The Wilderness Years

I have not eaten in mine affliction of it, nor have I put away of it for uncleanness, nor have I given of it for the dead; I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah my God; I have done according to all that Thou hast commanded me;

look from Thy holy habitation, from the heavens, and bless Thy people Israel, and the ground which Thou hast given to us, as Thou hast sworn to our fathers--a land flowing with milk and honey.

`This day Jehovah thy God is commanding thee to do these statutes and judgments; and thou hast hearkened and done them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

Jehovah thou hast caused to promise to-day to become thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His commands, and His judgments, and to hearken to His voice.

`And Jehovah hath caused thee to promise to-day to become His people, a peculiar treasure, as He hath spoken to thee, and to keep all His commands;

so as to make thee uppermost above all the nations whom He hath made for a praise, and for a name, and for beauty, and for thy being a holy people to Jehovah thy God, as He hath spoken.

`And Moses--the elders of Israel also--commandeth the people, saying, Keep all the command which I am commanding you to-day;

and it hath been, in the day that ye pass over the Jordan unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, that thou hast raised up for thee great stones, and plaistered them with plaister,

and written on them all the words of this law in thy passing over, so that thou goest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee--a land flowing with milk and honey, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath spoken to thee.

`And it hath been, in your passing over the Jordan, ye raise up these stones which I am commanding you to-day, in mount Ebal, and thou hast plaistered them with plaister,

and built there an altar to Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones, thou dost not wave over them iron.

Of complete stones thou buildest the altar of Jehovah thy God, and hast caused to ascend on it burnt-offerings to Jehovah thy God,

and sacrificed peace-offerings, and eaten there, and rejoiced before Jehovah thy God,

and written on the stones all the words of this law, well engraved.'

And Moses speaketh--the priests, the Levites, also--unto all Israel, saying, `Keep silent, and hear, O Israel, this day thou hast become a people to Jehovah thy God;

and thou hast hearkened to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and done His commands, and His statutes, which I am commanding thee to-day.'

And Moses commandeth the people on that day, saying,

`These do stand, to bless the people, on mount Gerizzim, in your passing over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin.

And these do stand, for the reviling, on mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

`And the Levites have answered and said unto every man of Israel--a loud voice:

`Cursed is the man who maketh a graven and molten image, the abomination of Jehovah, work of the hands of an artificer, and hath put it in a secret place, --and all the people have answered and said, Amen.

`Cursed is He who is making light of his father and his mother, --and all the people have said, Amen.

`Cursed is he who is removing his neighbour's border, --and all the people have said, Amen.

`Cursed is he who is causing the blind to err in the way, --and all the people have said, Amen.

`Cursed is he who is turning aside the judgment of fatherless, sojourner, and widow, --and all the people have said, Amen.