Israel Must Obey God
Moses said:
1 Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them, you will live, and you will go in and take the land that the Lord is giving you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped, 2 and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away.
3 You saw how he killed everyone who worshiped the god Baal Peor. 4 But all of you that were faithful to the Lord your God are still alive today.
5-8 No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are. In fact, everyone that hears about your laws will say, “That great nation certainly is wise!” And what makes us greater than other nations? We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers.
9 You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well. 10 Do you remember the day you stood in the Lord's presence at Mount Sinai? The Lord said, “Moses, bring the people of Israel here. I want to speak to them so they will obey me as long as they live, and so they will teach their children to obey me too.”
11 Mount Sinai was surrounded by deep dark clouds, and fire went up to the sky. You came to the foot of the mountain, 12 and the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn't see him. 13 The Lord said he was making an agreement with you, and he told you that your part of the agreement is to obey the Ten Commandments. Then the Lord wrote these Commandments on two flat stones.
14 That's when the Lord commanded me to give you the laws and teachings you must obey in the land that you will conquer west of the Jordan River.
Don't Worship Idols
Moses said to Israel:
15 When God spoke to you from the fire, he was invisible. So be careful 16 not to commit the sin of worshiping idols. Don't make idols to be worshiped, whether they are shaped like men, women, 17 animals, birds, 18 reptiles, or fish. 19 And when you see the sun or moon or stars, don't be tempted to bow down and worship them. The Lord put them there for all the other nations to worship. 20 But you are the Lord's people, because he rescued you from Egypt, that fiery furnace.
21 The Lord was angry with me because of what you said, and he told me that he would not let me cross the Jordan River into the good land that he is giving you. 22 So I must stay here and die on this side of the Jordan, but you will cross the river and take the land.
23 Always remember the agreement that the Lord your God made with you, and don't make an idol in any shape or form. 24 The Lord will be angry if you worship other gods, and he can be like a fire destroying everything in its path.
25-26 Soon you will cross the Jordan River and settle down in the land. Then in the years to come, you will have children, and they will give you grandchildren. After many years, you might lose your sense of right and wrong and make idols, even though the Lord your God hates them. So I am giving you fair warning today, and I call the earth and the sky as witnesses. If you ever make idols, the Lord will be angry, and you won't have long to live, because the Lord will let you be wiped out. 27 Only a few of you will survive, and the Lord will force you to leave the land and will scatter you among the nations. 28 There you will have to worship gods made of wood and stone, and these are nothing but idols that can't see or hear or eat or smell.
29-30 In all of your troubles, you may finally decide that you want to worship only the Lord. And if you turn back to him and obey him completely, he will again be your God. 31 The Lord your God will have mercy—he won't destroy you or desert you. The Lord will remember his promise, and he will keep the agreement he made with your ancestors.
32-34 When the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt, you saw how he fought for you and showed his great power by performing terrifying miracles. You became his people, and at Mount Sinai you heard him talking to you out of fiery flames. And yet you are still alive! Has anything like this ever happened since the time God created humans? No matter where you go or who you ask, you will get the same answer. No one has ever heard of another god even trying to do such things as the Lord your God has done for you.
35-36 The Lord wants you to know he is the only true God, and he wants you to obey him. That's why he let you see his mighty miracles and his fierce fire on earth, and why you heard his voice from that fire and from the sky.
37 The Lord loved your ancestors and decided that you would be his people. So the Lord used his great power to bring you out of Egypt. 38 Now you face other nations more powerful than you are, but the Lord has already started forcing them out of their land and giving it to you.
39 So remember that the Lord is the only true God, whether in the sky above or on the earth below. 40 Today I am explaining his laws and teachings. And if you always obey them, you and your descendants will live long and be successful in the land the Lord is giving you.
Safe Towns
41-43 Moses said, “People of Israel, you must set aside the following three towns east of the Jordan River as Safe Towns: Bezer in the desert highlands belonging to the Reuben tribe; Ramoth in Gilead, belonging to the Gad tribe; and Golan in Bashan, belonging to the Manasseh tribe. If you kill a neighbor without meaning to, and if you had not been angry with that person, you can run to one of these towns and find safety.”
The Second Speech: Moses Tells What the Lord Demands
Israel at Beth-Peor
44-46 The Israelites had come from Egypt and were camped east of the Jordan River near Beth-Peor, when Moses gave these laws and teachings. The land around their camp had once belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites defeated him 47 and King Og of Bashan, and took their lands. These two Amorite kings had ruled the territory east of the Jordan River 48 from the town of Aroer on the edge of the Arnon River gorge, north to Mount Hermon. 49 Their land included the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, as far south as the Dead Sea below the slopes of Mount Pisgah.
Israelǁîn ge ǃKhūba nî ǁnâuǀnam
1 Moseb ge ǃaruǀî Israelǁîn ǃoa ge mî: “Hoaraga mîmādi tsî ǂnûiǂgādi hîa ta ra ǁkhāǁkhā dude ǁnâuǀnam, o du ge ǃKhūb sadu aboxagu di Elob ge mā du ǃhūb ǃnâ sī nî ǁan. 2 Tā nē ta ra mîmā du ǂnûiǂgādi ai xū-e ǀaro tamas ka io ūbē. ǃKhūb sadu Elob di mîmādi hîa ta ge mā dude ǁnâuǀnam. 3 Sadu ǂûdu ge aitsama tare-eb ge ǃKhūba Baal-Peorǃhommi ai a dīsa ge mû. ǃKhūb sadu Elob ge Baal-Peora gere ǀgoreǀî-i hoa-e sadu ǁaeguba xu ge hîkākā; 4 xawe sadu hîa ǃKhūb sadu Elob ǃnâ ge ǂgomǂgomsa idu ge nētsēs tsîna hoatsama ûitsama.
5 “ǃKhūb ti Elob ge mîmā te khami ta ge hoaraga ǂnûiǂgāde ge ǁkhāǁkhā du. ǁÎde ǁnā ǃhūb hîa du nî ǁnāǂam tsî ūbasenni ǃnâ sī ǁnâuǀnam. 6 ǁÎde ǂgomǂgomsase ǃkhōǀgara, nēs nî nau ǃhaode mâtikōse du a gā-ai tsî ǁnâuǃāxa ǃkhaisa ǁgau xuige. Nē ǂnûiǂgādi xan ga ǁnâu, on ge ǁîna nî mî: ‘Tarekōses kha nē kai ǁaesa ǁnâuǃāxa tsî a gā-ai!’
7 “Mâ kai ǃhao-i di elo-e kha ǁnâi ǁîn tawa, ǃKhūb sada Elob sada tawa ǂgaiǀî bi da ka ǃnās hoasa hâ khami ǀgūse hâ? 8 Mâtikōse iga ǃhao-e kai tsî ǁkhā, xawe i ge ǃhao-e ǀkhai, nētsē ta go ǁkhāǁkhā du khami ī ǂhanu-ai ǂnûiǂgāde ūhâ-e. 9 ǂAnbasen î ǂōrisase ǃûisen, î du tā ûi du hâ hîa sadu mûdi ǀkha du gere mû xūna ǀuru, tamas ka io ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ. Sadu ǀgôan tsî ǁnuriǀgôan tsîna 10 ǃKhūb sadu Elob aiǃâ du ge Sinaiǃhommi tawa mâ i tsēs, ǁîs aib ge tita ǃoa nēti a mîs xa mîba re: ‘Khoena ǂgaiǀhao. Tita ra mî xūnan nî ǁnâu ǃkhaisa ta ge ra ǂgao, în ûin hâs kōse tita ǁnâuǀnamhâhâ tsî ǁîn ǀgôan tsîna tita ǃgôa tsî ǁnâuǀnamsa ǁkhāǁkhā.’
11 “Sadu ǀgôana mâti du ge ǃgû tsî ǀhommi kōse gere ǁhabu ǀaeb tsî ǃkhae ǃâus tsîn xa ǃgū-aihe hâ ǃhommi di ǂai-am mâ i ǃkhaisa mîba. 12 Mâtib ǃKhūba ǁhabu ra ǀaeba xu gere ǃhoas, mâti du gere dommi âba ǁnâu tsî xawe khoe-i xare-e mû tama hâ isa ǁîna mîba. 13 ǁÎb ge mâti du ga dī o du ǁîb ge sadu ǀkha dī ǃgaeǀhaosa nî ǃkhōǀgara ǃkhaisa ge mîba du; Disi Mîmādi, ǀgam ǀuiǂgapakha aib ge xoade du ge nî ǁnâuǀnam. 14 ǃKhūb ti Elob ge mîmā te khami ta ge hoaraga ǂnûiǂgāde ge ǁkhāǁkhā du. ǁÎde ǁnā ǃhūb hîa du nî ǁnāǂam tsî ūbasenni ǃnâ sī ǁnâuǀnam.
ǁGôa-elogu ǃoagu hâ ǃkhâikhoms
15 “ǂAnbasen î ǂōrisase ǃûisen! ǃKhūb ge sadu ǀkha Sinaiǃhommi ai ǁhabu ra ǀaeba xu gere ǃhoa, o du ge mû bi tama ge hâ i. 16 Tā ǁgôa-elo-e mâǃnôa ī-i ǀgui-i ǃnâs ka xawe kuru tsî ǁî-aitsama ǀhapiǀhapisen, nēsi i ga tarare tamas ka io aore, 17 ǃhūbaib di ǀguruǃnôa-i tamas ka io ǀhommi di aniǃnôa-i kas, 18 tsî ǃhūb ai ra ǂhana ǀgurun tsî xoxon tamas ka io ǁgammi di ǁauǃnôan ka xawes tsîna. 19 Tā dītsâ tsî ǀhommiǀî du ga kōkhâi tsî mû xūn: Sores, ǁkhâb, ǀgamirodi tsî ǀnî ǀhommi ǂnubis ka xawe ǀgoreǀî. ǃKhūb sadu Elob ge ǁîna nau hoaraga khoen ǃhūbaib din xan nî ǀgoreǀîhese ge mā. 20 Xawe sadob ge ǃKhūba Egipteb, ǂhubi ra ǀuri-ǁganoms khami ge ī iba xu ge ore. ǁÎb ge nētsē i ī khami, ǁîb di ūhâxū kai du nîga Egipteba xu ge ǂgaeǂguiǂui du. 21 Sadu ǃaromas ge ǃKhūb ge tita ǀkha ǁaixa tsî nūs ǀkha Jordanǃāba ta ǃgâu tide tsî ǂûtanixa ǃhūb, ǃKhūb sadu Elob nî sado ǀumis ase māb ǃnâ ta ǂgâ tide ǃkhaisa a mîǀguisa. 22 Tita ge nē ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǁō tsî tātsēs tsîna Jordanǃāba ǃgâu tide, xawe sadu ge ǃāba ǃgâu tsî ǂûtanixa ǃhūba nî ūbasense i. 23 ǂAnbasen î ǂōrisase ǃûisen, î du tā ǃKhūb sadu Elob ge sadu ǀkha dī ǃgaeǀhaosa ǀuru. ǁÎb mîmāsa ǁnâuǀnam, î du tā ǁgôa-elo-i xare-e kurubasen, 24 ǃKhūb sadu Elob ǂhubiǂui ra ǀaeb khami ī tsî ǁîb ǃoagu khâikhâisen-i xare-e mā-am tide xuige.
25 “Gaxu ǁaeba du ga ǃhūb ǃnâ ǁan tsî ǀgôan tsî ǁnuriǀgôan tsîna ūhâ, o tā ǁî-aitsama ǁgôa-elo-i xare-e, mâ ī-i ǀgui-i ka xawe kurubasen; o du ge ǃKhūb sadu Elob mûǁae ǁore tsî ǁîba nî ǁaiǁai. 26 Nētsē ta ge ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîkha ǀhûǀguitimî-aokha ase sadu ǃoagu ra ǂgai, tita du ga ǁnâuǀnam tama io, o du ge kaise ǃhaese ǃhūbaiba xu nî kā. Jordanǃāba ǃgâutoa, tsî du ge gaxuses tsîna ūbasen du ge ǃhūb ǃnâ ǁan tamase, kaise ǃhaese ǀgui-i tsîn ǃgau tamase nî hîkākāhe. 27 ǃKhūb ge nau ǃhaodi ǃnâ nî ǀgaruǀgaru du, tsîn ge kaise ǀoro khoen ǀguina nî ǃgau. 28 ǁNāpa du ge ǁgôa-elogu, khoen xa kuruhe hâgu: Hain tsî ǀuina xu kurusa elogu, mû, ǁnâu, ǂû tsî ǃkhapa ǁoaga nî ǀgoreǀî. 29 Xawe ǁnāpa hâse du ga ǃKhūb sadu Eloba ǂgaiǀî tsî ǁîba ǂgaob tsî ǀoms tsîn hoan ǀkha a ôa, ob ge ǁîba nî ǁnâu-am du. 30 ǁNāpa du ga ǃgomsib ǃnâ ǂgâ tsî nē xūn hoana hāǂam du, o du ge ǀams ai ǃKhūb sadu Elob ǁga oahā tsî ǁîba nî ǁnâuǀnam. 31 ǁÎb ge ǀkhomxaǃnâ Eloba. ǁÎb ge sado ǁnāǃgâ, tamas ka io hîkākā tide tsîb ge ǁîb ǂûb ge sadu aboxagu ǀkha nū ǃgaeǀhaosa ǀuru tide.
Israelǁîn ǀō-aisa aiǂhanub
32 “Moseb ge ǃaruǀî Israelǁîn ǃoa ge mî: ‘ǃKharu ge ǁaeb xa ǂâiǂâisen, ǁnā ǁaeb, sadu ǃnaes aiǃâ ge hâ ib, Elob ge khoeba ǃhūbaib ai kuru tsēs ǁga ǂâi-oa. Hoaraga ǃhūbaiba ôaǂkhū re. Nēti ī buruxa ǃnaeǃkhai-e ǀnai ī-i ge hâ i? Tamas ka io khoe-e xare ǀnai nēti ī xū-e ǁnâu-i ge hâ i? 33 Nau khoena mâtin ǁîn di elo-e ǁhabu ra ǀaeb di ǁaeguba xu ra ǃhoa ǃkhaisa xare ǁnâu tsî ûin ge, sadu ge ǁnâu tsî ûi khami? 34 ǀNî elo-e hâ-e khâimâ tsî ǀnî ǃhaode xu khoena sī ǁî-i dise ge ūbasen-e, ǃKhūb sadu Elob ge Egipteb ǃnâ sado dība khami? Sadu mûǁaeb ge ǁîba kai ǀgaib tsî ǁkhāsiba gere sîsenū; ǁîb ge tsûtsû-aidi tsî torob tsîna gere hā kai, saodi tsî buruxa dīna gere dī, tsî ǃhuriǃhurisa xūna gere ī kai. 35 ǃKhūb ge nē xūna sadu mûǁae gere ī kai, î du ǂanǁapo ǁîb ǀguib ǀguri a Elo, tsî i ǀkhara elo-e a ǀkhai ǃkhaisa. 36 ǀHomma xub ge ǁîba dommi âba ge ǁnâu kai du, sadob nî ǁgauǃnâse; tsî ǃhūbaib ge sado ǁîb di ǁhabu ra ǃanu kai ǀaeba ge mû kai, tsîb ge ǁnāpa xu sadu ǀkha ge ǃhoa. 37 Sadu aboxagab ge ǀnam i xui-aob ge sadu suriba ge ǁhûiǂui, tsî ǁîb di kai ǀgaiba xus ge sadob ge Egipteba xu a ǂgaeǂguiǂuisa. 38 ǁÎb ge sadu xa kai tsî ǀgaisa ǁaede sadu daoba xu gere sauruǂui, sado ǂgâ-ū tsîb nî ǁîn ǃhūba mā duse, nētsēs kōse sadu di ǃhūb ase ǂansaba. 39 ǁNā-amaga nētsēsa ǃkhōmâi, î tātsē tā ǀuru: ǃKhūb ge ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîkha hoakha ǃnâ a Elo. ǀKhara elo-i ge a ǀkhai. 40 ǁÎb di ǂnûiǂgādi tsî mîmādi nētsē ta sadu ǃgâib ǃaroma ra mîmā dude ǃkhōǀgaipe, o i ge sadu tsî sadu surib tsîn ǀkha ǃgâise nî ǃgû. Sadu ge gaxuse ǃKhūb sadu Elob ǀamosib kōse sado ǀumis ase nî mā du ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǁan.’ ”
ǁHaiǁhâǀîǃādi
41 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Moseba ǃnona ǃādi Jordanǃāb aiǂoasǀkhāb ai ǁgoede ge ǁhûi, 42 î-i khoe-i hîa ga ǁî-i khākhoe tama ǀgūkhoe-e ǀūǂamse ǃgam-e ǁnāǀî ǁhaiǁhâ ǃnorasasib ǃaroma tsî tā ǃgamhe. ǁÎ-i ge nē ǃnona ǃādi di ǀguis ǁga ǁhaiǁhâ ǁkhā. 43 Rubenni di surib ǃaroma, Besers ǃgaroǃhūb di ǀgapi ǁgoeǃkhaib ai ǁgoes; Gadi di surib ǃaroma, Ramots Gileadǀkharib ǃnâ ǁgoes; tsî Manaseb surib ǃaroma, Golans Basanǀkharib ǃnâ ǁgoesa.
ǃKhūb ǂhanub mâi-aiǃâhes
44 Moseb ge Elob di ǂhanuba Israelǁîna ge mā. 45-46 Nēs ge ǁîna Egipteba xun ge doeǂoas khaoǃgâ, aiǂoasǀkhāb Jordanǃāb di ǃgoaǃnāb Bet-Peors ǃoagu ǁgoeb ǃnâ nē ǀhûǀguitimîdi tsî ǂhanuga Moseb xa ge māhe. Nēs ge Amorǁîn di gao-aob Sihonni, Hesbons ǃnâ ge ǂgaeǂgui-ao ib di ǀkharib ǃnâ ge isa. Moseb tsî Israelǁîn tsîn ge Egipteba xun ge ǂoaxa, o Sihonna ge ǃkhamdan. 47 ǁÎn ge Sihonni di ǃhūb tsî gao-aob Ogi Basans dib, ǁîb tsîn ge Amorǁîn gao-ao ib di ǃhūb, Jordanǃāb di aiǂoasǀkhāb ai ǁgoeb tsîkha ge ūbasen. 48 Nē ǃhūb ge Aroers Arnonǃāb di ǃgoaǃnāb ǀgūse ǁgoe ǀkharib di ǀapasǀkhāba xu Sirionǃhommi, ǁnāb ge Hermonǃhomma, kōse ra sī. 49 Hoaraga ǀkharib aiǂoasǀkhāb Jordanǃāb dib ai ǁgoeb, ǃkhawagasǀkhāb ǂŌxahurib dib kōse tsî aiǂoasǀkhāb Pisgaǃhommi ǂai-ammi kōse ra sīb tsîna ǃkhōǂgā hâ.
