Sinai & The Law

"'If he has not been redeemed by any of these procedures, nevertheless he will go free in the year of yovel -he and his children with him.

For to me the people of Isra'el are slaves; they are my slaves whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; I am ADONAI your God.

"'You are not to make yourselves any idols, erect a carved statue or a standing-stone, or place any carved stone anywhere in your land in order to bow down to it. I am ADONAI your God.

"'Keep my Shabbats, and revere my sanctuary; I am ADONAI.

"'If you live by my regulations, observe my mitzvot and obey them;

then I will provide the rain you need in its season, the land will yield its produce, and the trees in the field will yield their fruit.

Your threshing time will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvesting will extend until the time for sowing seed. You will eat as much food as you want and live securely in your land.

"'I will give shalom in the land -you will lie down to sleep unafraid of anyone. I will rid the land of wild animals. The sword will not go through your land.

You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before your sword.

Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand -your enemies will fall before your sword.

"'I will turn toward you, make you productive, increase your numbers and uphold my covenant with you.

You will eat all you want from last year's harvest and throw out what remains of the old to make room for the new.

I will put my tabernacle among you, and I will not reject you,

but I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, so that you would not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, so that you can walk upright.

"'But if you will not listen to me and obey all these mitzvot,

if you loathe my regulations and reject my rulings, in order not to obey all my mitzvot but cancel my covenant;

then I, for my part, will do this to you: I will bring terror upon you -wasting disease and chronic fever to dim your sight and sap your strength. You will sow your seed for nothing, because your enemies will eat the crops.

I will set my face against you - your enemies will defeat you, those who hate you will hound you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.

If these things don't make you listen to me, then I will discipline you seven times over for your sins.

I will break the pride you have in your own power. I will make your sky like iron, your soil like bronze -

you will spend your strength in vain, because the land will not yield its produce or the trees in the field their fruit.

"'Yes, if you go against me and don't listen to me, I will increase your calamities sevenfold, according to your sins.

I will send wild animals among you; they will rob you of your children, destroy your livestock and reduce your numbers, until your roads are deserted.

"'If, in spite of all this, you refuse my correction and still go against me;