Choose for yourselves {wise and discerning and knowledgeable men} for [each of] your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.'

You must not {be partial} {in your judgment}; hear [out] the small [person] as [also] the great [person]; {do not be intimidated by any person}, because the judgment [is] God's; and the case that is too difficult for you, bring [it] to me, and I will hear it [out].'

Yahweh your God, who is going {before you}, will himself fight for you, {just as} he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

'No one of these men of this evil generation will see the good land that I swore to give to your ancestors,

except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; he himself shall see it, and to him I will give the land upon which he has trodden and to his sons because {he followed Yahweh unreservedly}.'

Joshua, the son of Nun, {your assistant}, will go there; encourage him because he will cause Israel to inherit it.

And your little children, who you thought shall become plunder, and your sons, who do not today know good or bad, shall themselves go there, and I will give it to them, and they shall take possession of it.

"You replied and said to me, 'We have sinned against Yahweh, [and now] we will go up and fight according to all that Yahweh our God commanded us'; and [so] each man fastened on {his battle gear}, and you regarded [it] as easy to go up [into] the hill country.

So Yahweh said to me, 'Say to them, "You shall not go up, and you shall not fight because I am not in your midst; you will be defeated {before} your enemies." '

The Amorites living in the hill country went out {to oppose you} and chased you as [a swarm of] wild honey bees do; and [so] they {beat} you down in Seir as far as Hormah.

and instruct the people, {saying}, "You [are] about to cross [through] the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who are living in Seir; they will be afraid of you, and [so] be very careful.

Do not get involved in battle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even {a foot's breadth} [of it]; since I have given Mount Seir [as] a possession for Esau.

And Yahweh said to me, 'You shall not attack Moab, and you shall not engage in war with them, for I will not give you any of his land [as] a possession; I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot [as] a possession.'

This day I will begin to place {the dread of you} and the fear of you {before} the peoples under all the heavens. [They] will hear {the report about you}, and [so] they will shake and tremble {because of you}.'

'Let me cross through your land [and] {only along the road} I will go; I will not turn aside to the right or [to the] left.

Food for money you shall sell me, so that I may eat, and water for money you will give to me, so that I may drink; just let me cross on foot.

And Yahweh said to me, 'You should not fear him, for I have given him and all [of] his army and his land into your hand. And [so] you will do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who [was] reigning in Heshbon.'

And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, 'Your eyes see all that Yahweh your God has done to these two kings; so Yahweh will do to all [of] the kingdoms where you are about to cross over to.

Go up [to] the top of Pisgah and {look around you} toward the west, toward the north, and toward the east, and {view} [the land] with your eyes, for you will not cross this Jordan.

Now instruct Joshua and support him and encourage him because he himself will cross [over] before this people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.'

And {you must observe them diligently}, for that [is] your wisdom and your insight before the eyes of the people, who will hear all [of] these rules, and they will say, 'Surely this great nation [is] a wise and discerning people.'

I call to witness against you today the heaven and the earth, that you will perish soon and completely from the land that you [are] crossing the Jordan into it to take possession of it; {you will not live long on it}, but you will be completely destroyed.

And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left {few in number} among the nations {to where Yahweh will lead you}.

And you will there serve gods {made by human hands}, [of] wood and stone, [gods] that cannot see and cannot hear and cannot eat and cannot smell.

But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God and will find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

{In your distress} when all these things have found you in the {latter days}, then you will return to Yahweh your God, and you will listen to his voice.

For Yahweh your God is a compassionate God; he {will not abandon you}, and he will not destroy you, and he will not forget the covenant of your ancestors that he swore to them.

You shall not take up the name of Yahweh your God for worthless purpose, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished [anyone] who uses his name for worthless purpose.

'Honor your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God commanded you, so that it will be good for you {in the land} that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you.

And so then why shall we die, for this great fire will consume us if {we continue} to hear the voice of Yahweh our God [any] longer, and [so] we shall die?

[You] go near and hear {everything} that Yahweh our God will say; and [then] you tell us all that Yahweh our God tells you, and we will listen, and we will do [it].'

{If only} {they had such a mind}'; [that is], to fear me and to keep all my commandments {at all times}, so that {it will go well} for them and for their children {forever}.

{In exactly the path} that Yahweh your God has commanded, you must go, so that you may live and {it will go well} for you and {you may live long} in the land that you will take possession of."

"And then it will happen [that] when Yahweh your God will bring you to the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to you large and fine cities that you did not build,

and Yahweh your God will give them {over to you} and you defeat them, you must {utterly destroy them}; you shall not make a covenant with them, and you shall not show mercy [to them].

For their sons and daughters will cause your son to turn away {from following me}, and [so] they will serve other gods, and {the anger of Yahweh would be kindled} against you, and he would quickly destroy you.

"{And then} because you listen [to] these regulations and you diligently keep and you do them, then Yahweh your God will maintain his covenant and his loyal love that he swore to your ancestors.

And he will love you, and he will bless you, and he will multiply you, and he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your soil, your grain, your wine, and your olive oil, and [newborn] calves of your cattle, and the [newborn] lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you.

And Yahweh will turn away from you all the illness and all the harmful diseases of Egypt that you experienced; he will not lay them on you, but he will lay them on all [of] those who hate you.

And you shall devour all of the peoples [that] Yahweh your God [is] giving to you; {you shall not pity them}, and you shall not serve their gods, [which] will be a snare for you.

the great trials that your eyes saw and the signs and the wonders and the [workings of] the strong hand and the outstretched arm [by] which Yahweh your God brought you out; so Yahweh your God will do to all [of] the peoples {because of whom} you [are] in fear {before them}.

And, moreover, Yahweh your God will send the hornets among them until [both] the survivors and the fugitives {are destroyed} {before you}.

And Yahweh your God will clear away these nations {from before you} little by little; you will not be able to finish them off quickly, {lest} the {wild animals} {multiply} {against you}.

But Yahweh your God will {give them to you}, and he will throw them into great panic {until they are destroyed}.

And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall blot out their names from under the heaven; anyone will not [be able to] stand {against you} {until you destroy them}.

And you must not bring a detestable thing into your house, or you will become a thing devoted to destruction like it; you must utterly detest it, and you must utterly abhor it, for it [is] [an] object devoted to destruction.

[to] a land where you may eat food in it {without scarcity}; you will not find anything lacking in it, a land where its stones [are] iron and from its mountains you can mine copper.

And you will eat, and {you will be satisfied}, and you will bless Yahweh your God because [of] the good land that he has given to you.

And it will happen [that] if you indeed forget Yahweh your God and you go after other gods and you serve them and you bow down before them, I warn you today that you will surely perish.

You should know {today} that Yahweh your God is the one crossing {ahead of you} [as] a devouring fire; he will destroy them, and he will subdue them before you; so you will dispossess them, and you will destroy them quickly, {just as} Yahweh {promised} you.

And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former [tablets], which you smashed, and you must put them in the ark.'

"And it will happen [that] if you listen carefully to my commandments that I [am] commanding you {today}, to love Yahweh your God, and to serve him with all [of] your heart and with all [of] your soul,

then 'I will send the rain for your land in its season, early rain and later rain, and you will gather your grain and your wine and your olive oil.

And I will give vegetation in your field for your livestock, and {you will eat your fill}.'

And [then] {the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you}, and he will shut up the heavens, and there shall not be rain, and [so] the ground will not give its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land that Yahweh [is] giving to you.

then Yahweh will drive out all [of] these nations {before you}, and you will dispossess nations larger and more numerous than you.

No one can take a stand {against you}; your dread and your fear Yahweh your God will put on the {surface} of all the land {where you tread}, [just] as he {promised} to you.

"And it will happen [that] when Yahweh your God has brought you to {the land that you are going to}, to take possession of it, then you shall pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.

For you are [now] about to cross the Jordan to go to take possession of the land that Yahweh, your God, [is] giving to you, and you will take possession of it and live in it,

{But only} to the place that Yahweh your God will choose from all [of] your tribes to place his name there as his dwelling shall you seek, and there you shall go.

But you will cross the Jordan, and you will settle in the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving you as an inheritance, and he will give rest to you from all your enemies from all around, and you will live securely,

{and then} [at] the place that Yahweh your God will choose, to let his name dwell there, there you shall bring all [the things] I [am] commanding you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and {your donations}, and all [of] the choice [things], your votive gifts that you vow to Yahweh.

{but only} at the place that Yahweh will choose among one of your tribes; there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all [the things] that I [am] commanding you.

But only {before} Yahweh your God you shall eat it, at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite who [is] in your {towns}, and you must rejoice {before} your God {in all your undertakings}.

If the place that Yahweh your God will choose to put his name there is [too] far from you, and you slaughter any of your herd and any of your flock that Yahweh has given to you [just] as I have commanded you, then you may eat whenever you desire in your {towns}.

You shall not eat it, so that {it will go well} for you [and] your children after you, because [then] you will [be] doing what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

Only your holy objects {that are yours} and your votive gifts you must carry and you must bring to the place that Yahweh will choose.

{Be careful to obey} all these things that I [am] commanding you, so that {it will go well} for you and for your children after you {forever}, because then you will [be] doing what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your God.

deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep.

And you shall eat {before} Yahweh your God in the place that he will choose to make to dwell his name there the tithe of your grain, your wine and your olive oil and the firstling of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to revere Yahweh your God {always}.

But if {the distance is too great for you}, [so] that you are not able to transport it, because the place that Yahweh your God will choose to set his name there, it is [too] far from you, when Yahweh your God will bless you,

then [in that case] {you may exchange for money}, and you shall take the money to your hand and go to the place that Yahweh your God will choose.

Nevertheless, there shall not be among you a poor [person], because Yahweh will certainly bless you in the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you [as] an inheritance, to take possession of it.

When Yahweh your God has blessed you, [just] as he {promised} to you, then you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow [from them], and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

{Take care} so that there will not be {a thought of wickedness} in your heart, {saying}, 'The seventh year, the year of the remission of debt is near,' {and you view your needy neighbor with hostility}, and [so] you [do] not give to him, and he might cry [out] against you to Yahweh, and {you would incur guilt against yourself}.

By all means you must give to him, and {you must not be discontented} at your giving to him, because on account of this [very] thing, Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and {in all that you undertake}.

For the poor will not cease to be {among you} [in] the land; therefore I [am] commanding you, {saying}, 'You shall willingly open your hand to your brother, to your needy and to your poor [that are] in your land.'

And then [if] it will happen [that] he says to you, '{I do not want to go out} from you,' because he loves you and your family, because it is good for him [to be] with you;

It shall not be hard in your eyes {when you send him forth free}, because for six years he has served you [worth] twice the wage of a hired worker; and Yahweh your God will bless you {in whatever you will do}.

[Rather] {before Yahweh} your God you shall eat it year by year at the place Yahweh will choose, you and your household.

And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to Yahweh your God [from among] [your] flock and herd at the place that Yahweh will choose, to let his name dwell there.

You shall not eat {with it} anything leavened; seven days you shall eat {with it} unleavened bread of affliction, because in haste you went out from the land of Egypt, so that you will remember the day of your going out from the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

And leaven shall not be seen with you in any of your territory for seven days, and none of the meat that you will slaughter on the evening on the first day shall remain overnight until morning.

but only at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, to let his name dwell there; you shall offer the Passover sacrifice {in the evening at sunset}, [at the] designated time of your going out from Egypt.

And you shall cook, and you shall eat [it] at the place that Yahweh your God will choose; and you may turn in the morning and go to your tents.

And you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite that [is] in your {towns} and the alien and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst in the place that Yahweh your God will choose to let his name dwell there.

Seven days you shall celebrate [your] feast to Yahweh your God at the place Yahweh will choose, for Yahweh your God shall bless you in all of your produce and in all [of] the work of your hand, and you shall surely [be] rejoicing.

Three times in the year all [of] your males shall appear {before } Yahweh your God at the place that he will choose, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear {before Yahweh} empty-handed.

"{If a matter is too difficult for you}, [for example disputes] between blood and blood, between legal claim and legal claim and between assault and assault [and between] matters of discernment in your {towns}, then you shall get up and you shall go to the place that Yahweh your God will choose;

then you shall go to the priests and the Levites and to the judge who will be [in office] in those days, and you shall enquire, and they shall announce to you {the verdict}.

"And {you shall carry out exactly the decision} that they announced to you from that place that Yahweh will choose, and {you shall diligently observe} according to all that they instruct you.

And all the people will hear and will be afraid, and they will not behave presumptuously again.

"When you have come to that land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you and you have taken possession of it and you have settled in it, and you say, 'I will set over me a king like all the nations that [are] around me,'

indeed, you may set a king over you whom Yahweh your God will choose, from the midst of your countrymen you must set a king over you; you are not allowed to appoint over you a man, a foreigner, who [is] not your countryman.

And if a Levite comes from one of your {towns} from {anywhere in Israel} where he is residing, {he may come whenever he desires}, to the place that Yahweh will choose,

"Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your countrymen, [and] to him you shall listen.

I will raise up a prophet for them {from among their countrymen} like you, and I will place my words into his mouth, and he shall speak to them {everything that I command him}.

{And then} the man that will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I will hold accountable.

You shall prepare the roads for yourselves, and you shall divide the regions of your land into thirds that Yahweh your God gives you as a possession, so that {it will be available for any manslayer to flee there}.

[Do this] so that innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you [as an] inheritance and [thereby] bloodguilt would be on you.