Deuteronomy 4:1-14 - Call To Obedience

¹ Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them you will live! Go in and take the land that Jehovah the God of your fathers is giving you. ² He is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded. So do not add anything or take anything away. ³ You saw how he killed everyone who worshiped the god Baal at Peor. ⁴ But all of you who were faithful to Jehovah your God are still alive today. ⁵ I have taught you laws and rules as Jehovah my God commanded me. You must obey them when you enter the land and take possession of it. ⁶ Carefully obey the laws. For this will show your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations. They will hear all these statutes and say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' ⁷ What great nation is there, who has God so near to them? For we call on Jehovah our God for all things! ⁸ And what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments so righteous as the law I present to you this day?

⁹ Be on your guard! Make sure you do not forget, as long as you live, what you have seen with your own eyes. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. ¹⁰ Do you remember the day you stood in the presence of Jehovah your God at Mount Sinai (Horeb)? He said to me: 'assemble the people. I want them to hear what I have to say, so that they will learn to obey me as long as they live. Then they will teach their children to do the same.' ¹¹ Tell your children how you went close and stood at the foot of the mountain covered with thick clouds of dark smoke and fire blazing up to the sky. ¹² Tell them how Jehovah spoke to you from the fire. Tell them that you heard him speak but did not see him in any form at all. ¹³ He told you what you must do to keep the covenant he made with you. You must obey the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets. ¹⁴ Jehovah told me to teach you all the laws that you are to obey in the land that you are about to invade and occupy.