"Don't take a pair of millstones, especially the upper millstone, as collateral for a loan, because this means taking a man's livelihood.

"If a man is found kidnapping his relative, a fellow Israeli, and mistreats or sells him, that kidnapper must die. By doing this, you will remove this evil from among you.

"In cases of leprosy, be very careful to observe exactly what the Levitical priests instructed you. Carefully follow what I have commanded them.

Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam along the way as you were coming out of Egypt."

"When you loan something to your neighbor, don't enter his house to seize what he offered as collateral.

Stay outside and let the man to whom you made the loan bring it out to you.

If he is a poor man, don't go to sleep with his collateral in your possession.

Be sure to return his garment to him at sunset so that he may sleep with it, and he will bless you. It will be a righteous deed in the presence of the LORD your God.

Don't take advantage of a hired person who is poor and needy, whether he's your fellow citizen or a foreigner who lives in your city.

Pay his wages that same day before the sun sets, because he is poor and his livelihood depends on it. Otherwise, he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will incur guilt."

"Fathers must not be put to death on account of their children's sin; nor shall children die on account of their fathers' sin. Each person is to be put to death for his own sin.

"Don't deny justice to a foreigner or to an orphan, nor take a widow's garment as collateral for a loan.

Remember to observe this because you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I am commanding you to do this.

"When you are reaping in the field, and you overlook a sheaf, don't return to get it. Let it remain for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless everything you undertake.

When you harvest the olives from your trees, don't go back to the branches a second time. What remains is for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow.

When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, don't go back a second time. What remains are for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow.

Remember to do this because you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I'm commanding you to do this."

"When there is a conflict between individuals, let them come to court to judge the case, decide who is innocent, and condemn the guilty person.

"Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain."

"When two brothers are living together and one of them dies without leaving a son, his widow must not be married outside the family to a foreigner. Instead, the brother-in-law must go to her, take her as his wife, and by doing so perform the duty of a brother-in-law.

But if the man does not want to marry his brother's widow, then she must go to the elders at the city gate and declare, "My husband's brother refuses to perform the duty of a brother-in-law in order to preserve the name of his brother in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law.'

Then the elders of the city are to summon him and speak with him. If he insists on saying, "I don't want to marry her,'

then she is to approach her brother-in-law in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and say in response, "May this be done to the man who does not preserve the lineage of his brother.'

"If two men are fighting together, and the wife of one comes to rescue her husband from the grasp of his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes his genitals,

you are to cut off her hand. Don't show any pity."

"Don't have different weights in your bag one heavy and one light.

Don't have different measuring devices in your house one large and one small.

You must have honest weights and measuring devices, so you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is about to give you,

for anyone who does these things anyone who deals dishonestly is detestable to the LORD your God."

"Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the road while you were coming out of Egypt,

Therefore, when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies who surround you in the land that he is about to give you to possess as an inheritance, you must completely erase the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven. Don't forget!"

"When you arrive in the land that the LORD your God is about to give you as an inheritance, take possession of it and settle in it.

Gather all the first produce of the ground that you harvest from your land that the LORD your God is about to give you, place it in a basket, and bring it to the place where the LORD your God will choose to establish his name.

Approach the priest who is in charge at that time and say to him, "I acknowledge today to the LORD your God that I've arrived in the land that the LORD promised our ancestors to give us.'

Then you are to affirm and declare in the presence of the LORD your God:

"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, who went down to Egypt and traveled there with very few family members, yet there he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. But the Egyptians oppressed us, afflicted us, and assigned us to hard labor.

So we cried out to the LORD God of our ancestors, and he heard our cries and observed our affliction, trouble, and oppression.

And then we arrived at this place, and he gave this land to us, flowing with milk and honey.

"When you have finished your harvest, reserve the tithe in the third year (the year of the tithe), and give the entire tithe to the descendants of Levi, to the foreigners, to the orphans, and to the widows, so they may eat and be satisfied in your cities.

"I've removed the holy offering from my house and given it to the descendants of Levi, to the foreigners, to the orphans, and to the widows just as you have commanded me. I haven't violated or forgotten your commands. I haven't eaten any part of it while mourning, nor removed any part of it while unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead. I've obeyed the voice of the LORD my God and did all that he commanded me.

"The LORD your God is commanding you this very day to observe these statutes and judgments. Be careful to obey them with all your heart and soul.

You have declared this very day that the LORD will be your God. You are to walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commands, and judgments, and obey his voice.

The LORD affirmed this day that you are his prized possession. Therefore, observe his commands,

so he may elevate you far above all the nations that he has made. Then you will live to the praise, fame, and glory of God, and so be a nation that is holy to the LORD your God, as he has promised."

Moses and the elders of Israel gave these orders to the people: "Observe all of the commandments that I'm giving you today.

On the day you cross over the Jordan River to the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster.

Then inscribe on them all the words of this Law when you've crossed over into the land that the LORD your God is about to give you a land flowing with milk and honey just as the LORD God of your ancestors promised you.

Then build an altar there to the LORD your God, an altar of stones that hasn't been worked with iron tools.

Build the altar to the LORD your God with uncut stones, then offer a burnt offering to him.

Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to Israel. They said, "Be quiet and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God.

Listen to his voice and carry out his commands and statutes that I'm giving you today."

Moses gave the people these commands that day:

"When you cross the Jordan River, these tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.

The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali are to stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce the curse.

The descendants of Levi are to declare in a loud voice to every Israeli:

""Cursed is the one who makes a sculptured or cast image a detestable thing to the LORD, the work of a craftsman and sets it up secretly.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who treats his father and mother with dishonor.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor's boundary stone.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who perverts justice due the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

"Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his father's wife, because he has disgraced his father.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with any animal.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of his father or mother.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is one who strikes his neighbor secretly.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is one who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'

""Cursed is the one who doesn't uphold the words of this Law and observe them.' "Then all the people are to respond by saying, "Amen!'"

"Indeed, if you diligently obey the LORD your God to carry out all his commands that I'm giving you today, then the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

"The LORD will make your enemies, who rise against you and attack from one direction, to flee from you in seven directions.

"The LORD will send blessings for you with regard to your barns and everything you undertake. Indeed, he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is about to give you.

"The LORD will assign you to be a holy people for himself, just as he promised you, as long as you keep his commands and walk in his ways.

"The LORD will show his abundant goodness with respect to your children, the offspring of your animals, and the produce of your farmland that he promised your ancestors he would give you.

"The LORD will open his rich treasury, the heavens, to release rain upon your land in season and bless everything you undertake so that you'll lend to many nations but won't borrow.

"The LORD your God will make you the head and not the tail placing you above and not beneath if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I'm giving you today to keep and observe.

Do not deviate from any of his commands that I'm giving you today neither to the right nor the left to follow and serve other gods."

"But if you don't obey the LORD your God and faithfully carry out all his commands and statutes that I'm giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you and overwhelm you:

The LORD will cause you to be ill with long-lasting diseases until you are wiped out from the land that you are entering to possess.

The LORD will change the rain on your land to powder and dust. It will come down from the sky until you are exterminated."

"The LORD will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You'll go out against them in one direction, but you'll flee from them in seven directions. Consequently, you'll be in a state of great terror throughout all the kingdoms of the earth.

Your dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, with no one to chase them away.

As a result, you'll wander aimlessly in broad daylight just as a blind person wanders in darkness. You won't prosper in life. Instead, you'll be oppressed and plundered all day long, with no deliverer.

"You'll be engaged to a woman, but another man will rape her. You'll build a house, but you won't live in it. You'll plant a vineyard, but you won't harvest it.

Your ox will be slaughtered in front of you, and you won't be able to eat it. Your donkey will be stolen from you while you watch and won't be returned to you. Your flock of sheep will be handed to your enemies, and there will be no deliverer.

Your sons and daughters will be given to another people while you watch. You won't be able to approach them at all, and you'll be powerless to help.

"A people whom you don't know will devour what your land and labor produces. You'll be only oppressed and discouraged continuously

"The LORD will afflict you with incurable boils on your knees and legs, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.

"The LORD will banish you and your king whom you will appoint over you to go to a nation that neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you'll serve other gods of wood and stone.

You'll plant a vineyard, but you won't drink wine or harvest any grapes because worms will consume it.

You'll have olive trees throughout your territory, but you won't be able to anoint yourself with oil because the olives will drop off the trees.

You'll bear sons and daughters, but they won't belong to you because they'll go into captivity.

He will lend to you, but you won't lend to him. He'll be the head, but you'll be the tail.

All these curses will come upon you and will overwhelm you until you are exterminated, because you didn't obey the LORD your God to keep his commands and statutes, which he had commanded you.

"Because you didn't serve the LORD your God joyfully and wholeheartedly, despite the abundance of everything you have,

it will be a nation whose language you don't understand, whose stern appearance neither shows regard nor extends grace to anyone whether old or young.

The most tender and sensitive lady among you, who doesn't venture to touch the soles of her feet to the ground on account of her daintiness, will look with hostility in her eyes against her beloved husband, her sons, and her daughters.

"If you aren't careful to observe all the words of this Law that have been written in this book, instructing you to fear this glorious and awesome name of the LORD your God,

He will inflict on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they won't be curable.

Just as the LORD delighted to prosper and increase you, so now the LORD will delight to destroy, exterminate, and banish you from the land that you are about to enter to possess."

"He'll scatter you among the nations from one end of the earth to the other, and there you'll serve other gods made of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known.

You'll cling to life, being fearful by both night and day, with no assurance of survival.