Deuteronomy 11-13 - Prayer Tents

11"You must love the LORD your God and obey all his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands.H157H3068H430H8104H4931H2708H4941H4687H3117 2Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the LORD your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm.H3045H3117H1121H3045H7200H4148H3068H430H1433H2389H3027H5186H2220 3They didn't see the miraculous signs and wonders he performed in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his land.H226H4639H6213H8432H4714H6547H4428H4714H776 4They didn't see what the LORD did to the armies of Egypt and to their horses and chariots—how he drowned them in the Red Sea as they were chasing you. He destroyed them, and they have not recovered to this very day!H6213H2428H4714H5483H7393H4325H5488H3220H6687H6440H7291H310H3068H6H3117 5"Your children didn't see how the LORD cared for you in the wilderness until you arrived here.H6213H4057H935H4725 6They didn't see what he did to Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab, a descendant of Reuben) when the earth opened its mouth in the Israelite camp and swallowed them, along with their households and tents and every living thing that belonged to them.H6213H1885H48H1121H446H1121H7205H776H6475H6310H1104H1004H168H3351H7272H7130H3478 7But you have seen the LORD perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes!H5869H7200H1419H4639H3068H6213

The Blessings of Obedience

8"Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter.H8104H4687H834H6680H3117H2388H935H3423H776H5674H3423 9If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey!H748H3117H127H3068H7650H1H5414H2233H776H2100H2461H1706 10For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden.H776H935H3423H776H4714H3318H2232H2233H8248H7272H1588H3419 11Rather, the land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain—H776H5674H3423H776H2022H1237H8354H4325H4306H8064 12a land that the LORD your God cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year!H776H3068H430H1875H5869H3068H430H8548H7225H8141H319H8141 13"If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the LORD your God and serve him with all your heart and soul,H8085H8085H4687H6680H3117H157H3068H430H5647H3824H5315 14then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.H5414H4306H776H6256H3138H4456H622H1715H8492H3323 15He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.H5414H6212H7704H929H398H7646 16"But be careful. Don't let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods.H8104H3824H6601H5493H5647H312H430H7812 17If you do, the LORD's anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the LORD is giving you.H3068H639H2734H6113H8064H4306H127H5414H2981H6H4120H2896H776H3068H5414 18"So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.H7760H1697H3824H5315H7194H226H3027H2903H5869 19Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.H3925H1121H1696H3427H1004H3212H1870H7901H6965 20Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,H3789H4201H1004H8179 21so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.H3117H7235H3117H1121H127H3068H7650H1H5414H3117H8064H776 22"Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.H8104H8104H4687H6680H6213H157H3068H430H3212H1870H1692 23Then the LORD will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land.H3068H3423H1471H6440H3423H1419H1471H6099 24Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.H4725H3709H7272H1869H4057H3844H5104H5104H6578H314H3220H1366 25No one will be able to stand against you, for the LORD your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land.H376H3320H6440H3068H430H5414H6343H4172H6440H776H1869H1696 26"Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!H7200H5414H6440H3117H1293H7045 27You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today.H1293H8085H4687H3068H430H6680H3117 28But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.H7045H8085H4687H3068H430H5493H1870H6680H3117H3212H310H312H430H3045 29"When the LORD your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.H3068H430H935H776H935H3423H5414H1293H2022H1630H7045H2022H5858 30(These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley, near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh.)H5676H3383H310H1870H8121H3996H776H3669H3427H6160H4136H1537H681H436H4176 31For you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take that land and are living in it,H5674H3383H935H3423H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427 32you must be careful to obey all the decrees and regulations I am giving you today.H8104H6213H2706H4941H5414H6440H3117

The Lord’s Chosen Place for Worship

12"These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live.H2706H4941H8104H6213H776H3068H430H1H5414H3423H3117H2416H127 2"When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree.H6H6H4725H1471H834H3423H5647H430H7311H2022H1389H7488H6086 3Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods!H5422H4196H7665H4676H8313H842H784H1438H6456H430H6H8034H4725 4"Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods.H6213H3068H430 5Rather, you must seek the LORD your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.H4725H3068H430H977H7626H7760H8034H7933H1875H935 6There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your herds and flocks.H935H5930H2077H4643H8641H3027H5088H5071H1062H1241H6629 7There you and your families will feast in the presence of the LORD your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the LORD your God has blessed you.H398H6440H3068H430H8055H4916H3027H1004H3068H430H1288 8"Your pattern of worship will change. Today all of you are doing as you please,H6213H6213H3117H376H3477H5869 9because you have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession.H935H4496H5159H3068H430H5414 10But you will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the LORD your God is giving you. When he gives you rest from all your enemies and you're living safely in the land,H5674H3383H3427H776H3068H430H5157H5117H341H5439H3427H983 11you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored.H4725H3068H430H977H8034H7931H935H6680H5930H2077H4643H8641H3027H4005H5088H5087H3068 12"You must celebrate there in the presence of the LORD your God with your sons and daughters and all your servants. And remember to include the Levites who live in your towns, for they will receive no allotment of land among you.H8055H6440H3068H430H1121H1323H5650H519H3881H8179H3588H2506H5159 13Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings just anywhere you like.H8104H5927H5930H4725H7200 14You may do so only at the place the LORD will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you.H4725H3068H977H259H7626H5927H5930H6213H6680 15"But you may butcher your animals and eat their meat in any town whenever you want. You may freely eat the animals with which the LORD your God blesses you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you now eat gazelle and deer.H2076H398H1320H8179H5315H185H1293H3068H430H5414H2931H2889H398H6643H354 16But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.H398H1818H8210H776H4325 17"But you may not eat your offerings in your hometown—neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor any offering to fulfill a vow, nor your voluntary offerings, nor your sacred offerings.H3201H398H8179H4643H1715H8492H3323H1062H1241H6629H5088H5087H5071H8641H3027 18You must eat these in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the LORD your God in all you do.H398H6440H3068H430H4725H3068H430H977H1121H1323H5650H519H3881H8179H8055H6440H3068H430H4916H3027 19And be very careful never to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.H8104H5800H3881H3117H127 20"When the LORD your God expands your territory as he has promised, and you have the urge to eat meat, you may freely eat meat whenever you want.H3068H430H7337H1366H1696H559H398H1320H5315H183H398H1320H398H1320H5315H185 21It might happen that the designated place of worship—the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored—is a long way from your home. If so, you may butcher any of the cattle, sheep, or goats the LORD has given you, and you may freely eat the meat in your hometown, as I have commanded you.H4725H3068H430H977H7760H8034H7368H2076H1241H6629H3068H5414H6680H398H8179H5315H185 22Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you do now with gazelle and deer.H6643H354H398H398H2931H2889H398H3162 23But never consume the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the lifeblood with the meat.H2388H398H1818H1818H5315H398H5315H1320 24Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water.H398H8210H776H4325 25Do not consume the blood, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD.H398H3190H1121H310H6213H3477H5869H3068 26"Take your sacred gifts and your offerings given to fulfill a vow to the place the LORD chooses.H6944H5088H5375H935H4725H3068H977 27You must offer the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat.H6213H5930H1320H1818H4196H3068H430H1818H2077H8210H4196H3068H430H398H1320 28Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the LORD your God.H8104H8085H1697H6680H3190H1121H310H5704H5769H6213H2896H3477H5869H3068H430 29"When the LORD your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land,H3068H430H3772H1471H6440H935H3423H3423H3427H776 30do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.'H8104H5367H310H310H8045H6440H1875H430H559H1471H5647H430H6213H1571 31You must not worship the LORD your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.H6213H3068H430H8441H3068H8130H6213H430H1121H1323H8313H784H430 32"So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.H1697H6680H8104H6213H3254H1639

A Warning against Idolatry

13"Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles,H6965H7130H5030H2492H2472H5414H226H4159 2and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, 'Come, let us worship other gods'—gods you have not known before—H226H4159H935H1696H559H3212H310H312H430H3045H5647 3do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.H8085H1697H5030H2492H2472H3068H430H5254H3045H3426H157H3068H430H3824H5315 4Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.H3212H310H3068H430H3372H8104H4687H8085H6963H5647H1692 5The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the LORD your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you.H5030H2492H2472H4191H1696H5627H3068H430H3318H776H4714H6299H1004H5650H5080H1870H3068H430H6680H3212H1197H7451H1197H7130 6"Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, 'Let us go worship other gods'—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known.H251H1121H517H1121H1323H802H2436H7453H5315H5496H5643H559H3212H5647H312H430H3045H1 7They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth.H430H5971H5439H7138H7350H7097H776H7097H776 8But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them.H14H8085H5869H2347H2550H3680 9You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in.H2026H2026H3027H7223H4191H314H3027H5971 10Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery.H5619H68H4191H1245H5080H3068H430H3318H776H4714H1004H5650 11Then all Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and no one will act so wickedly again.H3478H8085H3372H6213H3254H1697H7451H7130 12"When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, you may hearH8085H259H5892H3068H430H5414H3427H559 13that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, 'Let us go worship other gods'—gods you have not known before.H582H1121H1100H3318H7130H5080H3427H5892H559H3212H5647H312H430H3045 14In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you,H1875H2713H7592H3190H571H1697H3559H2063H8441H6213H7130 15you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock.H5221H5221H3427H5892H6310H2719H2763H929H6310H2719 16Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt.H6908H7998H8432H7339H8313H784H5892H7998H3632H3068H430H8510H5769H1129 17Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a large nation, just as he swore to your ancestors.H1692H3972H2764H3027H3068H7725H2740H639H5414H7356H7355H7235H7650H1 18"The LORD your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him.H8085H6963H3068H430H8104H4687H6680H3117H6213H3477H5869H3068H430