When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing ¹  is being done in Israel,

When he sits on his royal throne he must make a copy of this law ¹  on a scroll ²  given to him by the Levitical priests.

Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Moreover, the Lord will bring upon you every kind of sickness and plague not mentioned in this scroll of commandments, ¹  until you have perished.

“Therefore, keep the terms ¹  of this covenant and obey them so that you may be successful in everything you do.

Then all the nations will ask, “Why has the Lord done all this to this land? What is this fierce, heated display of anger ¹  all about?”

Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those that are revealed belong to us and our descendants ¹  forever, so that we might obey all the words of this law.

“This commandment I am giving ¹  you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote.

Is this how you repay ¹  the Lord, you foolish, unwise people? Is he not your father, your creator? He has made you and established you.

But I fear the reaction ¹  of their enemies, for ²  their adversaries would misunderstand and say, “Our power is great, ³  and the Lord has not done all this!”’

Then Moses went with Joshua ¹  son of Nun and recited all the words of this song to the people.

And this is the blessing ¹  to Judah. He said, Listen, O Lord, to Judah’s voice, and bring him to his people. May his power be great, and may you help him against his foes.

Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ ¹  I have let you see it, ²  but you will not cross over there.”

The stones ¹  will be a reminder to you. ²  When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’

We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.” ¹ 

The border of the tribe of Reuben was the Jordan. The land allotted to the tribe of Reuben by its clans included these cities and their towns. ¹ 

From Tappuah it went westward to the Valley of Kanah and ended at the sea. This is the land assigned to the tribe of Ephraim ¹  by its clans.

But the men ¹  of Manasseh were unable to conquer these cities; the Canaanites managed ²  to remain in those areas.

Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city ¹  (that is, Jerusalem), ²  Gibeah, and Kiriath – a total of fourteen cities and their towns. ³  This was the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin ⁴  by its clans.