New American Bible, Revised Edition

Deuteronomy 4:13-23 New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

13. He proclaimed to you his covenant, which he commanded you to keep: the ten words, which he wrote on two stone tablets.

14. At that time the Lord charged me to teach you the statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land you are about to cross into and possess.

15. Because you saw no form at all on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, be strictly on your guard

16. not to act corruptly by fashioning an idol for yourselves to represent any figure, whether it be the form of a man or of a woman,

17. the form of any animal on the earth, the form of any bird that flies in the sky,

18. the form of anything that crawls on the ground, or the form of any fish in the waters under the earth.

19. And when you look up to the heavens and behold the sun or the moon or the stars, the whole heavenly host, do not be led astray into bowing down to them and serving them. These the Lord, your God, has apportioned to all the other nations under the heavens;

20. but you the Lord has taken and led out of that iron foundry, Egypt, that you might be his people, his heritage, as you are today.

21. But the Lord was angry with me on your account and swore that I should not cross the Jordan nor enter the good land which the Lord, your God, is giving you as a heritage.

22. I myself shall die in this country; I shall not cross the Jordan; but you are going to cross over and take possession of that good land.

23. Be careful, therefore, lest you forget the covenant which the Lord, your God, has made with you, and fashion for yourselves against his command an idol in any form whatsoever.