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The stone tablets set up on Ebal Mountain
1 Moses/I, along with the other Israeli leaders, said this to the people: “Obey all the commandments that I am giving to you today. 2-4 Soon you will cross the Jordan River and enter the land that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors worshiped, promised to give to you. There, in that very fertile [IDM] land on the west side of the Jordan River, set up some large stones on Ebal Mountain, and cover them with plaster. Then write on those stones all these laws and teachings/instructions. 5 And build a stone altar there to offer sacrifices to Yahweh, but do not cut those stones with iron tools. 6 The altar that you make to burn sacrifices to Yahweh our God must be made with uncut stones. 7 And there you must sacrifice offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh, and you must eat your share of those offerings and rejoice/celebrate in the presence of Yahweh. 8 And, when you write these laws on those stones, you must write them very clearly.”
9 Then Moses/I, along with the priests, said to all the Israeli people, “You Israeli people, be quiet and listen to what I am saying. Today you have become the people who belong to Yahweh, our God. 10 So, you must do what he tells you, and obey all the rules and regulations that I am giving to you today.”
The curses from disobeying God
11 On that same day Moses/I said to the Israeli people, 12 “After you have crossed over the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Gerizim Mountain and request Yahweh to bless the people. 13 And the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali must stand on Ebal Mountain and listen to the things that Yahweh will do when he curses the people.
14 The descendants of Levi must shout these words loudly:
15 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who makes an idol of stone, or of wood, or of metal, and secretly sets it up and worships it.
Yahweh considers that those things, made by humans [SYN], are detestable/disgusting.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
16 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
17 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who removes someone else’s markers of property boundaries.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
18 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who leads a blind person to go ◄in the wrong direction/where that person does not want to go►.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
19 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who deprives foreigners or orphans or widows of the things that the laws state must be done for them.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
20 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who ◄shows no respect for/disgraces his father►
by having sex with [EUP] any of his father’s wives.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
21 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who has sex [EUP] with any animal.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
22 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who has sex with his sister or with his half-sister.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
23 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who has sex with [EUP] his mother-in-law.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
24 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who secretly murders someone else.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
25 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who accepts a bribe to murder someone who ◄is innocent/has not done something that is wrong.►’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’
26 ‘Yahweh will curse anyone who disobeys these laws and refuses to declare that these laws are good.’
And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’ ”