24. The Lord your God is like a fire that burns everything up. He's a jealous God.
25. You will have children and grandchildren. And you will live in the land a long time. But don't commit a horrible sin. Don't make a statue of a god. If you do, that will be an evil thing in the sight of the Lord your God. You will make him angry.
26. I'm calling out to heaven and earth to be witnesses against you this very day. If you do those things, you will quickly die in the land you are going across the Jordan River to take over. You won't live there very long. You will certainly be destroyed.
27. The Lord will drive you out of your land. He will scatter you among the nations. Only a few of you will remain alive there.
28. There you will worship gods that men have made out of wood and stone. Those gods can't see, hear, eat or smell.
29. Perhaps while you are there, you will look to the Lord your God. You will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
30. All of the things I've told you about might happen to you. And you will be in trouble. But later you will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him.
31. The Lord your God is tender and loving. He won't leave you or destroy you. He won't forget the covenant he made with your people long ago. He took an oath when he made it.
32. Ask now about the days of long ago. Learn what happened long before your time. Ask about what has happened since the time God created man on the earth. Ask from one end of the world to the other. Has anything as great as this ever happened? Has anything like it ever been heard of?