This major section of the book closes with a declaration that a covenant has now officially been made between the Lord and the current generation in Israel. Now the covenant has to be ratified and enforced.
Ancient treaties that great kings made with their subjects included a “document clause” that specified what each party would do with its own copy of the treaty. These copies were kept in prominent places, typically in the temples of the gods the kings worshiped. In the case of the covenant between God and Israel, the stone tablets are to stay inside the Lord’s covenant chest at Israel’s central place of worship. In addition, Moses specifies that a copy of the entire treaty must be written on giant stones and put on top of a mountain in the middle of Israel’s new territory.
27 Moses (commanding the people, with Israel’s elders supporting him): Obey all the commands I’m giving you today, and listen to the elders when they help you enact them. 2 When you cross the Jordan into the land the Eternal your God is giving you, set up some giant stones and whitewash them with lime. 3 Write each word of this law on them when you cross the Jordan to enter the land He is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey that the Eternal, God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 When you cross the Jordan, you will set up these stones on Mount Ebal and whitewash them with lime just as I’ve commanded you this day. 5 Build an altar there to Him with stones that iron has never struck; 6 with stones you find whole, build an altar to Him. Offer burnt offerings on the altar to Him. 7 Then sacrifice peace offerings and have a celebration feast in His presence. 8 And remember, write a complete copy of the law on the large stones. Make it clearly legible.
Ancient treaties included a list of blessings and curses. Ordinarily each party would call upon their own gods and ask for particular blessings for keeping the treaty or for particular curses if they broke it. In this treaty, however, the blessings and curses are spoken only to the people of Israel. It’s not necessary to pronounce any blessing or curses on the Lord because there’s no danger He’ll forget or break any of His agreements!
Moses (to all of Israel, with the Levitical priests supporting him): 9 Keep silent, and listen, Israel! Today you’ve become the Eternal’s very own people, and He’s become your God; 10 so listen to the voice of the Eternal your God and obey the commands and regulations I’m giving you today.
11 That day Moses charged the people.
Moses: 12 When you cross the Jordan River and settle in the land, hold a ceremony to ratify this covenant with the Lord. The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin will stand on the slope of Mount Gerizim to bless the people, 13 and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali will stand on Mount Ebal, representing the curse that will fall on anyone who breaks the covenant. 14 The Levites will shout in a loud voice, so that every Israelite can hear them and respond to the curses.
Levites: 15 A curse on anyone who carves or casts an idol, something so horrifying to the Eternal, and secretly worships what human craftsmen have made!
People: Let it be so![a]
Levites: 16 A curse on anyone who treats his father or mother with contempt!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 17 A curse on anyone who steals his neighbor’s land by moving a boundary marker!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 18 A curse on anyone who leads a blind person down the wrong road!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 19 A curse on anyone who deprives a foreigner, orphan, or widow of justice!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 20 A curse on anyone who has sexual relations with his father’s wife, who violates the sanctity of his father’s intimate relations!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 21 A curse on anyone who has sexual relations with an animal!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 22 A curse on anyone who has sexual relations with his sister—his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 23 A curse on anyone who has sexual relations with his wife’s mother!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 24 A curse on anyone who murders his neighbor when no one else is watching!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 25 A curse on anyone who causes the death of the innocent just for a bribe!
People: Let it be so!
Levites: 26 A curse on anyone who doesn’t live by and do all that is written in the law![b]
People: Let it be so!
Footnotes
- 27:15 Literally, Amen
- 27:26 Galatians 3:10