Deuteronomy 27:11-26

Blessings and Curses

11 And Moses charged the people on that day, {saying},

12 "These [tribes] shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people {when you cross} the Jordan: Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin.

13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for [delivering] the curse: Reuben, Gad and Asher and Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

14 And {the Levites shall declare}, and they shall say to each man of Israel [with] a loud voice,

15 'Cursed be the man that makes a divine image or a cast image, [which is] a detestable thing for Yahweh, the work of the hand of a skilled craftsman, and [then] sets [it] in a hiding place.' And {all the people shall respond}, 'Amen.'

16 'Cursed be the one who dishonors his father or his mother.' And all of the people shall say, 'Amen.'

17 'Cursed be the one who moves the boundary [marker] of his neighbor.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

18 'Cursed be the one who misleads a blind person on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

19 'Cursed be the one who deprives [the] alien, [the] orphan, and [the] widow of justice.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

20 'Cursed be the one who lies with the wife of his father, because {he has dishonored his father's bed}.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

21 'Cursed be the one who lies with any [kind] of animal.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

22 'Cursed be the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

23 'Cursed be the one who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

24 'Cursed be the one who strikes down his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

25 'Cursed be the one who takes a bribe {to murder an innocent person}.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

26 'Cursed be [the one] {who does not keep} the words of this law, to observe them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'"

Deuteronomy 27:11-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 27

In this chapter the people of Israel are ordered to write the law on plastered stones, and set them on Mount Ebal, De 27:1-4; where they are bid to erect an altar, and offer sacrifices on it, De 27:5-8; and are charged by Moses and the priests to obey the Lord, and keep his commandments, De 27:9,10; and a direction is given to each tribes which should stand and bless, and which curse, and where, De 27:11-13; and the curses which the Levites should pronounce with a loud voice, and the people should say Amen to, are recited, De 27:14-25; and the whole is concluded with a curse on all who in general do not perform the whole law, De 27:26.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "to say"
• [b]. Literally "at/in crossing your"
• [c]. Literally "they shall answer the Levites"
• [d]. Or "a secret place"
• [e]. Literally "and they shall answer all of the people"
• [f]. Literally "because he uncovered the hem of his father"
• [g]. Literally "to strike down an individual person in blood"
• [h]. Literally "who not keeps"