27:1 Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Pay attention to all the commandments 1 I am giving 2 you today. 27:2 When you cross the Jordan River 3 to the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must erect great stones and cover 4 them with plaster. 27:3 Then you must inscribe on them all the words of this law when you cross over, so that you may enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, 5 said to you. 27:4 So when you cross the Jordan you must erect on Mount Ebal 6 these stones about which I am commanding you today, and you must cover them with plaster. 27:5 Then you must build an altar there to the Lord your God, an altar of stones – do not use an iron tool on them. 27:6 You must build the altar of the Lord your God with whole stones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. 27:7 Also you must offer fellowship offerings and eat them there, rejoicing before the Lord your God. 27:8 You must inscribe on the stones all the words of this law, making them clear.”
27:9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel: “Be quiet and pay attention, Israel. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 27:10 You must obey him 7 and keep his commandments and statutes that I am giving you today.” 27:11 Moreover, Moses commanded the people that day: 27:12 “The following tribes 8 must stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 27:13 And these other tribes must stand for the curse on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
27:14 “The Levites will call out to every Israelite 9 with a loud voice: 27:15 ‘Cursed is the one 10 who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent 11 to the Lord, the work of the craftsman 12 – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 13 27:16 ‘Cursed 14 is the one who disrespects 15 his father and mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:18 ‘Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:20 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with 16 his father’s former wife, 17 for he dishonors his father.’ 18 Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:21 ‘Cursed is the one who commits bestiality.’ 19 Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:22 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:23 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:24 ‘Cursed is the one who kills 20 his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:26 ‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
28:1 “If you indeed 21 obey the Lord your God and are careful to observe all his commandments I am giving 22 you today, the Lord your God will elevate you above all the nations of the earth. 28:2 All these blessings will come to you in abundance 23 if you obey the Lord your God: 28:3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. 24 28:4 Your children 25 will be blessed, as well as the produce of your soil, the offspring of your livestock, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks. 28:5 Your basket and your mixing bowl will be blessed. 28:6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 26 28:7 The Lord will cause your enemies who attack 27 you to be struck down before you; they will attack you from one direction 28 but flee from you in seven different directions. 28:8 The Lord will decree blessing for you with respect to your barns and in everything you do – yes, he will bless you in the land he 29 is giving you. 28:9 The Lord will designate you as his holy people just as he promised you, if you keep his commandments 30 and obey him. 31 28:10 Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you belong to the Lord, 32 and they will respect you. 28:11 The Lord will greatly multiply your children, 33 the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil in the land which he 34 promised your ancestors 35 he would give you. 28:12 The Lord will open for you his good treasure house, the heavens, to give you rain for the land in its season and to bless all you do; 36 you will lend to many nations but you will not borrow from any. 28:13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom, if you obey his 37 commandments which I am urging 38 you today to be careful to do. 28:14 But you must not turn away from all the commandments I am giving 39 you today, to either the right or left, nor pursue other gods and worship 40 them.
28:15 “But if you ignore 41 the Lord your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force: 42 28:16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the field. 28:17 Your basket and your mixing bowl will be cursed. 28:18 Your children 43 will be cursed, as well as the produce of your soil, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks. 28:19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. 44
1 tn Heb “the whole commandment.” See note at 5:31.
2 tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today” (likewise in v. 10).
3 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “plaster” (so KJV, ASV; likewise in v. 4). In the translation “cover” has been used for stylistic reasons.
5 tn Heb “fathers.”
6 tc Smr reads “Mount Gerizim” for the MT reading “Mount Ebal” to justify the location of the Samaritan temple there in the postexilic period. This reading is patently self-serving and does not reflect the original. In the NT when the Samaritan woman of Sychar referred to “this mountain” as the place of worship for her community she obviously had Gerizim in mind (cf. John 4:20).
7 tn Heb “listen to the voice of the
8 tn The word “tribes” has been supplied here and in the following verse in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “Israelite man.”
10 tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.
11 tn The Hebrew term translated here “abhorrent” (תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah) speaks of attitudes and/or behaviors so vile as to be reprehensible to a holy God. See note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.
12 tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”
13 tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.
14 tn The Levites speak again at this point; throughout this pericope the Levites pronounce the curse and the people respond with “Amen.”
15 tn The Hebrew term קָלָה (qalah) means to treat with disdain or lack of due respect (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “dishonors”; NLT “despises”). It is the opposite of כָּבֵד (kaved, “to be heavy,” that is, to treat with reverence and proper deference). To treat a parent lightly is to dishonor him or her and thus violate the fifth commandment (Deut 5:16; cf. Exod 21:17).
16 tn Heb “who lies with” (so NASB, NRSV); also in vv. 22, 23. This is a Hebrew idiom for having sexual relations (cf. NIV “who sleeps with”; NLT “who has sexual intercourse with”).
17 tn See note at Deut 22:30.
18 tn Heb “he uncovers his father’s skirt” (NASB similar). See note at Deut 22:30.
19 tn Heb “lies with any animal” (so NASB, NRSV). “To lie with” is a Hebrew euphemism for having sexual relations with someone (or in this case, some animal).
20 tn Or “strikes down” (so NRSV).
21 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “indeed.”
22 tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today” (likewise in v. 15).
23 tn Heb “come upon you and overtake you” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “come upon you and accompany you.”
24 tn Or “in the country” (so NAB, NIV, NLT). This expression also occurs in v. 15.
25 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
26 sn Come in…go out. To “come in” and “go out” is a figure of speech (merism) indicating all of life and its activities.
27 tn Heb “who rise up against” (so NIV).
28 tn Heb “way” (also later in this verse and in v. 25).
29 tn Heb “the
30 tn Heb “the commandments of the
31 tn Heb “and walk in his ways” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
32 tn Heb “the name of the Lord is called over you.” The Hebrew idiom indicates ownership; see 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1, as well as BDB 896 s.v. קָרָא Niph. 2.d.(4).
33 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “will give you a lot of children.”
34 tn Heb “the
35 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 36, 64).
36 tn Heb “all the work of your hands.”
37 tn Heb “the
38 tn Heb “commanding” (so NRSV); NASB “which I charge you today.”
39 tn Heb “from all the words which I am commanding.”
40 tn Heb “in order to serve.”
41 tn Heb “do not hear the voice of.”
42 tn Heb “and overtake you” (so NIV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “and overwhelm you.”
43 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
44 sn See note on the similar expression in v. 6.