Here is a summary of some of the things that happened after
the Israelites left Egypt.About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand. In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form.
The Book of Deuteronomy
Background....The Israelites left Egypt. They have been traveling in the wilderness for 40 years. They are now getting ready to enter Canaan, the land God promised to them. After they enter Canaan, each family will receive land as an inheritance.
The book of Deuteronomy contains the last speeches Moses gave to the Israelites. It is a review of the past 40 years. He wanted to remind the Israelites that they should always trust and obey God.
The word "Deuteronomy" means the 2nd law. This is the second time that Moses gives the laws of God.
Here is a summary of some of the things that happened after
the Israelites left Egypt.
The Israelites left Egypt in about the year 1450 BC
Year 1--Moses got the laws from God on Mt. Sinai.
The Israelites built the tabernacle.
Year 2–God told Moses to take a census (count) of all of
the Israelites.
The Israelites celebrated the first Passover.
The spies looked around Canaan, then the Israelites refused
to enter Canaan.
God was angry that the Israelites did not trust Him. He punished them, and said they
would travel for a long time.
Years 3-40–The Israelites wandered and traveled around the desert. They were not allowed to move into Canaan for 40 years.
Year 40- The Israelites defeated the kings, Sihon and Og
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Deuteronomy 28
The blessings for the Israelites if they obey God.
If the Israelites obey God's laws
and commandments, God will make them special. They will be the most important nation on
earth.
[1] And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
If they obey God, God will bless them and give them
many good things. These are the blessings that God will give them:
[2] And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
God will bless their cities and towns.
[3] Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
God will bless their children, the things they grow on
their farms, and their farm animals.
[4] Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
God will bless the wheat they grow and the bread they
make.
[5] Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
God will bless them all of the time if they are at home
or if they go away from their homes.
[6] Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
God will help Israel win all the wars. Israel's
enemies will die. The enemies will come to attack on one road. But Israel
will defeat them. The enemies will run away on 7 different roads.
[7] The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
God will make the food on their farms grow well. They will have a lot of
food to keep in the barns.
[8] The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
God promised that if the Israelites will obey God's
laws, they will be holy and special to God. All of the other people on
earth will know they are God's special people. They will be afraid of the
Israelites.
[9] The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
[10] And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
God will give the Israelites many children. Their
cattle will have many babies. They will grow a lot of food on their farms. The
farms are in the land that God promised to their ancestors.
[11] And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
God keeps the rain
in the sky. At the right times, He will open the sky, and the rain will
fall on their farms. Their farms will grow well. They will lend money to
other people. But they will not borrow money from other people.
[12] The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
They should obey the Lord God. They should not worship
false gods. (For more information about false
gods, please click here.) If they obey God, they will be above other people. They
will be leaders over other people.
[13] And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
[14] And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
The curses for the Israelites if they do
not obey God.
If the Israelites do not obey God, He will make bad
things (curses) happen to them.
[15] But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
God will curse their cities and their farms.
[16] Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
God will curse the food they grow and the food in their
barns.
[17] Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
They will not have many children. Their farms will not
grow much food. Their cattle and sheep will not have many babies.
[18] Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
God will curse them when they come in, and God will
curse them when they go out.
[19] Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
When the Israelites try to do anything, God will make
them confused. They will have trouble. The Israelites will die fast
because they did not obey God's laws.
[20] The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
God will make them sick and have diseases. They will all
die in Canaan.
[21] The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
God will make the Israelites sick, and they will have fevers, burning, and
swelling. The weather will not be
good for their farms. Their plants will have diseases, and they won't be able to
eat the food. Then they will die.
[22] The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
God will stop the rain. The land will be very
dry. There will be sandstorms and dust storms (when the wind blows sand and
dust around).
[23] And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
[24] The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
God will not help them in wars. The other people will
defeat the Israelites. The Israelites will go to attack the other people on one
road,
but they will run away on 7 different roads. The Israelites will die, and
the birds and animals will eat the dead bodies. No one will make the birds and
animals stop.
[25] The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
[26] And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
God will make them sick with skin diseases like people
in Egypt had. They will not be healed.
[27] The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
God will make them go insane and blind. They will be
confused. In the daytime, they will have to grope like blind people (feel
things when they walk). They will not be successful. Other people will steal
from them. No one will help them.
[28] The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
[29] And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
A man will be engaged, but another man will have sexual
relations with his girlfriend. A man will build a house, but he will not
live in the house. A man will plant a vineyard (garden of grapes),
but he will not pick the grapes.
[30] Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
A man will own an ox or cows, and another man will kill
them while the owner watches. The owner will not eat any of the meat. A man will
own a donkey, but someone will steal the donkey. A man will own sheep, but
someone will steal the sheep.
[31] Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
The Israelites will have
children, but other people will steal their children. The parents will look for
their children. The parents' will look hard for them, and their eyes will go
blind. But they will not find their children.
[32] Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.
The Israelites will work hard and grow food on their farms.
Then strange people that they never saw before will come and eat their food.
Other people will treat the Israelites badly and defeat them. The Israelites
will see bad thing happen, and they will go insane.
[33] The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
[34] So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
God will make them have skin diseases on their knees
and legs and all over their bodies.
[35] The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
God will give the Israelites and the Israelites' king
to a new and strange country. They will worship false gods in the new country.
They will worship wood and stone statues.
[36] The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
Other people will be shocked when they see the
Israelites. Other people will make fun of them.
[37] And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
They will plant many seeds on their farms. But the
locusts will eat the seeds, and they won't be able to pick much food.
[38] Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
They will plant grape seeds and take care of their
vineyards (grape gardens). But worms will eat the seeds. The
Israelites will not be able to pick the grapes.
[39] Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
Olive trees grow all over Israel. But the olives will fall off the trees.
The Israelites will not have any olive oil to use.
[40] Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
The Israelites will have sons and daughters. But
other groups of people will steal their sons and daughters.
[41] Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
Locusts (bugs) will eat all of their trees and fruit.
[42] All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
The foreigners (people from other countries who live
with the Israelites) will have more power and money than the Israelites. The
Israelites will need to borrow money from the foreigners. The Israelites will
not be able to loan money to the foreigners. The foreigners will be the leaders,
and the Israelites will be the followers.
[43] The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
[44] He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
If the Israelites do not obey God's laws, all of these
bad things will happen to them. The Israelites will be destroyed. In the
future, everyone will look at the Israelites' descendants and see that God
cursed them.
[45] Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
[46] And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
If God makes the Israelites wealthy (have a lot of
money and things), they should serve God. They should be happy and do things for
God. If they are not happy and do not serve God, they will be slaves. God will
send people to fight them. The Israelites will be the slaves to the people who
fight them. The Israelites will be hungry and thirsty. The Israelites will not
have good clothes. The Israelites will not have anything. Their
enemies will destroy them.
[47] Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
[48] Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
God will send people from another country to fight the
Israelites. The country will be far away. The new people will come down fast at
the Israelites, like an eagle flies down fast to grab food. The people will
speak a different language. The Israelites will not understand what the new
people say. The new people will be mean and cruel to everyone. They will
not treat young people or old people well.
[49] The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
[50] A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
The new people will eat the Israelites' food and
animals. They will not leave anything for the Israelites to eat. They will
destroy the Israelites.
[51] And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
The Lord God gave the Israelites cities in Canaan. But
the other people will attack the Israelites' cities. The Israelites thought the
walls and fences around the cities were strong. But the other people will tear
down the walls and fences.
[52] And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
The people inside the city will be very hungry.
Hungry people will do very bad things. They will eat their own
children. A man who is normally very good and nice will change because he
is hungry. He will eat his own children. He will not share what he eats
with his brother, wife, or other children.
[53] And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
[54] So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:
[55] So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.
A woman is normally very fancy and rich. She is so
fancy that she never touches the ground with her foot. She will change because
she is hungry. She will eat her baby and the afterbirth. She will not tell her
husband or her other children.
[56] The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
[57] And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.
The book of Deuteronomy tells about God's laws. God's name is THE LORD THY
(YOUR) GOD. God's name is glorious (very beautiful) and
fearful (brings respect). The Israelites should fear and respect God's name. If the Israelites do
not obey God, God will make the Israelites sick. The Israelites' children will
be sick, too.
[58] If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
[59] Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
When the Israelites were in Egypt, they were afraid of
diseases. If they do not obey God's laws, they will get sick with these
diseases. God will also send new diseases. The new diseases are not
listed in the book of Deuteronomy.
[60] Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
[61] Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
When the Israelites obey God, there will be as many
Israelites as the stars. But if they do not obey God, many Israelites will die.
There will be only a few Israelites left.
[62] And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
[63] And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
The Lord God will make the Israelites scatter (live in
many different places). They will be far apart. They will worship false gods
that are made with wood and stone. They will worship
new false gods that they or their ancestors never heard of in the past.
[64] And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.
The Israelites will live in many other places. They
will never feel comfortable. They will be restless (want to move again and
again). They will always be nervous and sad.
[65] And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
They will worry about death all of the time. They
will not know if they will live or if they will die. They will see very
bad things happen. In the morning, they will wish it was night. In the night,
they will wish it was day.
[66] And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:
[67] In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
God told them before that they would never go back to
Egypt. But if they do not obey God's laws now, they will go back to Egypt on
boats. In Egypt, they will try to be slaves again. But no one will want to buy them.
[68] And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.
Deuteronomy 29
God makes another covenant (promise, agreement) with the
Israelites.
The Israelites are now in Moab. God told Moses to make
another covenant (agreement) with the Israelites. This covenant is in addition to the
covenant they made back at Mt. Sinai 40 years ago.
[1] These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in
Horeb.
Moses talked to the Israelites. He reminded them of
things they saw in Egypt. They saw God do miracles in Egypt. God sent plagues
(bad things, sickness) to Pharoah, Pharoah's servants, and all of Egypt.
[2] And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;
[3] The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:
The Israelites saw many great and miraculous things
happen, but God did not let them really understand everything before now. But
now, they can understand all of the ways God has helped them.
[4] Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
The Israelites have traveled in the wilderness for 40
years. But their clothes are still good. Their clothes did not wear out. Their
shoes did not wear out.
[5] And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.
They can see that the Lord God took good care of them.
God gave them manna to eat and water from the rock to drink. They did not eat
regular bread or drink wine.
[6] Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.
God helped them fight in wars. They had wars with
King Sihon and King Og. The Israelites won the wars and took the land. Now the
tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh live in that land.
[7] And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them:
[8] And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.
They should always obey God's laws. Then they will be
successful and do well in all of their lives.
[9] Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.
Now all of the Israelites are standing together.
They are making a new covenant promise to God. All of the Israelites are
there: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the army, the men, the
women, the children, and the people from other countries who work for the
Israelites.
[10] Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,
[11] Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:
[12] That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day:
A long time ago, the Lord God made the covenant with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now He makes the covenant with the Israelites
who are ready to go into Canaan. He also makes the covenant with the Israelites
who will be born in the future.
[13] That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
[14] Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath;
[15] But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day:
The Israelites lived in Egypt. Then
they traveled through places where other groups of people lived. They saw people
worshiping false gods that were made of wood, rock, silver, and gold.
[16] (For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by;
[17] And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)
None of the Israelites should worship false gods. No
man, woman, family, or tribe should stop worshiping the Lord God. If
anyone worships false gods, he is the same as a root that produces bad-tasting
fruit.
[18] Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
Maybe an Israelite knows about God's laws. He
thinks that God will bless him no matter what he does. But if the man does not
obey God's laws, God will be very angry with him. All of the bad things, God's
curses, will happen to him. God will separate him from the other
Israelites.
[19] And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
[20] The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.
[21] And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law:
In the future, people will see the bad things that
happened to the Israelites. The Israelites' descendants and people from other
countries will see these bad things. Many people will be sick. No plants will be
growing. Burning rocks and salt will cover the land. It will be the same as when God
destroyed the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim because the people
were bad. People in the future will ask why God cursed the Israelites.
They will ask why God was angry with the Israelites.
[22] So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it;
[23] And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:
[24] Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?
Other men will answer. They will say that God
was angry because the Israelites did not obey God's laws. God made a covenant
with the Israelites' ancestors. God brought them out of Egypt. But the
Israelites worshiped false gods.
[25] Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:
[26] For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:
God was very angry with the Israelites. God sent the
curses. God sent the Israelites away out of Canaan to another place.
[27] And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:
[28] And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.
The Israelites don't know all of God's secrets.
But now they know God's laws. They must always obey God's laws, and their
children must also obey God's laws.
[29] The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 30
If the Israelites do not obey God, they will be
scattered (live in many different places). But later, if they start to
obey God again, God will bring them back to Canaan.
In the future, when the Israelites are living away from
Canaan, they will remember that God warned them. They will remember that
God told them about the blessings and the curses. They will return to God--they
will obey God again. Their children will obey God, too. They will love God
very strongly--with their hearts and their souls.
[1] And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
[2] And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
If the Israelites start to obey God again, He will
bring them back to Canaan. The Israelites will be living all over the world, but God
will bring them back to Canaan. They will have good lives in Canaan. They will
have many children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. There will be more
Israelites then than there was back in their ancestors' time.
[3] That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.
[4] If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:
[5] And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
The Lord God will change the Israelites' hearts. They
will love God will all of their hearts and souls. Then God will curse the
Israelites' enemies. Bad things will happen to the people who hate the
Israelites.
[6] And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
[7] And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.
The Israelites will love God with their hearts and
souls again. They will obey His laws and commandments. Then good things will
happen to the Israelites again. Their animals and plants will grow well. They
will have many children.
[8] And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.
[9] And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:
[10] If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
The Israelites must choose between good and bad, life and death.
God's laws are close to them. The laws are not far away in heaven. No one
must travel to heaven to bring back the laws. The
laws are not far way over the sea (ocean). No one must travel across the sea to
bring back the laws. They already know God's laws. God's laws are in their mouths and in
their hearts.
[11] For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
[12] It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[13] Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[14] But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
God has told the Israelites what will happen if they
are good and what will happen if they are bad. Now, the Israelites must
choose. If they choose to be good, they will live. If they choose to be
bad, they will die.
[15] See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
If the Israelites choose to be good and obey God's
laws, they will live and have many children. The Lord God will give them
blessings after they move into Canaan.
[16] In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
If the Israelites choose to be bad, they will die. If
they choose to worship other gods, they will die.
[17] But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
[18] I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
Heaven and earth are the witnesses. God has given the
Israelites a choice. They can choose life and blessings. Or they can choose
death and curses. Moses wants the Israelites to choose life for themselves and
all of their descendants.
[19] I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
The Israelites should love God and obey His laws.
They should always be faithful to God (never worship false gods). They should
remember that God is the only one who can give them life. God made the promise
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If the Israelites choose good,
God will let them live in Canaan and have good lives.
[20] That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
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