Deu 11:26-16:17 | NASB2020 | STEP | “ See , I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse :

Deuteronomy 11:26-32

26 “ ^aSee, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the ^bblessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; 28 and the ^ccurse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, ^{▼▼Lit to follow}by following other gods which you have not known.

29 “And it shall come about, when the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, ^ethat you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Are they not across the Jordan, west of the road toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite ^fGilgal, beside ^gthe ^{▼▼Or terebinths}oaks of Moreh? 31 For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and ⁱyou shall possess it and live in it, 32 and you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am placing before you today.

Deuteronomy 12

Laws of the Sanctuary

1 “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully ^{▼▼Lit perform}follow in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess ^{▼▼Lit all the days
,} ^las long as you live on the ^{▼▼Lit ground}earth. 2 You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you are going to dispossess serve their gods, on the ⁿhigh mountains, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. 3 And ^oyou shall tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones to pieces, and burn their ^{▼▼I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)}Asherim in the fire, and cut to pieces the carved images of their gods; and you shall ^qeliminate their name from that place. 4 You shall not act this way toward the Lord your God. 5 ^rBut you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there. 6 You shall bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, ^syour tithes, the ^{▼▼Or uplifted offering}contribution of your hand, your vowed offerings, your ^{▼▼Or freewill offerings}voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 There you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and ^vrejoice in all ^{▼▼Lit the putting forth of your hand}your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

8 “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, ^xeveryone doing whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you have not as yet come to ^ythe resting place and the ^zinheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. 10 When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and ^aaHe gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security, 11 ^abthen it shall come about that the place in which the Lord your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring everything that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the ^{▼▼Or uplifted offering}contribution of your hand, and all your choice vowed offerings which you will vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall ^adrejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the ^aeLevite who is within your gates, since ^afhe has no portion or inheritance with you.

13 “ ^agBe careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in any cultic place that you see, 14 but only in the place which the Lord chooses in one of your tribes: there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do everything that I command you.

15 “ ^ahHowever, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, ^{▼▼Lit in every desire of your soul}whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as ^ajthe gazelle and the deer. 16 ^akOnly you shall not eat the blood; ^alyou are to pour it out on the ground like water. 17 ^amYou are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, new wine, or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your vowed offerings which you vow, or your ^{▼▼Or freewill offerings}voluntary offerings, or the ^{▼▼Or uplifted offering}contribution of your hand. 18 But ^apyou shall eat them before the Lord your God in ^aqthe place which the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female slaves, and the ^arLevite who is within your gates; and you shall ^asrejoice before the Lord your God in all ^{▼▼Lit the putting forth of your hand}your undertakings. 19 ^auBe careful that you do not abandon the Levite ^{▼▼Lit all your days upon your land}as long as you live in your land.

20 “When the Lord your God extends your border ^awas He has ^{▼▼Lit spoken to}promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because ^{▼▼Lit your soul desires}you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, ^{▼▼Lit in every desire of your soul}whatever you desire. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter animals from your herd and flock which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates ^{▼▼Lit in every desire of your soul}whatever you desire. 22 Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you may eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it. 23 Only be sure ^bbnot to eat the blood, for the blood is the ^{▼▼Lit soul}life, and you shall not eat the ^{▼▼Lit soul}life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. 25 You shall not eat it, so that ^beit may go well for you and your sons after you, since ^bfyou will be doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 ^bgOnly your holy things which you may have and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses. 27 And ^bhyou shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and ^biyou shall eat the flesh.

28 “Be careful and listen to all these words which I am commanding you, so that ^bjit may go well for you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

29 “When ^bkthe Lord your God cuts off from you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and live in their land, 30 be careful that you are not ensnared ^{▼▼Lit after them}to follow them, after they are destroyed from your presence, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ 31 ^bmYou shall not behave this way toward the Lord your God, because every abominable act which the Lord hates, they have done for their gods; for ^bnthey even burn their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods.

32 “ ^{▼▼Lit Everything that
,} ^bpWhatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; ^bqyou shall not add to nor take anything away from it.

Deuteronomy 13

Reject Idolatry

1 “ ^{▼▼Ch 13:2 in Heb
,} ^bsIf a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘ ^btLet’s follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let’s serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is ^butesting you to find out whether ^bvyou love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 ^bwYou shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and ^bxcling to Him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be ^byput to death, because he has spoken falsely against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of ^{▼▼Lit slaves}slavery, ^cato drive you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. ^cbSo you shall eliminate the evil from among you.

6 “ ^ccIf your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife ^{▼▼Lit of your breast}you cherish, or your friend who is like your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘ ^ceLet’s go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you, or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), 8 ^cfyou shall not consent to him or listen to him; ^cgand your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. 9 ^chInstead, you shall most certainly kill him; ^ciyour hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 So you shall stone him ^{▼▼Lit with stones so that he dies}to death, because he has attempted ^ckto drive you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of ^{▼▼Lit slaves}slavery. 11 Then ^cmall Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and will not do such a wicked thing among you again.

12 “If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that 13 some worthless men have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘ ^cnLet’s go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known), 14 then you shall investigate, search out, and inquire thoroughly. And if it is true and the matter is certain that this abomination has been committed among you, 15 ^coyou shall most certainly strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. ^{▼▼Or Put it under the ban}Utterly destroy it and all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16 ^cqThen you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its public square, and burn the city and all its plunder with fire as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God; and it shall be a ^{▼▼Lit rubbish heap
,} ^csruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. 17 Nothing at all from what is designated for destruction is to cling to your hand, in order that the Lord may turn from ^ctHis burning anger and ^cushow mercy to you, and have compassion on you and ^cvmake you increase, just ^cwas He has sworn to your fathers, 18 ^{▼▼Or for}if you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, ^{▼▼Lit to keep}keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, ^{▼▼Lit to do}and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 14

Clean and Unclean Animals

1 “You are ^dasons of the Lord your God; ^dbyou shall not cut yourselves nor ^{▼▼Lit make}shave a bald spot ^{▼▼Lit between your eyes}above your forehead for the dead. 2 For you are ^dea holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a ^dfpeople for His personal possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

3 “ ^dgYou shall not eat any detestable thing. 4 ^dhThese are the animals that you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5 ^{▼▼Exact identification of these animals is uncertain}the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6 And any animal that has a divided hoof and has its hoofs split in two, and ^{▼▼Lit brings up}chews the cud, among the animals, ^{▼▼Lit it}that animal you may eat. 7 However, you are not to eat these among the ones that ^{▼▼Lit bring up}chew the cud, or among those that have the hoof divided in ^{▼▼Lit a cleaving}two: the camel, the ^{▼▼Or hare}rabbit, and the rock hyrax, for though they ^{▼▼Lit bring up}chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are unclean to you. 8 And the pig, because it has a divided hoof but does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you. You shall not eat any of their flesh, nor touch their carcasses.

9 “These you may eat of everything that is in the water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat, 10 but anything that does not have fins and scales, you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.

11 “You may eat any clean bird. 12 But ^dpthese are the ones that you shall not eat: the ^{▼▼Or vulture}eagle and the vulture and the ^{▼▼Or black vulture}buzzard, 13 and the red kite, the falcon, and the kite in their kinds, 14 and every raven in its kind, 15 and the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, and the hawk in their kinds, 16 the little owl, the ^{▼▼Or great horned owl}great owl, the white owl, 17 the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, 18 the stork, and the heron in their kinds, and the hoopoe and the bat. 19 And all the swarming insects with wings are unclean to you; they shall not be eaten. 20 You may eat any clean bird.

21 “ ^dtYou shall not eat anything which dies of itself. You may give it to the stranger who is in your ^{▼▼Lit gates}town, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a stranger; for you are ^dva holy people to the Lord your God. ^dwYou shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

22 “You ^dxshall certainly tithe all the produce from ^{▼▼Lit your seed}what you sow, which comes from the field every year. 23 You shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, ^dzat the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may ^ealearn to fear the Lord your God always. 24 But if the ^{▼▼Lit way}distance is so great for you that you are not able to ^{▼▼Lit carry it}bring the tithe, since the place where the Lord your God chooses ^edto set His name is too far away from you when the Lord your God blesses you, 25 then you shall ^{▼▼Lit give in money}exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. 26 And you may spend the money on whatever your ^{▼▼Lit soul}heart desires: on oxen, sheep, wine, other strong drink, or whatever your ^{▼▼Lit soul}heart ^{▼▼Lit asks of you}desires; and ^eithere you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. 27 Also you shall not neglect ^ejthe Levite who is in your ^{▼▼Lit gates}town, ^elfor he has no portion or inheritance among you.

28 “ ^emAt the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and you shall deposit it in your ^{▼▼Lit gates}town. 29 And the Levite, ^eobecause he has no portion or inheritance among you, and ^epthe stranger, the ^{▼▼Or fatherless}orphan, and the widow who are in your ^{▼▼Lit gates}town, shall come and ^eseat and be satisfied, in order that ^etthe Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Deuteronomy 15

The Sabbatical Year

1 “ ^euAt the end of every seven years you shall ^{▼▼Lit make}grant a release of debts. 2 And this is the regulation for the release of debts: every creditor is to forgive what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not require it of his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed. 3 ^ewFrom a foreigner you may require it, but your hand shall ^{▼▼Lit release}forgive whatever of yours is with your brother. 4 However, there will be no poor among you, since ^eythe Lord will certainly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to ^{▼▼Lit perform}follow carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. 6 ^faFor the Lord your God will have blessed you just as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

7 “If there is ^fba poor person among you, one of your brothers, in any of your ^{▼▼Lit gates}towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, ^fdyou shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; 8 but ^feyou shall fully open your hand to him, and generously lend him enough for his need in whatever he lacks. 9 Be careful that there is no mean-spirited ^{▼▼Lit word}thought in your heart, ^{▼▼Lit saying}such as, ‘ ^fhThe seventh year, the year of release of debts, is near,’ and ^fiyour eye is malicious toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he ^fjmay cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you. 10 You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be ^{▼▼Lit evil}grudging when you give to him, because ^flfor this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work, and in all ^{▼▼Lit the putting forth of your hand}your undertakings. 11 ^fnFor the poor will not cease ^{▼▼Lit from the midst of}to exist in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall fully open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’

12 “ ^fpIf your fellow countryman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him ^{▼▼Lit free from you}free. 13 And when you set him ^{▼▼Lit free from you}free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. 14 You shall give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 And you are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding ^{▼▼Lit this thing}this of you today. 16 But it shall come about, ^ftif he says to you, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is doing well with you, 17 then you shall take an ^{▼▼I.e., a pointed tool}awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant permanently. You shall also do the same to your female slave.

18 “It shall not seem difficult for you when you set him ^{▼▼Lit free from you}free, because he has given you six years with double the ^{▼▼Lit wages}service of a hired worker; so the Lord your God will bless you in whatever you do.

19 “ ^fxYou shall consecrate to the Lord your God all the firstborn males that are born in your herd and in your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 ^fyYou and your household shall eat it every year before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses. 21 ^fzBut if it has any impairment, such as a limp, or blindness, or any serious impairment, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You shall eat it within your gates; ^gathe unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as ^gba gazelle or a deer. 23 Only ^gcyou shall not eat its blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.

Deuteronomy 16:1-17

The Feasts of Passover, of Weeks, and of Booths

1 “Observe ^gdthe month of Abib and ^{▼▼Lit perform
,} ^gfcelebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the Lord chooses to establish His name. 3 ^ggYou shall not eat leavened bread with it; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in a hurry), so that you will remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt ^ghall the days of your life. 4 For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in your entire territory, and ^ginone of the meat which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall be left overnight until the morning. 5 You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your ^{▼▼Lit gates}towns which the Lord your God is giving you; 6 but only ^gkat the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. 7 You shall ^glcook and eat it in the place which the Lord your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. 8 For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and ^gmon the seventh day there shall be ^gna festive assembly to the Lord your God; you shall do no work on it.

9 “ ^goYou shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall ^{▼▼Lit perform}celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a ^{▼▼Or freewill offering}voluntary offering of your hand in a proportional amount, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you; 11 and you shall ^grrejoice before the Lord your God, you, your son and your daughter, and your male and female slaves, and ^gsthe Levite who is in your ^{▼▼Lit gates}town, and ^guthe stranger, the ^{▼▼Or fatherless}orphan, and the widow who are in your midst, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name. 12 ^gwYou shall also remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful and ^{▼▼Lit perform these}comply with these statutes.

13 “ ^gyYou shall ^{▼▼Lit perform}celebrate the Feast of ^{▼▼Or Tabernacles}Booths for seven days when you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; 14 and you shall ^hbrejoice in your feast, you, your son and your daughter, and your male and female slaves, and the Levite, the stranger, the ^{▼▼Or fatherless}orphan, and the widow who are in your ^{▼▼Lit gates}towns. 15 For seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.

16 “ ^heThree times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths; and ^hfthey are not to appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Everyone ^{▼▼Lit according to the gift of his hand}shall give as he is able, in accordance with the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.