Deuteronomy 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.	1 And now, O Israel, hear the commandments and judgments which I teach thee: that doing them, thou mayst live, and entering in mayst possess the land which the Lord the God of your fathers will give you.
2 In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.	2 You shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it: keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
3 You have seen with your own eyes what the LORD did at Baal-peor: the LORD, your God, destroyed from your midst everyone that followed the Baal of Peor;	3 Your eyes have seen all that the Lord hath done against Beelphegor, how he hath destroyed all his worshippers from among you.
4 but you, who clung to the LORD, your God, are all alive today.	4 But you that adhere to the Lord your Cad, are all alive until this present day.
5 Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees as the LORD, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.	5 You know that I have taught you statutes and justices, as the Lord my God hath commanded me: so shall you do them in the land which you shall possess:
6 Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.'	6 And you shall observe, and fulfil them in practice. For this is your wisdom, and understanding in the sight of nations, that hearing all these precepts, they may say: Behold a wise and understanding people, a great nation.
7 For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?	7 Neither is there any other nation so great, that hath gods so nigh them, as our God is present to all our petitions.
8 Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?	8 For what other nation is there so renowned that hath ceremonies, and just judgments, and all the law, which I will set forth this day before your eyes?
9 "However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children.	9 Keep thyself therefore, and thy soul carefully. Forget not the words that thy eyes have seen, and let them not go out of thy heart all the days of thy life. Thou shalt teach them to thy sons and to thy grandsons,
10 There was the day on which you stood before the LORD, your God, at Horeb, and he said to me, 'Assemble the people for me; I will have them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me as long as they live in the land and may so teach their children.'	10 From the day in which thou didst stand before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord spoke to me, saying: Call together the people unto me, that they may hear my words, and may learn to fear me all the time that they live on the earth, and may teach their children.
11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, which blazed to the very sky with fire and was enveloped in a dense black cloud.	11 And you came to the foot of the mount, which burned even unto heaven: and there was darkness, and a cloud and obscurity in it.
12 Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.	12 And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of his words, but you saw not any form at all.
13 He proclaimed to you his covenant, which he commanded you to keep: the ten commandments, which he wrote on two tablets of stone.	13 And he shewed you his covenant, which he commanded you to do, and the ten words that he wrote in two tables of stone.
14 The LORD charged me at that time to teach you the statutes and decrees which you are to observe over in the land you will occupy.	14 And he commanded me at that time that I should teach you the ceremonies and judgments which you shall do in the land, that you shall possess.
15 "You saw no form at all on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire. Be strictly on your guard, therefore,	15 Keep therefore your souls carefully. You saw not any similitude in the day that the Lord God spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire:
16 not to degrade yourselves by fashioning an idol to represent any figure, whether it be the form of a man or a woman,	16 Lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female,
17 of any animal on the earth or of any bird that flies in the sky,	17 The similitude of any beasts, that are upon the earth, or of birds, that fly under heaven,
18 of anything that crawls on the ground or of any fish in the waters under the earth.	18 Or of creeping things, that move on the earth, or of fishes, that abide in the waters under the earth:
19 And when you look up to the heavens and behold the sun or the moon or any star among the heavenly hosts, do not be led astray into adoring them and serving them. These the LORD, your God, has let fall to the lot of all other nations under the heavens;	19 Lest perhaps lifting up thy eyes to heaven, thou see the sun and the moon, and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error thou adore and serve them, which the Lord thy God created for the service of all the nations, that are under heaven.
20 but you he has taken and led out of that iron foundry, Egypt, that you might be his very own people, as you are today.	20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace of Egypt, to make you his people of inheritance, as it is this present day.
21 Since the LORD was angered against me on your account and swore that I should not cross the Jordan nor enter the good land which he is giving you as a heritage,	21 And the Lord was angry with me for your words, and he swore that I should not pass over the Jordan, nor enter into the excellent land, which he will give you.
22 I myself shall die in this country without crossing the Jordan; but you will cross over and take possession of that good land.	22 Behold I die in this land, I shall not pass over the Jordan: you shall pass, and possess the goodly land.
23 Take heed, therefore, lest, forgetting the covenant which the LORD, your God, has made with you, you fashion for yourselves against his command an idol in any form whatsoever.	23 Beware lest thou ever forget the covenant of the Lord thy God, which he hath made with thee: and make to thyself a graven likeness of those things which the Lord hath forbid to be made:
24 For the LORD, your God, is a consuming fire, a jealous God.	24 Because the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 "When you have children and grandchildren, and have grown old in the land, should you then degrade yourselves by fashioning an idol in any form and by this evil done in his sight provoke the LORD, your God,	25 If you shall beget sons and grandsons, and abide in the land, and being deceived, make to yourselves any similitude, committing evil before the Lord your God, to provoke him to wrath:
26 I call heaven and earth this day to witness against you, that you shall all quickly perish from the land which you will occupy when you cross the Jordan. You shall not live in it for any length of time but shall be promptly wiped out.	26 I call this day heaven and earth to witness, that you shall quickly perish out of the land, which, when you have passed over the Jordan, you shall possess. You shall not dwell therein long, but the Lord will destroy you,
27 The LORD will scatter you among the nations, and there shall remain but a handful of you among the nations to which the LORD will lead you.	27 And scatter you among all nations, and you shall remain a few among the nations, to which the Lord shall lead you.
28 There you shall serve gods fashioned by the hands of man out of wood and stone, gods which can neither see nor hear, neither eat nor smell.	28 And there you shah serve gods, that were framed with men's hands: wood and stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 Yet there too you shall seek the LORD, your God; and you shall indeed find him when you search after him with your whole heart and your whole soul.	29 And when thou shalt seek there the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him: yet so, if thou seek him with all thy heart, and all the affliction of thy soul.
30 In your distress, when all these things shall have come upon you, you shall finally return to the LORD, your God, and heed his voice.	30 After all the things aforesaid shall and thee, in the latter time thou shalt return to the Lord thy God, and shalt hear his voice.
31 Since the LORD, your God, is a merciful God, he will not abandon and destroy you, nor forget the covenant which under oath he made with your fathers.	31 Because the Lord thy God is a merciful God: he will not leave thee, nor altogether destroy thee, nor forget the covenant, by which he swore to thy fathers.
32 "Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of?	32 Ask of the days of old, that have been before thy time from the day that God created man upon the earth, from one end of heaven to the other end thereof, if ever there was done the like thing, or it hath been known at any time,
33 Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?	33 That a people should hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire, as thou hast heard, and lived:
34 Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?	34 If God ever did so as to go, and take to himself a nation out of the midst of nations by temptations, signs, and wonders, by fight, and a strong hand, and stretched out arm, and horrible visions according to all the things that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, before thy eyes.
35 All this you were allowed to see that you might know the LORD is God and there is no other.	35 That thou mightest know that the Lord he is God, and there is no other besides him.
36 Out of the heavens he let you hear his voice to discipline you; on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard him speaking out of the fire.	36 From heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might teach thee. And upon earth he shewed thee his exceeding great fire, and thou didst hear his words out of the midst of the fire,
37 For love of your fathers he chose their descendants and personally led you out of Egypt by his great power,	37 Because he loved thy fathers, and chose their seed after them. And he brought thee out of Egypt, going before thee with his great power,
38 driving out of your way nations greater and mightier than you, so as to bring you in and to make their land your heritage, as it is today.	38 To destroy at thy coming very great nations, and stronger than thou art, and to bring thee in, and give thee their land for a possession, as thou seest at this present day.
39 This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other.	39 Know therefore this day, and think in thy heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, and there is no other.
40 You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."	40 Keep his precepts and commandments, which I command thee: that it may be well with thee, and thy children after thee, and thou mayst remain a long time upon the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee.
41 Then Moses set apart three cities in the region east of the Jordan,	41 Then Moses set aside three cities beyond the Jordan at the east side,
42 that a homicide might take refuge there if he unwittingly killed his neighbor to whom he had previously borne no malice, and that he might save his life by fleeing to one of these cities:	42 That any one might flee to them who should kill his neighbour unwillingly, and was not his enemy a day or two before, and that he might escape to some one of these cities:
43 Bezer in the desert, in the region of the plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.	43 Bosor in the wilderness, which is situate in the plains of the tribe of Ruben: and Ramoth in Galaad, which is in the tribe of Gad: and Golan in Basan, which is in the tribe of Manasses.
44 This is the law which Moses set before the Israelites.	44 This is the law, that Moses set before the children of Israel,
45 These are the ordinances, statutes and decrees which he proclaimed to them when they had come out of Egypt	45 And these are the testimonies and ceremonies and judgments, which he spoke to the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt,
46 and were beyond the Jordan in the ravine opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and whom Moses and the Israelites defeated after coming out of Egypt.	46 Beyond the Jordan in the valley over against the temple of Phogor, in the land of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, that dwelt in Hesebon, whom Moses slew. And the children of Israel coming out of Egypt,
47 They occupied his land and the land of Og, king of Bashan, as well--the land of these two kings of the Amorites in the region east of the Jordan:	47 Possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Basan, of the two kings of the Amorrhites, who were beyond the Jordan towards the rising of the sun:
48 from Aroer on the edge of the Wadi Arnon to Mount Sion (that is Hermon)	48 From Aroer, which is situate upon the bank of the torrent Amen, unto mount Sion, which is also called Hermon,
49 and all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Arabah Sea under the slopes of Pisgah.	49 All the plain beyond the Jordan at the east side, unto the see of the wilderness, and unto the foot of mount Phasga.