Deuteronomy 6

1 These are the commandments [statutes, and ordinances] and statutes [decrees, laws given by God] and ordinances [regulations, rules to follow] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] has instructed [commanded, given orders] me to teach [guide, instruct] you to follow [obey, keep] in the land [country, territory] that you are about to enter [cross over, pass into] and possess [take control of, occupy], word study 2 so that you [and your descendants, including your children and grandchildren] and your children and grandchildren may fear [revere, stand in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] all the days [every moment, the entirety of your life] of your lives by keeping [obeying, guarding] all His statutes [divine laws, ordinances] and commandments [laws, precepts] that I give you, and so that your days [life, lifespan] may be prolonged [extended, lengthened]. word study 3 Hear [listen and obey], O Israel, and be careful [diligent and attentive] to observe them, so that you may prosper [be successful and blessed] and multiply [increase and grow] greatly [exceedingly, abundantly] in a land [territory, region] flowing [abundant, fertile] with milk and honey [a sweet and valuable food], just as the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of your fathers [ancestors, forefathers], has promised [spoken and committed] you. word study 4 Hear [give ear, listen attentively], O Israel [the descendants of Jacob]: The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] our God [Elohim, the one supreme God], the LORD [Yehovah] is One [unique, united, the only one]. word study 5 And you shall love [with affection and devotion] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] with all [everything, your entire being] your heart [the innermost part of a person, including mind, will, and emotions] and with all [completely, utterly] your soul [the essence of a person, your living being] and with all [your entire strength, might] your strength [your power, ability]. word study 6 These words [which I say to you, the commands I’m giving] I am commanding [to give orders, to appoint] you today [at this present time, in this day] are to be [to exist, to come into being] upon [on, above, in the midst of] your hearts. word study 7 And you shall teach [diligently, with all care] them diligently to your children [sons, descendants] and speak [talk, communicate] of them when you sit [dwell, remain] at home [in your house, your dwelling place] and when you walk [go, journey] along the road [way, path], when you lie down [rest, sleep] and when you get up [rise, stand]. word study 8 Tie [bind, fasten] them as reminders [for a sign] on your hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] and bind [tie, secure] them on your foreheads [between your eyes, as phylacteries] [a sign of devotion]. word study 9 Write [record, inscribe, or engrave] them on the doorposts [pillars, vertical posts] of your houses [dwelling places, homes] and on your gates [city entrances, doors]. word study 10 And when the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] brings you into the land [a country, territory, or region] He swore [made a promise or vow] to your fathers [ancestors, patriarchs], to Abraham [the father of many], Isaac [he laughs], and Jacob [the supplanter], that He would give [bestow, grant] you—a land [a country, territory, or region] with great [large, magnificent] and splendid [goodly, pleasant] cities [towns, urban centers] that you did not build [construct, establish], word study 11 with houses [full of all manner of goods, overflowing with blessings] full of every good thing [riches, abundance] with which you did not fill [provide, store up] them, with wells [cisterns, pits] that you did not dig [hew, carve out], and with vineyards [gardens, plots of land] and olive groves [trees, berry bushes] that you did not plant [establish, cultivate]—and when you eat [devour, consume] and are satisfied [filled, content], word study 12 be careful [take heed to yourself, beware] not to forget [be oblivious to, mislay] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] who brought [led, rescued] you out of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], out of the house [place, dwelling] of slavery [bondage, servitude]. word study 13 Fear [revere, stand in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God], serve [work for, worship] Him only [exclusively, alone], and take your oaths [make promises, swear vows] in His name [fame, renown, reputation]. word study 14 Do not [in no way, never] follow [walk after, pursue] other [different, foreign] gods [Elohim, divine beings], the gods [objects of worship] of the peoples [nations, ethnic groups] around [surrounding, neighboring] you. word study 15 For the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God, who is among you, is a [zealous, intensely passionate] jealous God [El, the strong and powerful one]. Otherwise [lest, beware that] the anger [intense emotion, wrath] of the LORD your God will be kindled [incensed, fiercely burning] against you, and He will wipe [destroy, annihilate] you off the face [presence, surface] of the earth [land, ground]. word study 16 Do not [refuse to, absolutely not] test [tempt, try] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme One] as you [in the same way] tested [tried, proved] Him at [in the place of] Massah [the location of rebellion]. word study 17 You are to diligently [with careful attention] keep [protect, attend to, or guard] the commandments [laws, rules, or regulations] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] and the testimonies [divine witness, laws] and statutes [decrees, ordinances] He has given [commanded, appointed] you. word study 18 Do what is right [upright, just] and good [pleasant, beneficial] in the sight [eyes, gaze] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], so that it may be well [prosper, joyful] with you and that you may enter [go in, come] and possess [take control, occupy] the good [pleasant, fertile] land that the LORD [Yehovah, God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] swore [made a promise, vowed] to give your fathers [ancestors, forefathers], word study 19 driving out [thrusting away, expelling] all [every, the whole of] your enemies [adversaries, those who oppose you] before [in front of, out of the presence of] you, as [just as, in the same way that] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] has said [spoken, commanded, promised]. word study 20 In the future [in time to come, tomorrow], when your son [child, descendant] asks [inquires, seeks to know], “What is the meaning [what do they signify, what is their purpose] of the decrees [testimonies, divine laws] and statutes [ordinances, rules] and ordinances [judgments, justice] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] our God [Elohim, the supreme God] has commanded [given orders, appointed] you [as His people]?” word study 21 then you are to tell him, “We were [servants, bondmen] slaves of Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] in Egypt, but the LORD [Yehovah, God] brought us out of Egypt with a mighty [strong] hand [symbolizing power, direction]. word study 22 Before our eyes [in our very presence, before our gaze] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] inflicted [brought down, gave] great [large, magnificent] and devastating [bad, evil, distressing] signs [miraculous tokens, wonders] and wonders [miracles, awe-inspiring events] on Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], on Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader], and on all [everything, every person] his household [family, royal court, dwelling place]. word study 23 But He brought [led, guided] us out from there [that place, thence] to lead [bring] us in and give [bestow, grant] us the land [earth, territory] that He had sworn [promised, vowed] to our fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. word study 24 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] commanded [to give orders, appoint] us to observe [to keep, obey] all [everything, every aspect] these statutes [decrees, laws given by God] and to fear [to revere, stand in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah] our God [Elohim, the supreme God], that we may always [at all times, throughout our lives] be prosperous [to have good, welfare] and preserved [to be kept alive, protected], as we are to this day [at this present time, now]. word study 25 And if we are careful [diligent, taking heed] to observe [keep, obey] every one of these commandments [laws, instructions] before the LORD [Yehovah, our sovereign God] our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator], as He has commanded [instructed, given orders to] us, then that will be our righteousness [moral virtue, justice].” word study