1. Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them, you will live, and you will go in and take the land that the Lord is giving you. He is the God your ancestors worshipped,
2. and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away.
3. You saw how he killed everyone who worshipped the god Baal-Peor.
4. But all of you who were faithful to the Lord your God are still alive today.
5-8. No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are. In fact, everyone who hears about your laws will say, “That great nation certainly is wise!” And what makes us greater than other nations? We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers.
9. You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well.
10. Do you remember the day you stood in the Lord's presence at Mount Sinai? The Lord said, “Moses, bring the people of Israel here. I want to speak to them so they will obey me as long as they live, and so they will teach their children to obey me too.”
11. Mount Sinai was surrounded by deep dark clouds, and fire went up to the sky. You came to the foot of the mountain,
12. and the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn't see him.
13. The Lord said he was making an agreement with you, and he told you that your part of the agreement is to obey the Ten Commandments. Then the Lord wrote these Commandments on two flat stones.