Study

The Inscribed Stones and Altar on Mount Ebal

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Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged all the people as follows: Keep the entire commandment that I am commanding you today. ²On the day that you cross over the Jordan into the land that the L ord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and cover them with plaster. ³You shall write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over, to enter the land that the L ord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the L ord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. ⁴So when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, about which I am commanding you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall cover them with plaster. ⁵And you shall build an altar there to the L ord your God, an altar of stones on which you have not used an iron tool. ⁶You must build the altar of the L ord your God of unhewn stones. Then offer up burnt offerings on it to the L ord your God, ⁷make sacrifices of well-being, and eat them there, rejoicing before the L ord your God. ⁸You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very clearly.

⁹ Then Moses and the levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying: Keep silence and hear, O Israel! This very day you have become the people of the L ord your God. ¹⁰Therefore obey the L ord your God, observing his commandments and his statutes that I am commanding you today.

Twelve Curses

¹¹ The same day Moses charged the people as follows: ¹²When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim for the blessing of 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. ¹⁴Then the Levites shall declare in a loud voice to all the Israelites:

¹⁵ “Cursed be anyone who makes an idol or casts an image, anything abhorrent to the L ord, the work of an artisan, and sets it up in secret.” All the people shall respond, saying, “Amen!”

¹⁶ “Cursed be anyone who dishonors father or mother.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

¹⁷ “Cursed be anyone who moves a neighbor’s boundary marker.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

¹⁸ “Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind person on the road.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

¹⁹ “Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

²⁰ “Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has violated his father’s rights.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

²¹ “Cursed be anyone who lies with any animal.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

²² “Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

²³ “Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

²⁴ “Cursed be anyone who strikes down a neighbor in secret.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

²⁵ “Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”

²⁶ “Cursed be anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by observing them.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”