17. Don’t make statues of animals on earth or birds that fly in the air.
18. Don’t make statues of anything that crawls on the ground. Don’t make statues of fish in the water below.
19. When you look up at the sky, you see the sun, moon and stars. You can see everything in the sky. But don’t bow down and worship them. The Lord your God has made these things for all people everywhere.
20. Egypt tested you like a furnace for melting iron. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. And he made you his very own people, as you are now.
21. The Lord was angry with me because of you. He made a strong promise that I would not cross the Jordan River. I could not go into the good land the Lord your God is giving you to own.
22. I will die here in this land. I will not cross the Jordan. But you will soon go across and take that good land.
23. Be careful. Don’t forget the agreement of the Lord your God that he made with you. Don’t make any idols for yourselves. The Lord your God has commanded you not to do that.
24. The Lord your God is a jealous God. He is like a fire that burns things up.
25. You will live in the land a long time. You will have children and grandchildren. Even after that, don’t do evil things. Don’t make any kind of idol. Don’t do what the Lord says is evil. That will make him angry.
26. I will ask heaven and earth to speak against you that day. Then you will quickly be removed from this land. You are crossing the Jordan River to take the land. But you will not live there long after that. You will be completely destroyed.
27. The Lord will scatter you among the other nations. Only a few of you will be left alive. And those few will be in other nations where the Lord will send you.
28. There you will worship gods made by men. They will be made of wood and stone. They cannot see, hear, eat or smell.
29. But even there you can look for the Lord your God. And you will find him if you look. But you must look for him with your whole being.