The Scriptures 1998

Deuteronomy 4:5-20 The Scriptures 1998 (ISR98)

5. “See, I have taught you laws and right-rulings, as יהוה my Elohim commanded me, to do thus in the land which you go to possess.

6. “And you shall guard and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these laws, and they shall say, ‘Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation!’

7. “For what great nation is there which has Elohim so near to it, as יהוה our Elohim is to us, whenever we call on Him?

8. “And what great nation is there that has such laws and righteous right-rulings like all this Torah which I set before you this day?

9. “Only, guard yourself, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the Words your eyes have seen, and lest they turn aside from your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children and your grandchildren.

10. “The day when you stood before יהוה your Elohim in Ḥorĕḇ, יהוה said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me and I make them hear My Words, so that they learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth and teach them to their children.’

11. “And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of the heavens – darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.

12. “And יהוה spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard a voice of words, but saw no form, you only heard a voice.

13. “And He made known to you His covenant which He commanded you to do, the Ten Words, and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

14. “And יהוה commanded me at that time to teach you laws and right-rulings, for you to do them in the land which you pass over to possess.

15. “Therefore, diligently guard yourselves, for you saw no form when יהוה spoke to you at Ḥorĕḇ out of the midst of the fire,

16. lest you should do corruptly and shall make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure – the likeness of male or female,

17. the likeness of any beast that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the heavens,

18. the likeness of any creature that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;

19. and lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and shall see the sun, and the moon, and the stars – all the host of the heavens – and you be drawn away into bowing down to them and serving them, which יהוה your Elohim has allotted to all the peoples under all the heavens.

20. “But יהוה has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Mitsrayim, to be His people, an inheritance, as it is today.