Deuteronomy 10
10
1At that time the Lord said to me, “Cut two ⌞more⌟ stone tablets like the first ones, and come up to me on the mountain. Also make an ark out of wood. 2I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the first tablets, which you smashed. Then you will put them in the ark.”
3I made an ark out of acacia wood. I cut two ⌞more⌟ stone tablets like the first ones. I carried the two tablets up the mountain. 4The Lord wrote on these tablets the same words as before, the ten commandments. He had spoken these words to you from the fire on the mountain on the day of the assembly. Then the Lord gave them to me. 5I came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made. They are still there, where the Lord commanded me to put them.
6The Israelites moved from the wells of the Jaakanites to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried, and his son Eleazar succeeded him as priest. 7They moved from there to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with rivers that don’t dry up. 8At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s promise, to stand in the Lord’s presence when they serve him as priests, and to praise his name, as they still do today. 9This is why the tribe of Levi has no land of their own as the other tribes have. The Lord your God is their only possession, as he promised them.
10I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights as I did the first time. Once again the Lord listened to me and agreed not to destroy you. 11The Lord said to me, “Lead the people on their journey. They will enter and take possession of the land I will give them, as I swore to their ancestors.”
Israel Encouraged to Follow God’s Guidance
12Israel, what does the Lord your God want you to do? He wants you to fear him, follow all his directions, love him, and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul. 13The Lord wants you to obey his commands and laws that I’m giving you today for your own good. 14Remember that the sky, the highest heaven, the earth and everything it contains belong to the Lord your God. 15The Lord set his heart on your ancestors and loved them. Because of this, today he chooses you, their descendants, out of all the people of the world.
16So circumcise your uncircumcised hearts, and don’t be impossible to deal with any longer. 17The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, powerful, and awe-inspiring God. He never plays favorites and never takes a bribe. 18He makes sure orphans and widows receive justice. He loves foreigners and gives them food and clothes. 19So you should love foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt. 20Fear the Lord your God, worship him, be loyal to him, and take your oaths in his name. 21He is your glory. He is your God, who did for you these spectacular and awe-inspiring deeds you saw with your own eyes. 22When your ancestors went to Egypt, there were 70 of them. Now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
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Deuteronomy 10: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Deuteronomy 10
10
The Opportunity to Begin Again
1 At that same time the Lord said to me, “Carve out for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones and come up the mountain to me; also make for yourself a wooden ark.#tn Or “chest” (so NIV, CEV); NLT “sacred chest”; TEV “wooden box.” This chest was made of acacia wood; it is later known as the ark of the covenant. 2 I will write on the tablets the same words#sn The same words. The care with which the replacement copy must be made underscores the importance of verbal precision in relaying the Lord’s commandments. that were on the first tablets you broke, and you must put them into the ark.” 3 So I made an ark of acacia#sn Acacia wood (Heb “shittim wood”). This is wood from the acacia, the most common timber tree of the Sinai region. Most likely it is the species Acacia raddiana because this has the largest trunk. See F. N. Hepper, Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Plants, 63. wood and carved out two stone tablets just like the first ones. Then I went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. 4 The Lord#tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity. then wrote on the tablets the same words,#tn Heb “according to the former writing.” See note on the phrase “the same words” in v. 2. the ten commandments,#tn Heb “ten words.” The “Ten Commandments” are known in Hebrew as the “Ten Words,” which in Greek became the “Decalogue.” which he#tn Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy. had spoken to you at the mountain from the middle of the fire at the time of that assembly, and he#tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” earlier in this verse. gave them to me. 5 Then I turned, went down the mountain, and placed the tablets into the ark I had made – they are still there, just as the Lord commanded me.
Conclusion of the Historical Resume
6 “During those days the Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan#sn Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan. This Hebrew name could be translated “the wells of Bene-Yaaqan” or “the wells of the sons of Yaaqan,” a site whose location cannot be determined (cf. Num 33:31-32; 1 Chr 1:42). to Moserah.#sn Moserah. Since Aaron in other texts (Num 20:28; 33:38) is said to have died on Mount Hor, this must be the Arabah region in which Hor was located. There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar became priest in his place. 7 From there they traveled to Gudgodah,#sn Gudgodah. This is probably the same as Haggidgad, which is also associated with Jotbathah (Num 33:33). and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah,#sn Jotbathah. This place, whose Hebrew name can be translated “place of wadis,” is possibly modern Ain Tabah, just north of Eilat, or Tabah, 6.5 mi (11 km) south of Eilat on the west shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. a place of flowing streams. 8 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi#sn The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi. This was not the initial commissioning of the tribe of Levi to this ministry (cf. Num 3:11-13; 8:12-26), but with Aaron’s death it seemed appropriate to Moses to reiterate Levi’s responsibilities. There is no reference in the Book of Numbers to this having been done, but the account of Eleazar’s succession to the priesthood there (Num 20:25-28) would provide a setting for this to have occurred. to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate blessings#sn To formulate blessings. The most famous example of this is the priestly “blessing formula” of Num 6:24-26. in his name, as they do to this very day. 9 Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance#sn Levi has no allotment or inheritance. As the priestly tribe, Levi would have no land allotment except for forty-eight towns set apart for their use (Num 35:1-8; Josh 21:1-42). But theirs was a far greater inheritance, for the Lord himself was their apportionment, that is, service to him would be their full-time and lifelong privilege (Num 18:20-24; Deut 18:2; Josh 13:33). among his brothers;#tn That is, among the other Israelite tribes. the Lord is his inheritance just as the Lord your God told him. 10 As for me, I stayed at the mountain as I did the first time, forty days and nights. The Lord listened to me that time as well and decided not to destroy you. 11 Then he#tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 10:4. said to me, “Get up, set out leading#tn Heb “before” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “at the head of.” the people so they may go and possess#tn After the imperative these subordinated jussive forms (with prefixed vav) indicate purpose or result. the land I promised to give to their ancestors.”#tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 15, 22).
An Exhortation to Love Both God and People
12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him,#tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 10:4. to obey all his commandments,#tn Heb “to walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “follow his ways exactly”; NLT “to live according to his will.” to love him, to serve him#tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 10:4. with all your mind and being,#tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being”; NCV “with your whole being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5. 13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving#tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation. you today for your own good? 14 The heavens – indeed the highest heavens – belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. 15 However, only to your ancestors did he#tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 10:4. show his loving favor,#tn Heb “take delight to love.” Here again the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “love”), juxtaposed with בָחַר (bakhar, “choose”), is a term in covenant contexts that describes the Lord’s initiative in calling the patriarchal ancestors to be the founders of a people special to him (cf. the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37). and he chose you, their descendants,#tn The Hebrew text includes “after them,” but it is redundant in English style and has not been included in the translation. from all peoples – as is apparent today. 16 Therefore, cleanse#tn Heb “circumcise the foreskin of” (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV). Reference to the Abrahamic covenant prompts Moses to recall the sign of that covenant, namely, physical circumcision (Gen 17:9-14). Just as that act signified total covenant obedience, so spiritual circumcision (cleansing of the heart) signifies more internally a commitment to be pliable and obedient to the will of God (cf. Deut 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:26). your heart and stop being so stubborn!#tn Heb “your neck do not harden again.” See note on the word “stubborn” in Deut 9:6. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, 18 who justly treats#tn Or “who executes justice for” (so NAB, NRSV); NLT “gives justice to.” the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. 19 So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20 Revere the Lord your God, serve him, be loyal to him and take oaths only in his name. 21 He is the one you should praise;#tn Heb “your praise.” The pronoun is subjective and the noun “praise” is used here metonymically for the object of their praise (the Lord). he is your God, the one who has done these great and awesome things for you that you have seen. 22 When your ancestors went down to Egypt, they numbered only seventy, but now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.#tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
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