Indeed, for forty years the Israelites traveled through the desert until all the men old enough to fight when they left Egypt, the ones who had disobeyed the Lord, died off. ¹  For the Lord had sworn a solemn oath to them that he would not let them see the land he had sworn on oath to give them, ²  a land rich in ³  milk and honey.

When you look up ¹  to the sky ²  and see the sun, moon, and stars – the whole heavenly creation ³  – you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, ⁴  for the Lord your God has assigned ⁵  them to all the people ⁶  of the world. ⁷ 

For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery ¹  in the land of Egypt ²  and performed these awesome miracles ³  before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. ⁴ 

David said, “My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man, ¹  and the temple to be built for the Lord must be especially magnificent so it will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations. ²  Therefore I will make preparations for its construction.” So David made extensive preparations before he died.

But you banished ¹  the Lord’s priests, Aaron’s descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake gods! ² 

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a particular people ¹  that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants ²  throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king’s laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them. ³ 

This is a message ¹  about the animals in the Negev: Through a land of distress and danger, inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, ²  by snakes and darting adders, ³  they transport ⁴  their wealth on the backs of donkeys, their riches on the humps of camels, to a nation that cannot help them. ⁵ 

Flocks and herds ¹  will lie down in the middle of it, as well as every kind of wild animal. ²  Owls ³  will sleep in the tops of its support pillars; they will hoot through the windows. ⁴  Rubble will cover the thresholds; ⁵  even the cedar work ⁶  will be exposed to the elements. ⁷ 

Then I will confirm my covenant ¹  between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” ² 

The older daughter ¹  gave birth to a son and named him Moab. ²  He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today.

He then set the breastpiece ¹  on him and put the Urim and Thummim ²  into the breastpiece.

So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River ¹  across from Jericho. ²  They said,

You must not go after other gods, those ¹  of the surrounding peoples,

You must not tremble in their presence, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God.

Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you belong to the Lord, ¹  and they will respect you.

the king of Dor – near Naphath Dor – (one), the king of Goyim – near Gilgal – (one),

They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; ¹  they worshiped ²  their gods as well.

including ¹  Aram, ²  Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amelek. This also included some of the plunder taken from ³  King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.

Then ¹  all the nations of the earth will recognize that the Lord is the only genuine God. ² 

You made Israel your very own nation for all time. ¹  You, O Lord, became their God.