Leviticus 26:5-15

5 You will thresh until the grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting time; you'll have more than enough to eat and will live safe and secure in your land.

6 "I'll make the country a place of peace - you'll be able to go to sleep at night without fear; I'll get rid of the wild beasts; I'll eliminate war.

7 You'll chase out your enemies and defeat them:

8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand and do away with them.

9 I'll give you my full attention: I'll make sure you prosper, make sure you grow in numbers, and keep my covenant with you in good working order.

10 You'll still be eating from last year's harvest when you have to clean out the barns to make room for the new crops.

11 "I'll set up my residence in your neighborhood; I won't avoid or shun you;

12 I'll stroll through your streets. I'll be your God; you'll be my people.

13 I am God, your personal God who rescued you from Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely. "But If You Refuse to Obey Me . . . "

14 "But if you refuse to obey me and won't observe my commandments,

15 despising my decrees and holding my laws in contempt by your disobedience, making a shambles of my covenant,

Leviticus 26:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 26

In this chapter, after a repetition of some laws against idolatry, and concerning keeping sabbaths, and reverencing the sanctuary of God, Le 26:1,2; in order to encourage the Israelites to keep the various statutes and commandments in this book, and in the preceding, many promises are made of plenty, and peace, and safety from enemies, and of the presence of God with them, Le 26:3-13; and on the contrary, to such as should despise and break his commandments, the most grievous things are threatened, as diseases of body, destruction by their enemies, barrenness and unfruitfulness of land, the sore judgments of wild beasts, famine, sword, and pestilence, Le 26:14-39; and yet after all, when they should confess their sins, and were humbled for them, the Lord promises to remember the covenant he made with their ancestors, and would deal kindly with them, and not cast them away, and utterly destroy them, Le 26:40-46.