains,
To the tops of the hills of the ages,
¹⁶ And [it produces] full crops in their seasons.

‘May the things that please him come on his head;
On the crown of he who was glorified
Above all of His brothers.
¹⁷ His beauty is like a first-born bull,
But his horns are like a rhinoceros.

‘He’ll use them to thrust out at nations,
To the ends of the earth.
For, his are the ten thousands of EphraIm,
And the thousands of ManasSeh.’

¹⁸ And to ZebuLon he said:
‘Rejoice ZebuLon, and you too,
Those in the tents of IsSachar.
For, you will go ¹⁹ and destroy many nations.

‘You will call and gather many men,
And offer righteous sacrifices there.
For, you’ll be provided by the wealth of the Sea,
And the stores of those who live by the sea.’

²⁰ And to Gad he said:
‘Praise Him who’s given more to Gad.
For, he will rest like a lion,
That has crushed many arms and [conquered many] rulers.

²¹ ‘He’ll see that his is the first fruitage of the land,
Where leaders will gather with the chiefs of the people.
For, [he does what Jehovah proclaims to be] righteous,
And to Israel he will bring justice.’

²² And to Dan he said:
‘Dan is the cub of a lion,
And he will leap out of Bashan.’

²³ And to NaphTali he said:
‘NaphTali is filled with many good things,
So may he be filled with blessings from God.
He will inherit the west and the south.’

²⁴ And to Asher he said:
‘Asher is blest with many children,
And he’ll be approved by his brothers.
With oil he’ll wash his feet,
²⁵ And his sandals will be like iron and brass.

‘He’ll be strong for as long as he lives,
²⁶ For, his helper is none other than the God that he loves;
He who rides through the heavens…
The Magnificent One of the cosmos.

²⁷ ‘[And as long as you stay under] God’s rule,
He will [be there to] protect you.
He’ll drive your enemies away,
With the strength of His arms.
He’ll drive them away through the ages,
Saying to them, Be destroyed.’

²⁸ ‘So, Israel will live by themselves,
In safety within Jacob’s land,
With grain, and wine, and the clouds in the sky,
And with plenty of dew.

²⁹ ‘You’re blest, O Israel, for who else is like you…
You who’ve been saved by Jehovah your helper.

‘He’ll hold His shield over you,
And you will boast of His sword.
Then you will walk on the necks,
Of the enemies who dared to lie before you.’

Chapter 34

¹ Finally, Moses went from ArabOth in Moab, to the Nabau Mountains, and climbed to the top of Mount Pisgah (near Jericho). And there Jehovah showed him Mount Gilead [in the land] of Dan, the land of NaphTali, ² the lands of EphraIm and ManasSeh, and the land of Judah, all the way to the Sea; ³ as well as the desert, the country around Jericho, and the land between the City of Palm Trees and Segor. ⁴ Then Jehovah said to Moses, ‘This is the land that I swore that I would give to the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And now that you’ve seen it, you may not go there.’

⁵ Then Moses, the servant of Jehovah, died there in the land of Moab, as Jehovah said. ⁶ They buried him in Gai, near the house of Phogor; but no one has seen his tomb to this day.

⁷ When he died, Moses was a hundred and twenty years old, yet his eyes were still sharp and he still had all his natural functions.

⁸ Thereafter, the children of Israel cried for Moses (in ArabOth of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho) for thirty days, for that’s the [maximum traditional] period of mourning.

⁹ Then JoShua (the son of NaWeh) became filled with the spirit of knowledge, for Moses had laid his hands upon him. So, the children of Israel listened to him as they did when Jehovah was commanding Moses. ¹⁰ But there was never again a Prophet in Israel like Moses, who Jehovah knew face to face; ¹¹ who Jehovah sent to perform all the signs and wonders to Egypt – to Pharaoh, his servants, and his entire land – ¹² and who displayed before all Israel the other great wonders and the powers that he had.

Notes

Soul

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine thereafter crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. Therefore, the later teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. For the word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche or soul). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person (soul) and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal in this instance, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

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Age(s)

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).

Where the plural form of the word (aionion) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: ‘Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or system of things), not aionos.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never expire.’

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be ‘wrapped up and repaired,’ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

The problem with most Bible translations is that; when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have life in this age… he won’t have to be judged, for he has crossed over from death to life!’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, for has crossed over from death to life.’

So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current lifetime would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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The ‘Chest of Proofs’ or ‘Ark of the Covenant?’

We are sorry to use such an unfamiliar term, but Ark of the Covenant may not accurately describe the sacred box that eventually held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, the writings of Moses and Joshua, the manna, and the walking stick of Aaron. First, the meaning of the ancient English word ‘ark’ has been lost in history. And the second word, ‘covenant’ (meaning, sacred agreement) isn’t always used as part of the name in the Greek text. In some places it is called the kiboton marturion, which literally means Box [of] Testimony. So, although it may have been built to illustrate the Sacred Agreement (Covenant) between God and the Israelites, it was also built to hold the Proofs of the things that God did for Israel. So, wherever the words kiboton marturion appear in the text, we have called it the Chest of Proofs. But it was also referred to as the Chest of the Sacred Agreement (or, Ark of the Covenant) at Exodus 27:21, for example, so that term must also be correct. However, after the Israelites settled in the Promised Land it was always referred to as the kiboton marturion, or the Chest of Proofs.

Unfortunately (during the time of Samuel and the High-Priest Eli), the Philistines captured the Chest, emptied its contents, and then returned it to Israel empty, because, their having it brought a plague on them (see 1 Samuel 6:12). However, later, during the time of King Solomon, the sacred tablets containing the Ten Commandments were found to be still in the Chest, but nothing else (see 1 Kings 8:9); so we have to assume that they had been found and returned.

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Bible Measurements

The most common unit for measuring length, height, and depth in the Bible is a cubit, which is the length of a man’s forearm. And of course, the lengths of forearms vary depending on the size of the person, so a cubit may be anywhere between eighteen and twenty-two inches. However, to give you a better idea of the size and proportions of things in the Bible, we have converted the units of measure to more familiar terms, such as feet and inches. And we have roughly averaged the sizes or lengths.

Also, some units of measure, such as a cor (about 32 bushels), hin, or bath (about 6 gallons), have been roughly estimated, since such terms are obsolete.

We have also dropped the obscure names of coins, since most readers have no idea of their value, and simply inserted the type of coin they are (gold, silver, or copper), and sometimes their size, to provide you some frame of reference.

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Minister or Servant?

For centuries, the proper translation of this word has bothered people who wish to create levels of authority within the Christian Congregation. So, to add weight to this office, the Greek word diakonos has been translated into many words in attempts to blur what it really means in English, servant. Words such as ‘deacon’ (from diakonos), minister, and even the redundancy ‘ministerial servant’ have been employed. However, what they were called in the First-Century Congregation was just servants. These qualified men handled the work and odd jobs that were necessary in running the day-to-day affairs of the congregation.

A later position of responsibility that was spoken of by Paul was the appointment of ‘elders’ or ‘overseers’ in the emerging Christian congregations. Elders likely had to be males, and their job was to shepherd and teach the congregations. However, elders were also just servants – that is, servants with a small ‘s.’

The Scriptures show that; In order to qualify as servants in the congregation, men (and possibly women) had to meet high standards of conduct and reputation. And although Paul didn’t mention it specifically, they were expected to be able to make wise decisions and to show signs of having God’s Breath. Notice that these were the qualifications for all servants in the Christian Congregation, for Acts 6:3 says: ‘So, brothers, find seven qualified men among you who are filled with wisdom and the Breath [of God].’

For more information, see the linked document, Arrangement of the First Christian Churches.

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Anointing

At Exodus 29:29 we find that Aaron and his sons were to be ‘anointed’ as Priests to Jehovah, and that this action would make them ‘holy’ or clean. It also signified that they had been chosen to this office by God. And in Leviticus, when we read of the ‘anointed’ Priest, the reference seems to be to one of the Priests who has been chosen for the special office of what later became known as the High Priest.

The Greek word that we have translated as anointed here, is chriseis, which can also be translated as Christ (it’s just a conjugation of Christos), since christ and anointed both come from the same root, which is Greek for olive oil (it may also mean Judged, since the words are similar). So, Jesus wasn’t the first or the only one to be correctly referred to as a christ.

Why olive oil? Because, that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those whom God chose to be Priests and kings over Israel. However, at least in the case of Aaron and his sons, fragrant herbs were added to the oil to give it a pleasing odor. This is implied at Exodus 25:7, where the Israelites were asked to donate ‘fragrances for anointing oil.’ And we find the exact formula for the anointing oil at Exodus 30:34, where we read that it was to be made from ‘sixteen pounds of choice myrrh flowers, eight pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, eight pounds of sweet-smelling calamus, sixteen pounds of cassia (for the Holy Place), and a gallon of olive oil.’

The physical anointing with oil also appears to have pictured their receiving of God’s Holy Breath, making them ‘holy,’ which was an appropriate description for Jesus years later. And remember that both the ‘anointed’ priests and the kings pictured Jesus. So, the term christ is apropos.

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The ‘Tabernacle’ or the ‘Tent of Proofs?’

We are sure that many will object to our calling God’s place of worship in the desert a ‘tent’ rather than a ‘tabernacle.’ However, tabernacle is just an obsolete word, the true meaning of which most people misunderstand, so for clarification, we have opted to use the modern word, tent. Because, it was for a fact, a portable building made of cloth.

Actually, this tent is often referred to in Greek as the skenes tou marturion, or, Tent (or Temporary Dwelling) of Testimony. And the reason why they called it that, was because it housed the kiboton martyrion (Box [of] Witness), which is also referred to in other Bibles as the Ark of the Covenant. So, we have translated it as the Tent of Proofs wherever these Greek words are found.

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Synagogue

We find the word synagogue (gr. synagoges) mentioned several times while the Israelites were in the desert. Just what type of building was this?

Well, it wasn’t a building at all. Actually, synagogue means a gathering, and the entire nation of Israel was usually referred to as a synagogue. It wasn’t until in later years, after they had entered the Promised Land, and possibly after their return from exile in Babylon, that they built buildings for worship (other than the Temple). Then later, they started referring to the buildings as synagogues. And while synagogues are mentioned several times in the Christian Era Scriptures, the only mention of one as a Christian meeting place can be found at James 2:2. In every other instance, it refers to Judaic houses of worship.

This referring to a building as a gathering is similar to what happened in Christendom. For, in older Bibles, Christian gatherings (gr. ekklesias) were called churches. But before long, members started referring to the buildings as churches. For more information see the linked document, Church, Synagogue, or Called Ones.

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Were Israel’s Priests Perfect?

At Leviticus 4:5 (for example), we find an interesting description of a Priest to Jehovah who carried out his duties of offering up the blood of a sacrificial animal. In Greek he is described there as ho teteliomenos, which can be translated as, the perfect. However, this term is missing in the Hebrew text at that location, so we are unsure of its validity. If the current Hebrew text is right, the Septuagint has added questionable words. But if the word was originally there, then we must assume that they have been deleted from the Hebrew text. Which is true? Our current leaning is to trust the Septuagint, since it predates the available Hebrew texts. And it does logically follow that God must have considered the Priest perfect in his duties on such occasions, because of the required action that followed (entering the Sacred Tent).

These words (Perfect Priest) seem to describe a specific Priest among the Priests. In fact, the descriptions found at Leviticus Chapter Sixteen indicates that it refers to the person that was later described in the Bible as the High Priest, or as the one who may have been chosen annually to offer the sacrifices on what came to be known as The Day of Atonement.

Other Bibles have translated teteliomenos as consecrated, which isn’t a bad choice, since it indicates that the Priest was chosen to his work by God, and that could be implied. However, consecrated is an unfamiliar term today, so we have chosen not to use it. And notice that the root portion of that Greek word telios, means perfect, end, or finish. So we have selected perfect as the most likely meaning of the term here.

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Unspotted, Sinless, or Perfect Lamb?

In many other Bibles, we read that the Israelites were to offer unspotted lambs in their sacrifices to God. Did this mean that the animals were to be perfectly white with no spots, or did it mean that they were to be perfectly healthy?

It is interesting that the Greek word often translated as unspotted is hamartias, which really means without sin. Obviously, the word sin can’t really be applied to animals, as we understand those terms, so hamartias must have meant that the lambs were to be physically perfect. And we don’t know if this means that they should have no literal spots (as indicated by other Bibles), but that could have been implied. Yet, other sacrificial animals that are naturally spotted (such as bulls and goats) are also described as having to be perfect, since hamartias, or a related Greek word, hamoma (which can’t be directly translated into English) is also used to describe them. So, those words should actually be translated as sinless; however, translating it that way might be confusing to readers who would think of sin as actions, not physical attributes; so we have decided to use the word perfect (although that term is better translated from the Greek word telios… which was used to describe the Anointed Priest).

In view of the fact that God often required just the undesirable portions of an animal for sacrifices (the fat, liver, and kidneys), one might wonder why He required the animals to be healthy (not sick, lame, or deformed). Well, we first have to understand the meanings of the sacrifices. They were required to show the need for the sacrifice of a perfect human to redeem mankind in general from the effects of the imperfection, sin, and death that we inherited from Adam (due to his sin in the Paradise). At 1 Peter 1:19, for example, we can clearly see that these perfect animals which were sacrificed, pictured God’s offering of His perfect son, Jesus. And at John 1:29 he was described as ‘The Lamb of God who lifts sin from the world!’

Unfortunately, many today (due to religious cynicism and wrong teachings) have lost sight of just who Jesus was, what type of person he had to be, and why he had to die as he did. But, the perfection (hamartias) of the lamb and the perfection (telios) of the Anointed (christos or Christ) Priests showed that both had to be sinless… like Jesus, the perfect son of God.

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Leprosy

It is interesting that the disease we call leprosy today doesn’t seem to be the same as what was called leprosy in the Bible. While modern leprosy may appear to be the same, since the skin turns white and it is extremely debilitating, there are some major differences. For example, ancient leprosy seemed to have been extremely contagious, so people who had it weren’t allowed to come near to those who were healthy, while modern leprosy is listed as only ‘mildly contagious.’

Another difference is that the white skin coloration for modern leprosy comes from external skin scaling, while the Bible’s description of leprosy back then, was of a whiteness (or redness) that was internal or deep into the skin, and that it caused hollow spots under the skin. Also, notice that; once a person’s skin was turned completely white from the disease, God’s Law no longer considered them contagious (Leviticus 13:12-17).

Medical descriptions of modern leprosy say that it comes as the result of a bacterial infection. And while this may also have been true of ancient leprosy (in fact, it could have come from a bacteria that people have become largely immune to today), the fact that it could be found in clothing and leather goods, and that it was so hard to kill by washing, suggests that Bible leprosy may have been caused by a mold or fungus.

It would seem unlikely in the dry climate of Palestine that clothing in particular, would develop bacterial infections, unless they were extremely dirty, which is doubtful, knowing God’s view of cleanliness. However, mold can grow almost anywhere, and it is extremely hard to destroy. The fact that it grew on walls in Bible times seems to indicate that it was a type of mold.

Of interest are the descriptions of where and how leprosy developed in Bible times. Notice that it often started in wounds, sores, or in the hairline. And the fact that it was found on clothing (which was usually damp due to sweating in the arid climate), indicates that the disease was spread by close and prolonged contact with skin or through abrasions. However, modern Bedouins no longer seem to be plagued by this malady.

The fact that the bacteria, mold, or fungus was carried and transmitted from clothing and hair seems to be quietly affirmed by the fact that there is no mention of the disease attacking the genitals, which would be normally expected today, due the common use of tight-fitting underwear. Why not? Well, the ancient Israelites apparently didn’t wear them. The fact that underpants had to be specifically made for those who served in Jehovah’s Temple, indicates that such things weren’t customary.

Another interesting fact about the leprosy of Bible times, is that people who suffered from it could eventually (or even spontaneously) get over it without a need for modern antibiotics or treatments. The fact that Leviticus Chapter Fourteen gives extensive rules for the cleansing and repatriating of those who became well, indicates that this may have been a common occurrence.

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Tent, Booth, or Tabernacle?

The statement found at Leviticus 26:11 (‘I will pitch My tent among you’) may sound unusual to most people. For, why would God refer to Himself as living in a tent?

The Greek word that we have translated as tent is skene (pronounced skaynay). The word is used throughout the Bible and may also be translated as booth and as tabernacle. But really, none of these words (tent, booth, or tabernacle) is an accurate description of what skene means in the English language. It implies a temporary-type dwelling that can be made of cloths, skins, or sticks and branches. For example, God’s Sacred Tent in the desert was made of cloth and covered with skins, while the tents that the Israelites were to live in during what has become known as ‘the Festival of Booths,’ was made of sticks and branches.

The Greek word oikos (pronounce oy-koss), on the other hand, refers to a permanent dwelling, and it is usually translated as house. For example; When the Israelites were wandering in the desert, the Sacred Tent of Jehovah was to be temporary, but Solomon later built His Temple, which was referred to as a House. Yet, despite that description, God never really lived there. And that may be the reason why God refers to his coming to ‘tent’ with mankind (as at Revelation 21:3). The term likely refers to His temporary presence or representation, not to His coming to the earth to live among men.

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Messengers

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’

This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been unusual for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’

Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, ‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou’ or, ‘Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him.’ Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones (angels).

And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.’ Then in verse 16, it says that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.’

Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For, angel isn’t a heavenly rank, it’s a duty.

Also, consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: ‘Then the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people: Jehovah says, I am with you!’

Yet, Haggai was just a man, not a spirit.

Translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels.

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Spirit or Breath?

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath’ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though; what God was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and gave up the breath’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to ‘the breath of life,’ or that force which gave him life as a human.

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Animal Sacrifices

Many religious teachers have tried to draw a line between Jehovah, who they refer to as the vengeful, warring ‘God of the Old Testament,’ and the ‘God of the New Testament,’ as represented by the loving, kind actions and words of Jesus. However, if you pay close attention to the details, you’ll find the same kind, loving God in both portions of the Bible. And part of this can be seen in His requirement for animal sacrifices.

Now, for confirmed vegetarians, the thought of offering the lives of animals to God may sound repulsive. However, these sacrifices pictured something much more important; the need to bring an end to all human (and perhaps most animal) suffering and death.

Notice that the first animal sacrifice mentioned in the Bible is the one offered by Adam’s second son Abel. And although he and his brother Cain both offered sacrifices, Abel’s was the one that God found to be satisfactory. Was this because God liked Abel better than He liked Cain? That doesn’t appear to be the case. Apparently, Abel’s sacrifice was more pleasing to God because he offered a living thing, which better represented the sacrifice that God Himself would make when He offered His son’s life for mankind.

Of interest though, are God’s kind instructions about how such sacrifices were to be offered. For example, to show that they were being offered to God, some type of Altar had to be constructed. What kind? Notice that God said (at Exodus 20:24) ‘You must make an Altar to Me from the dirt…’ So nothing fancy or expensive was required. Then, notice what He said after that (Exodus 20:25): ‘Now, if you build a stone Altar to Me, don’t use cut stones…’ And at Exodus 20:26 we read, ‘Nor should you build any steps to My Altar…’ So, the Altar wasn’t to be too high, and simple rock (or dirt) construction was fine.

Of course, shortly thereafter, God gave the instruction to build the Sacred Tent, and it was to have an Altar. And while the Tent must have been beautiful in all its gold, the Altar was short and quite small, and made of wood and brass… because it was to be portable. So, the fires were kept small, and only animal fat and small organs, plus bread and wine, and tiny amounts of animal blood, were offered there.

Then a ‘clean’ and ‘perfect’ animal was to be slaughtered, and the rest of its flesh was usually to be roasted or boiled nearby – except where it was a ‘whole burnt offering.’ ‘Clean’ of course, meant that it was to be an edible animal, such as a calf, sheep, pigeon, or dove. And what was to happen to the meat? It was to be eaten by those who offered it, and by the priests. In other words, this was just a community barbecue with one’s neighbors and God. And what portion would God take on his Altar? The fat, the liver, the kidneys, etc. They were mostly offered as a form of incense or pleasing odor to Him. No angry and vengeful (or hungry) God here.

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Baal, Beel, Bel, and El

Throughout the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT), you will read of Gods, people, and places with names that start with Baal, Beel, and Bel. These terms mean the Lord, the Master, or the Owner, and they refer to various gods of nations, not necessarily to a particular god. The word was just a title for a god, and the God’s name (or the place that he/it represented) follows the title, such as Beel Phegor (as found at Numbers 25:3). And where people called their god just Baal (or Beel), they were referring to their particular lord or god of that city or land. Also, where a person’s name includes one of these terms (such as BelShazzar), it usually means that they were named after a local god (in this case, Shazzar).

Of course, having the title Baal or Beel in a name doesn’t necessarily imply that a person is a worshiper of a pagan god, for several faithful worshipers of Jehovah also had that title as part of their names. For example, the faithful Judge Gideon came to be known as JeroBaal (meaning ‘May Baal Defend Himself’), because of his action in cutting down an altar to Baal. Also, one of King Saul’s grandsons (through faithful JoNathan) was named MeriBaal (meaning ‘Opposer of Baal’); one of King David’s faithful warriors was named BaalJah (meaning ‘Lord Jehovah’); and David named one of his sons BaalJada (meaning ‘Lord Knows’).

By the way, Baal is pronounced Bah-ahl and Beel is pronounced beh-el, not Bayel or Beel.

Also, in places where we find the letters El in a name or place, this is usually just a shortened version of the Hebrew word Elohim, meaning God. So, whereas many Bibles translate the Greek word ‘Baithelbereth’ (found at Judges 9:46) as ‘Bethel Bereth,’ or, ‘the temple of god ElBereth,’ or, ‘the vault of the house of El-Berith;’ recognize that ‘Beth (or Baith)’ means ‘the house (or temple) of,’ ‘El’ means ‘God,’ and ‘Bereth’ is that God’s name. So, we have translated it there as ‘the temple of God Bereth.’

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Release Year

As we have pointed out, some favorite expressions have been changed in this Bible translation to provide you a better, more accurate description of things, places, and events. And we have had to change the wonderful, joyful term ‘Jubilee Year,’ to reflect the actual words as they appear in the Greek text of the Bible. At Leviticus 25:11, notice that the Greek words found there (which are usually translated as Jubilee of release) are apheseos semassia, or release signal. So, no Jubilee is actually mentioned in the text.

Also, notice that the rule of releasing Israelite slaves seems to have been revised in the later book of Deuteronomy, for we read at Deuteronomy 15:12-14, ‘And if your brother (a Hebrew man or woman) should be sold to you, he may serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you should set him free. And when you set them free, don’t send them away empty-handed! You must give them provisions from your flock, your grain, and your wine… as Jehovah your God has blest you, that’s how you must treat them.’

Also, all debts were to be forgiven every seven years, for Deuteronomy 15:1-4 tells us: ‘Every seven years you must cancel debts, and these are the rules: You must cancel any debts that your neighbors owe you personally, and you must not ask them to pay them back, because this is a cancellation [of debts] to Jehovah your God. You may ask strangers to pay whatever they owe you, but not your brothers… you must cancel their debts. That way, there won’t be any poor people among you and Jehovah your God will surely bless you in the land that He’s giving you as your inheritance.’

So, apparently the only difference between the seventh years and the Release Years, had to do with the return of inherited land.

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Reptiles and Birds

The Greek word that we have translated as ‘slithering animals’ herein, is herpeton, which is where the English word reptile comes from, as does herpetology – a study of reptiles. However, from the context, we (the translators) have concluded that the Bible wasn’t using this word to refer to the specific animal variety, but to its characteristic of slithering or crawling on the ground. This fact is born out by the types of animals that the Israelites were forbidden to eat (in the book of Leviticus), and listed among the herpeton are insects, weasels, and mice. So in most instances, we have rendered the word herpeton as slithering animal (or creature).

We have taken a similar liberty with the Greek word peteina, which is usually translated birds, but it literally means winged creatures, because bats are listed among them in Leviticus.

So, whereas modern science may have grouped all animals into types, such as mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, insects, fish, etc, the Bible groups them into flying creatures, wild animals, cattle, slithering things, and things that live in (or come from) the water. This difference doesn’t appear to be the result of a lack of recognition (on the part of Bible writers) of basic animal types, but rather, it appears to stem from the ways they are grouped to describe all possible animal species.

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Proof of Virginity

Ancient customs and ways may sound very foreign in today’s world, where sex acts among unmarried people has become quite common. However, God’s requirement for His people was that they were to be honest, upright, moral, and clean. And anyone who chose to be unclean or immoral, was to be put to death… this is the reason why a woman’s proof of virginity became so important on her wedding night.

In ancient Israel, a father literally waited outside the nuptial chamber until the marriage was consummated (before the wedding feast), and he received the cloth they lay on with the blood of her virginity; for this was the father’s proof of her purity and the validity of the marriage. To fail to do this, would have left his daughter open to divorce; and if she was not a virgin, to being stoned to death for her immorality.

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Hebrew Songs and Poetry

While we as translators claim no in-depth knowledge of the Hebrew language (this is a GREEK Bible translation), we do find its poetry, blessings, and songs interesting and beautiful. For, rather than putting the words together in a rime (as we do in English, where ending words must sound alike), the sentences fit together where the thoughts follow each other, so that they could be easily remembered and sung. Therefore, the actual words didn’t have to be memorized, for, as long as a person understands the thought, the poetry can be correctly repeated using slightly different words.

You’ll notice that each song seemed to have about four verses, for the verses followed in a logical order. However, in our translation we sometimes find only three verses… or sometimes two or six. And this may be due to our misunderstanding of their methods, or due to problems with translation (both ancient and ours).

However, as you go along in the Bible, you will also find entire books written in poetry (such as Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etc.), and most prophecies (such as those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) were spoken and written in a form that is similar to songs, especially where God and His messengers are speaking. It was probably done this way to be remembered and repeated… perhaps even as songs, for that was an ancient Hebrew means of mass communication.

Why, many of Jesus’ parables were spoken and recorded as poetry, such as that portion called the beatitudes (Matthew 5).

Notice that; where we find the natural poetic rhythm in our translating, we have tried to restore the cadence for your benefit. This requires some rearranging and the addition or removal of extraneous words, but we have zealously worked to maintain the true meaning of the texts. Why is this necessary? Well, not only does it provide pleasant reading, but in places where the lyrics can’t be resolved, this provides a clear indication that something has been lost through the years. Proverbs 25 and 26, for example, by their lack of natural cadence and harmony, indicate questionable inspiration or a corruption of the original text. Also, God must consider the beauty of the text important, because that was the way He inspired it to be written.

You might notice the two verses of a song that the Israelite women were singing when Saul and David returned from a battle (1 Samuel 18:7): ‘Saul has cut down thousands,
And David his ten thousands.’
Although these were just a few words of a much longer victory song, those particular words offended Saul, for he felt that David was being considered more important than he was. Yet, if you understand Hebrew poetry, you would see that the words were part of a natural progression of words and they weren’t actually chosen to elevate David or to offend Saul. Rather, Saul was being petty.

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Heavens Sky Earth Land

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT) and the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In the beginning, God created the sky and the ground.’

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above him, and the waters or seas over there. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time! However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, in order for readers to grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to the portion of the heavens that are close to the earth… to the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting ‘the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth,’ we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground. However, the words land and ground are equally correct.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’

Also, in the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

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Lottery or Lot

To many, the thought of choosing by lot (possibly by rolling dice) or using some other form of lottery sounds immoral and quite like gambling. However, in the Bible, that was the correct way to select the person who would receive a particular position or reward. In fact, the word for inherit (kleronomesousi), means to receive by lot or lottery.

The reason why this method was used by the ancient faithful was to allow God a hand in the decision, rather than trusting in the viewpoints of men. And the indication is that this method of choosing did in fact result in the manifestation of God’s hand. For example, consider how John the Baptist’s father (ZechariJah) was chosen by lot to serve in the Holy Place at the exact time for him to be told by a messenger of God about the upcoming birth of his son and of his son’s responsibility concerning the Messiah (Luke 1:8, 9).

Also, consider the fact that Matthias was chosen by lottery to replace unfaithful Judas as one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

The good sense of letting things be decided by apparent chance can be found in the wise words of Solomon at Proverbs 18:18, where he said, ‘Choosing by lottery ends a dispute, and it defines the boundaries of rulers.’

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The Foreskin

It appears as though God has provided a secret sign, known only to God and a person’s mate, to indicate righteousness or a desire to be righteous; the foreskin of the genitalia. On males, this is the extra fold of skin around the top of the penis; and on females, it is the small piece of skin called the hymen. So, whether this skin remains unbroken or is removed, is something that is quite secret and unseen by others, but known by God and one’s mate.

It seems unusual that both of these small pieces of skin appear to have been made to be broken or cut off without creating any long-term injury or harm; and in the case of the hymen, is exclusive to humans. So, it appears as though man was deliberately created with the extra fold of skin, so that those who wished to remain faithful could choose to indicate this desire before God in a very private way.

We first learned of the meaning and need for males to be circumcised, when God told Abraham that he, his entire household, and all his descendants should have their foreskin removed. Note what He said as found at Genesis 17:10-12, ‘This is the Sacred Agreement between you and your seed (through all its generations) and Me: All of your males must be circumcised. The foreskin of your flesh must be circumcised. This will be the sign of the Sacred Agreement between you and Me. You must circumcise all of your male children when they are eight-days old, throughout all your generations. [This includes all the] servants who are born in your house, those who are bought with money, and it includes the sons of aliens who are not your seed.’

It is also interesting that new-born males were to be circumcised on the eighth day after their birth, because that is precisely the best time to perform this delicate operation, since that is the time when the least bleeding will occur. Who would have known this, other than God?

It was later on, after the death of Jesus, when many gentile converts were coming into the Christian Congregation, that the question of circumcision arose, for circumcised Jewish Christians were demanding that uncircumcised gentile converts should also be circumcised. And when the matter was brought before ‘the Holy Ones’ in Jerusalem, they decided that physical circumcision was just a sign that God required of the descendants of Abraham. So, they decreed (as found at Acts 15:28, 29), ‘It’s apparent to the Holy Breath [of God] and to us, that we shouldn’t put any burdens on you, other than these necessary things: Stay away from things that are sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things that are strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you stay away from these things, you will do well. Good health to you!’

In other words, physical circumcision was no longer required. However, notice what Moses wrote (as recorded at Deuteronomy 10:16, 17), ‘So, circumcise the hardness from your hearts and don’t be [rebellious], for Jehovah your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords.’

As you can see, there is both physical circumcision and a spiritual circumcision, which both amount to a removing of the sign of impurity (for males).

Females, of course, were not to be circumcised, because their foreskin is a sign of their virginity. And although modern people call the practice of surgically removing the clitoris (as is practiced by many peoples on the African continent today) ‘female circumcision,’ that is just mutilation, not a removal of the foreskin.

What is the purpose of establishing virginity among women? Because God’s view is that a husband has a right to choose a wife of high moral character who is clean and untouched. And for this, He provided the sign of the foreskin, which bleeds when first broken in sexual relations. So in ancient Israel (and among other descendants of Abraham), the custom was to provide the blanket or rug on which the marriage was consummated to the parents of the bride, as proof that she was a virgin. For we read at Deuteronomy 32:13-15, ‘If any man should take a wife who he comes to dislike after he has lived with her, then starts saying bad things about her and calling her bad names, saying, When I took this woman and had sex with her, she didn’t prove to be a virgin, her father and mother must bring the girl’s proof of virginity to the elders at the city gate.’

And, just as one can choose to be circumcised in the heart, one can also choose to be a spiritual virgin, for at Revelation 14:4 we read of such individuals: ‘These didn’t dirty themselves with women. In fact, they are virgins who keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. They were bought from mankind [and offered] as the first fruitage to God and to the Lamb.’

What type of virginity is being spoken of here? This scripture isn’t talking about living the life of a monk or a nun, but of someone who has kept him/herself pure in their worship of God. A contrasting person would be one who the Disciple James spoke of at James 4:4, where he said, ‘Adulteresses, don’t you know that if you’re a friend of the world, you’re an enemy of God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is putting himself down as God’s enemy.’

For a graphic description of what a spiritual whore is to God, read His description of the unfaithfulness of Judah and Israel, using the pseudonyms Aholah and Aholibah, as found in Ezekiel the Twenty-Third Chapter.

On the other hand; in the account of the Bride of the Lamb found in Revelation 19:7, 8, we read, ‘Let’s rejoice, shout in joy, and glorify Him, because it’s time for the Lamb’s wedding! His bride has prepared herself, and she was found worthy to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen. This fine linen represents the righteous actions of the Holy Ones.’

Of course, according to the Law of God, this bride of Jesus (the Lamb) has to be a virgin, because of his heavenly position as the High Priest before God. For, notice what God required of the brides of the entire Priesthood class of Israel (Leviticus 21:13-15): ‘He may only take a wife who is a virgin and from his own tribe… not a widow, a divorcee, someone who has been violated, or a prostitute. He may only take a virgin from his own people as a wife, for he must not profane his seed among his people. I am Jehovah who makes him holy.’

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Why Capitals in Bible Names?

You have likely noticed that we are putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.

We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example) is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So, the name was originally pronounced closer to Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.

In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done. Realize that several other Hebrew consonants are commonly mispronounced in English, which no one objects to, so this minor deviation should not be objectionable to the thinking.

Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago, a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’

Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it as iJah, because the I would typically be pronounced as a long E, followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the I (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So, we have rendered it as JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.

Another important word in names that we usually capitalize is ‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly pronounce Eelai-eezer and means God [has] Helped) should actually be pronounced El-ee-eh-zer. The same is true for the letters Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the word city. So, AiLam (for example) probably meant the City of Lam.

Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the prefixes ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.

Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by First-Century Christians.

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Zeal

At Psalm 37:8 we read, ‘Stop being angry and abandon your rage. Don’t allow zeal to make you act wicked’ (yes, we know, the word should be wickedly, but this is poetic license). However, those words could also be translated as, ‘Do not allow jealously to cause you to act wickedly,’ because the Greek word zelos can either be translated as zealous or as jealous, depending on the circumstances, for both words mean the same thing. Yet, the two words imply different things in English.

Zeal is usually thought of as something good… something that all Christians should have, as in zeal for God and righteousness. And jealously is thought of as something bad… as wanting something that belongs to someone else. Yet, God may be spoken of as being jealous over His Name and His position as God, so jealously isn’t always a bad thing. And we can have zeal for things that are ours and we are proud of (which is not bad), and be jealous of things that belong to others (which is bad). So, the same Greek word (zelos) may be correctly translated as zeal in one place, and as jealously in another, depending on the context.

Then, is it proper for a man to be jealous of his wife, or for a wife to be jealous of her husband? No, we should never be jealous of each other, but for each other. We shouldn’t want what the other has, but we should have a burning zeal for each other. So, if one has good reason to worry about losing the love of the other, that is zeal. However, if such concern is baseless, that is wicked suspicion, not jealously.

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