<p class="bodytext">All these curses will fall on you, pursuing and overtaking you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the <sc>Lordsc> your God by keeping his commandments and statutes that he has given<n id="1" /> you.

if you obey the <sc>Lordsc> your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him<n id="1" /> with your whole mind and being.p>

What<n id="1" /> I am commanding you today is to love the <sc>Lordsc> your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the <sc>Lordsc> your God will bless you in the land which you are about to possess.<n id="2" />

Do the job the <sc>Lordsc> your God has assigned you<n id="1" /> by following his instructions<n id="2" /> and obeying<n id="3" /> his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish,<n id="4" />

&#8220;As for this temple you are building, if you follow<n id="1" /> my rules, observe<n id="2" /> my regulations, and obey all my commandments,<n id="3" /> I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But if you or your sons ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep,<n id="1" /> and decide to serve and worship other gods,<n id="2" />

So the <sc>Lordsc> said to Solomon, &#8220;Because you insist on doing these things and have not kept the covenantal rules I gave you,<n id="1" /> I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.

I am taking the kingdom from him<n id="1" /> because they have<n id="2" /> abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions<n id="3" /> by doing what I approve and obeying my rules and regulations, like Solomon&#8217;s father David did.<n id="4" />

I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules.

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> solemnly warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and all the seers, &#8220;Turn back from your evil ways; obey my commandments and rules that are recorded in the law. I ordered your ancestors to keep this law and sent my servants the prophets to remind you of its demands.&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">To this very day they observe their earlier practices. They do not worship<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>; they do not obey the rules, regulations, law, and commandments that the <sc>Lordsc> gave<n id="2" /> the descendants of Jacob, whom he renamed Israel.

<t /><p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has made a promise to Israel.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by dayp> <p class="poetry">and the moon and stars to give light by night.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who is known as the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="1" />p>

You have sacrificed to other gods! You have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not obeyed the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not followed his laws, his statutes, and his decrees! That is why this disaster that is evident to this day has happened to you.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Because you are more arrogant<n id="1" /> than the nations around you,<n id="2" /> you have not followed my statutes and have not carried out my regulations. You have not even<n id="3" /> carried out the regulations of the nations around you!p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Yet you say, &#8216;Why should the son not suffer<n id="1" /> for his father&#8217;s iniquity?&#8217; When the son does what is just and right, and observes all my statutes and carries them out, he will surely live.

But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out<n id="1" /> my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them.<n id="2" />

&#8220;&#8216;But the children<n id="1" /> rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out (the one who obeys<n id="2" /> them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out<n id="3" /> my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness.

<p class="bodytext">Then he said to me: &#8220;Son of man, this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: These are the statutes of the altar: On the day it is built to offer up burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it,<n id="1" />

The <sc>Lordsc> said to me: &#8220;Son of man, pay attention,<n id="1" /> watch closely and listen carefully to<n id="2" /> everything I tell you concerning all the statutes of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s house and all its laws. Pay attention to the entrances<n id="3" /> to the temple with all the exits of the sanctuary.

You must obey<n id="1" /> all I command you to do, follow my instructions,<n id="2" /> do what I approve,<n id="3" /> and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David;<n id="4" /> I will give you Israel.