<t /><p class="bodytext">Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances<n id="1" /> I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the <sc>Lordsc>, the God of your ancestors,<n id="2" /> is giving you.

Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth<n id="1" /> today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the <sc>Lordsc> your God is about to give you as a permanent possession.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them:<n id="1" /> &#8220;Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them!

(I was standing between the <sc>Lordsc> and you at that time to reveal to you the message<n id="1" /> of the <sc>Lordsc>, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:p>

You must not worship or serve them, for I, the <sc>Lordsc> your God, am a jealous God. I punish<n id="1" /> the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject<n id="2" /> me,<n id="3" />

But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments,<n id="1" /> statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.&#8221;<n id="2" />

and that you may so revere the <sc>Lordsc> your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments<n id="1" /> that I am giving<n id="2" /> you &#8211; you, your children, and your grandchildren &#8211; all your lives, to prolong your days.

<t /><p class="bodytext">You must keep carefully all these commandments<n id="1" /> I am giving<n id="2" /> you today so that you may live, increase in number,<n id="3" /> and go in and occupy the land that the <sc>Lordsc> promised to your ancestors.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now pay attention to all the commandments<n id="1" /> I am giving<n id="2" /> you today, so that you may be strong enough to enter and possess the land where you are headed,<n id="3" />

Now, if you pay close attention<n id="1" /> to my commandments that I am giving you today and love<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God and serve him with all your mind and being,<n id="3" />

For if you carefully observe all of these commandments<n id="1" /> I am giving you<n id="2" /> and love the <sc>Lordsc> your God, live according to his standards,<n id="3" /> and remain loyal to him,

and the curse if you pay no attention<n id="1" /> to his<n id="2" /> commandments and turn from the way I am setting before<n id="3" /> you today to pursue<n id="4" /> other gods you have not known.

Then you must come to the place the <sc>Lordsc> your God chooses for his name to reside, bringing<n id="1" /> everything I am commanding you &#8211; your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared,<n id="2" /> and all your choice votive offerings which you devote to him.<n id="3" />

Pay careful attention to all these things I am commanding you so that it may always go well with you and your children after you when you do what is good and right in the sight of the <sc>Lordsc> your God.p>

Thus you must obey the <sc>Lordsc> your God, keeping all his commandments that I am giving<n id="1" /> you today and doing what is right<n id="2" /> before him.<n id="3" />p>

There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open<n id="1" /> your hand to your fellow Israelites<n id="2" /> who are needy and poor in your land.p>

and then you are careful to observe all these commandments<n id="1" /> I am giving<n id="2" /> you today (namely, to love the <sc>Lordsc> your God and to always walk in his ways), then you must add three more cities<n id="3" /> to these three.

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;If you indeed<n id="1" /> obey the <sc>Lordsc> your God and are careful to observe all his commandments I am giving<n id="2" /> you today, the <sc>Lordsc> your God will elevate you above all the nations of the earth.

The <sc>Lordsc> will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom, if you obey his<n id="1" /> commandments which I am urging<n id="2" /> you today to be careful to do.

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;But if you ignore<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force:<n id="2" />