Deuteronomy 10

1 At that [specific, appointed] time [a period of occasion] the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] said to me, “Chisel [to hew, cut out] out two [a pair, dual] stone [rock, petrous] tablets [polished slabs, possibly of stone, wood, or metal] like the originals [first], come up [to ascend, go up] to Me on the mountain [a high place, hill], and make [to construct, fashion] an ark [a chest, box] of wood [a tree, wooden material]. word study 2 And I will write [inscribe, record] on the tablets [polished stones, wooden boards] the words [divine messages, commands] that were on the first [original, primary] tablets, which you broke [shattered, fractured]; and you are to place [set, put] them in the ark [chest, covenant box].” word study 3 So I made [constructed, fashioned] an ark [chest, container] of acacia wood [shittim wood, a durable timber], chiseled out [hewed, carved] two stone tablets [similar to the first] like the originals [the first ones, the initial set], and went up [ascended, rose] the mountain [the elevated place] with the two tablets [the polished stones, the written records] in my hands. word study 4 And the LORD [Yehovah, the national name for God] wrote [inscribed, engraved] on the tablets [polished stones, possibly made of stone, wood, or metal] what had been written previously [as in the first writing], the Ten Commandments [divine instructions, moral laws] that He had spoken [communicated, uttered] to you on the mountain [a real mountain] out of the fire [burning, flame] on the day [a literal 24-hour period, a figurative space of time] of the assembly [a group of people gathered together, a congregation]. The LORD gave them to me [bestowed, entrusted], word study 5 and I went back down [turned and came down] the mountain [hill] and placed [put, set] the tablets [polished stones, sacred records] in the ark [box, chest, covenant container] I had made [crafted, constructed], as the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] had commanded [given orders, instructed] me; and there [in that place, at that time] they have remained [existed, come into being, stayed]. word study 6 The Israelites [children of Jacob, God’s chosen people] traveled from Beeroth Bene-jaakan [wells of the sons of Jaakan, a desert location] to Moserah [a place near Mount Hor], where Aaron [the first high priest, brother of Moses] died [passed away, met his end] and was buried [laid to rest, interred], and Eleazar [God has helped] his son succeeded him as priest [ministered in his place, served as high priest]. word study 7 From [thence, that place] there they traveled [set out, journeyed] to Gudgodah [a stopping place in the wilderness], and from [as a departure point] Gudgodah to Jotbathah [a land of pleasantness], a land [region, territory] with streams [brooks, rivers] of water [refreshment, spiritual nourishment]. word study 8 At that time [in that specific occasion, at the point of separation] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] set apart [separated, divided, made distinct] the tribe of Levi [the Levites, descendants of Levi] to carry [to lift, to bear] the ark [the chest, the box] of the covenant [the promise, the agreement] of the LORD, to stand [to be present, to minister] before the LORD [in His presence, face to face] to serve [to minister, to worship] Him, and to pronounce [to declare, to speak] blessings [praises, honors] in His name [His identity, His character], as they do [continuously, until now] to this day [at this present time, until now]. word study 9 That is why [for this reason, therefore] Levi [the son of Jacob, a tribe of Israel] has no [none, not any] portion [share, inheritance] or inheritance [heritage, possession] among his brothers [relatives, kin]; the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is his inheritance [possession, heritage], as [according to, just as] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] promised [spoke, commanded] him [to him, for him]. word study 10 I [the prophet Moses] stayed on the mountain [a hill] forty [a significant period of time, often marking trial or testing] days and forty nights [a time of darkness and potential hardship], like the first time [a previous, similar experience], and that time the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] again listened to me [heard and obeyed my prayers] and agreed [was willing, consented] not to destroy [ruin or corrupt] you. word study 11 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to me, “Get up [rise, stand]. Continue your journey [march, travel] ahead of the people [nation, community], that they may enter [go in, come into] and possess [take control, occupy] the land [earth, territory] that I swore [made an oath, promised] to their fathers [ancestors, forefathers] to give [bestow, grant] them.” word study 12 And now [at this time, in this moment], O Israel, what does the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God ask of you but to fear [revere, stand in awe of] the LORD your God by walking [living, conducting your life] in all His ways [paths, manner of life], to love [have affection for, cherish] Him, to serve [worship, obey] the LORD your God with all your heart [innermost being, mind and emotions] and with all your soul [living being, essence of life], word study 13 and to keep [obey, guard] the commandments [laws, decrees] and statutes [ordinances, regulations] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] that I am giving [commanding, appointing] you this day [at this present time] for your own [personal, individual] good [welfare, benefit, prosperity]? word study 14 Behold [look, pay attention], to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] belong [are owned by] the heavens [the visible universe, the sky], even the highest heavens [the heaven of heavens], and the earth [the land, the ground] and everything [all things, the entire universe] in it. word study 15 Yet the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has set His affection [to desire, have delight] on your fathers [ancestors, patriarchs] and loved [to have affection, chosen to love] them. And He has chosen [selected, set apart] you, their descendants [seed, offspring] after them, above [over, more than] all the peoples [nations, tribes], even [specifically, namely] to this day [the present time, this moment]. word study 16 Circumcise [dedicate, remove the foreskin of] your hearts [the innermost part of your being, including mind, will, and emotions], therefore, and stiffen [harden, be stubborn] your necks [the back of the neck] no more [not again, still]. word study 17 For the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God is God [Elohim, the supreme deity] of gods [rulers, divine beings] and Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] of lords [authorities, potentates], the great [powerful], mighty [strong, powerful], and awesome [fearful, reverenced] God, showing no partiality [not regarding persons, impartial] and accepting no bribe [not taking rewards, uncorrupted]. word study 18 He executes [doing judgment, upholding justice] justice [righteous judgment] for the fatherless [orphan] and widow [a woman whose husband has died], and He loves [has affection for] the foreigner [sojourner, a temporary resident], giving [to give, provide] him food [bread] and clothing [a mantle, apparel]. word study 19 So you also must love [have affection for, show kindness to] the foreigner [sojourner, stranger, temporary resident], since you yourselves were [existed as, lived as] foreigners [sojourners, aliens] in the land [country, territory, region] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. word study 20 You are to fear [revere, stand in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme one] and serve [work for, worship] Him. Hold fast [cling, stick closely] to Him and take your oaths [make promises, vow] in His name [fame, renown, reputation]. word study 21 He [the one you should praise] is your praise [worship, adoration] and He is your God [Elohim, the supreme God], who has done [accomplished, brought about] for you these great [mighty, extraordinary] and awesome [fearful, reverend] wonders [miracles, signs] that your eyes [sight, perception] have seen [beheld, observed]. word study 22 Your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] went down [descended, migrated] to Egypt [the land of the Nile, a country in northeastern Africa], seventy in all, and now [at this present time, in this current era] the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] has made you as numerous [abundant, multiplied] as the stars [celestial bodies, heavenly hosts] in the sky [heaven, the visible universe]. word study