The Altar on Mount Ebal
1Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. 2And on the day syou cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. 3tAnd you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, ua land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. 4And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, von Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. 5And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. wYou shall wield no iron tool on them; 6you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut1 stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, 7and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and xshall eat there, and you xshall rejoice before the Lord your God. 8And yyou shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”
Curses from Mount Ebal
9Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: zthis day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
11That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12“When you have crossed over the Jordan, athese shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14And bthe Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:
15c“‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ dAnd all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16e“‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17f“‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor's landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18g“‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19h“‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20i“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has juncovered his father's nakedness.’2 And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21k“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22l“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23m“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24n“‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25o“‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26p“‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
The Partial Kingdom: God’s Place
Numbers 1:1 – Joshua 24:33 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 45:22 • ID: 2388Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.