1 I f you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

“Be faithful in obeying the Lord your God. Be careful to keep all His Laws which I tell you today. And the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

2 A nd all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.

All these good things will come upon you if you will obey the Lord your God.

3 B lessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field.

Good will come to you in the city, and good will come to you in the country.

4 B lessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock.

Good will come to your children, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your animals. Your cattle and flock will have many young ones.

5 B lessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough.

Good will come to your basket and your bread pan.

6 B lessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.

Good will come to you when you come in, and when you go out.

7 T he Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

“The Lord will cause you to win the battles against those who fight against you. They will come against you one way, and run away from you seven ways.

8 T he Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

The Lord will send good upon you in your store-houses and in all your work. He will bring good to you in the land the Lord your God gives you.

9 T he Lord will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.

The Lord will make you a holy nation to Himself, as He promised you. But you must keep the Laws of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.

10 A nd all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.

Then all the nations of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord and they will be afraid of you.

11 A nd the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

The Lord will give much to you. He will give you many children, and many young ones among your animals, and much food from the ground, in the land the Lord promised to your fathers to give you.

12 T he Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

The Lord will open for you His good store-house, the heavens. He will give rain to your land at the right time. He will bring good to all the work you do. You will give to many nations. But you will not use anything that belongs to them.

13 A nd the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them.

The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. If you listen to the Laws of the Lord your God which I tell you today and be careful to obey them, you will only be above and not below.

14 A nd you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Do not turn aside from any of the words I tell you today, to the right or to the left. Do not follow other gods and work for them.

15 B ut if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you this day, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you:

“If you will not obey the Lord your God or be careful to do all His Laws which I tell you today, all these curses will come upon you.

16 C ursed shall you be in the city and cursed shall you be in the field.

You will be cursed in the city, and in the country.

17 C ursed shall be your basket and your kneading trough.

Your basket and your bread pan will be cursed.

18 C ursed shall be the fruit of your body, of your land, of the increase of your cattle and the young of your sheep.

Your children will be cursed, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your cattle and flock.

19 C ursed shall you be when you come in and cursed shall you be when you go out.

You will be cursed when you come in and when you go out.

20 T he Lord shall send you curses, confusion, and rebuke in every enterprise to which you set your hand, until you are destroyed, perishing quickly because of the evil of your doings by which you have forsaken me.

“The Lord will send upon you curses, trouble and sharp words in all you try to do, until you are destroyed. You will be quick to die, because of the sinful things you do, and because you have turned away from Me.

21 T he Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from the land into which you go to possess.

The Lord will make disease to be with you until He has destroyed you from the land you are going in to take.

22 T he Lord will smite you with consumption, with fever and inflammation, fiery heat, sword and drought, blasting and mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish.

The Lord will punish you with a wasting disease, a hot sickness, growing pain, heat like fire, the sword, and diseases that destroy your food. They will follow you until you die.

23 T he heavens over your head shall be brass and the earth under you shall be iron.

The heavens above your head will be brass. And the earth under you will be iron.

24 T he Lord shall make the rain of your land powdered soil and dust; from the heavens it shall come down upon you until you are destroyed.

The Lord will change the rain of your land into dust. It will come down on you until you are destroyed.

25 T he Lord shall cause you to be struck down before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them, and you shall be tossed to and fro and be a terror among all the kingdoms of the earth.

The Lord will cause you to lose the battle against those who hate you. You will go one way against them, but run seven ways away from them. You will fill all the nations of the earth with fear.

26 A nd your dead body shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away.

Your dead bodies will be food for all the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth. There will be no one to make them afraid and to send them away.

27 T he Lord will smite you with the boils of Egypt and the tumors, the scurvy and the itch, from which you cannot be healed.

“The Lord will punish you with the sores of Egypt, growing sores, and skin diseases, that will not be healed.

28 T he Lord will smite you with madness and blindness and dismay of heart.

The Lord will punish you by making you crazy, and blind, and troubled in your mind.

29 A nd you shall grope at noonday as the blind grope in darkness. And you shall not prosper in your ways; and you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to save you.

You will have to feel for your way at noon, as the blind man feels his way in darkness. And your way will not go well. It will be made hard for you, and you will always be robbed. There will be no one to save you.

30 Y ou shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but not gather its grapes.

You will marry a wife. But another man will lie with her. You will build a house. But you will not live in it. You will plant vines. But you will not eat the fruit.

31 Y our ox shall be slain before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away before your face and not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to help you.

Your bull will be killed in front of you. But you will not eat of it. Your donkey will be taken from you, and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to those who hate you. No one will help you.

32 Y our sons and daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day; and there shall be no power in your hands to prevent it.

Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation. Your eyes will watch for them always and you will have much desire for them. But there will be nothing you can do.

33 A nation which you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your land and of all your labors, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually,

A nation you have not known will eat the food of your field and of your work. You will suffer under the power of others always.

34 S o that you shall be driven mad by the sights which your eyes shall see.

You will be driven crazy by what you see.

35 T he Lord will smite you on the knees and on the legs with a sore boil that cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.

The Lord will make sores on your knees and legs that you cannot heal, from the bottom of your foot to the top of your head.

36 T he Lord shall bring you and your king whom you have set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone.

The Lord will bring you and your chosen king to a nation that you and your fathers have not known. There you will work for other gods, of wood and stone.

37 A nd you shall become an amazement, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples to which the Lord will lead you.

You will become a people who are hated, who are made fun of, and a shame among the people where the Lord will send you.

38 Y ou shall carry much seed out into the field and shall gather little in, for the locust shall consume it.

“You will sow much seed in the field, but gather little, for the locust will eat it.

39 Y ou shall plant vineyards and dress them but shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them.

You will plant and take care of vines, but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, for worms will eat them.

40 Y ou shall have olive trees throughout all your territory but you shall not anoint yourselves with the oil, for your olive trees shall drop their fruit.

You will have olive trees everywhere. But you will not pour the oil upon yourself, for your olives will fall off.

41 Y ou shall beget sons and daughters but shall not enjoy them, for they shall go into captivity.

You will have sons and daughters, but you will not keep them, for they will be taken away.

42 A ll your trees and the fruit of your ground shall the locust possess.

The locust will own all your trees and the food of your field.

43 T he transient (stranger) among you shall mount up higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

The stranger among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will become less and less.

44 H e shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.

He will give to you. But you will not give to him. He will be the head and you will be the tail.

45 A ll these curses shall come upon you and shall pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.

All these curses will come upon you. They will follow you and come upon you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping all the Laws He gave you.

46 T hey shall be upon you for a sign and for a wonder, and upon your descendants forever.

They will be something special to see, and a powerful work upon you and your children forever.

47 B ecause you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of heart for the abundance of all,

Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart because of all He has given you,

48 T herefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things; and He will put a yoke of iron upon your neck until He has destroyed you.

you will serve those who hate you, whom the Lord will send against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, without clothing, and needing all things. He will put a heavy load on your neck until He has destroyed you.

49 T he Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you shall not understand,

“The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as fast as an eagle flies. It will be a nation whose language you will not understand,

50 A nation of unyielding countenance who will not regard the person of the old or show favor to the young,

a nation that shows a hard face. It will have no respect for the old, or show favor to the young.

51 A nd shall eat the fruit of your cattle and the fruit of your ground until you are destroyed, who also shall not leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your cattle or the young of your sheep until they have caused you to perish.

It will eat the young ones of your cattle and the food of your field until you are destroyed. It will leave you no grain, new wine, oil, or the young of your cattle or flock, until it has caused you to die.

52 T hey shall besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land which the Lord your God has given you.

Your towns will be taken over by its armies until your high strong walls that you have trusted in come down everywhere in your land. Its armies will take over all your towns everywhere in the land the Lord your God has given you.

53 A nd you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, in the siege and in the misery with which your enemies shall distress you.

During this time and because of the trouble caused by those who hate you, you will eat your own children, the flesh of your sons and daughters whom the Lord your God has given you.

54 T he man who is most tender among you and extremely particular and well-bred, his eye shall be cruel and grudging of food toward his brother and toward the wife of his bosom and toward those of his children still remaining,

The most gentle man among you will be against his brother, the wife he loves, and the children he still has.

55 S o that he will not give to any of them any of the flesh of his children which he is eating, because he has nothing left to him in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you in all your towns.

He will not give them any of the flesh of his children whom he is eating, because it is all he has left for himself. This is how bad the trouble will be that those who hate you will bring to all your towns.

56 T he most tender and daintily bred woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot upon the ground because she is so dainty and kind, will grudge to the husband of her bosom, to her son and to her daughter

The most gentle woman among you may be careful not to set the bottom of her foot on the ground. But she will be hard to the husband she loves, to her son and daughter,

57 H er afterbirth that comes out from her body and the children whom she shall bear. For she will eat them secretly for want of anything else in the siege and distress with which your enemies shall distress you in your towns.

to the afterbirth which comes out of her body, and to the children who are born from her. She will eat them in secret because she has nothing else. This is how bad the trouble will be that those who hate you will bring to all your towns.

58 I f you will not be watchful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name — the lord your god—

“If you are not careful to obey all the words of the Law which are written in this book, to fear this honored name of the Lord your God,

59 T hen the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary strokes and blows, great plagues of long continuance, and grievous sicknesses of long duration.

then the Lord will bring bad diseases on you and your children, hard and lasting diseases and sicknesses.

60 M oreover, He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you.

He will bring all the diseases upon you that you were afraid of in Egypt. And they will stay with you.

61 A lso every sickness and every affliction which is not written in this Book of the Law the Lord will bring upon you until you are destroyed.

The Lord will bring upon you every sickness and every trouble which is not written in the book of this Law also, until you are destroyed.

62 A nd you shall be left few in number, whereas you had been as the stars of the heavens for multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

You will have been as many as the stars of heaven but there will be few of you left, because you did not obey the Lord your God.

63 A nd as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice to bring ruin upon you and to destroy you; and you shall be plucked from the land into which you go to possess.

As the Lord was happy with you and caused good to come to you and you were many, He will be happy to bring trouble upon you and destroy you. And you will be taken from the land you are going in to take.

64 A nd the Lord shall scatter you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other; and there you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.

The Lord will spread you out among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will serve other gods, of wood and stone, which you and your fathers have not known.

65 A nd among these nations you shall find no ease and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot; but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, fainting of mind, and languishing of spirit.

You will find no rest among those nations. There will be no place of rest for the bottom of your foot. But there the Lord will give you fear in your heart, eyes that become weak, and sorrow in your soul.

66 Y our life shall hang in doubt before you; day and night you shall be worried, and have no assurance of your life.

Your life will be full of doubts. You will be afraid night and day. And you will not be sure of anything in your life.

67 I n the morning you shall say, Would that it were evening! and at evening you shall say, Would that it were morning!—because of the anxiety and dread of your hearts and the sights which you shall see with your eyes.

In the morning you will say, ‘If it were only evening!’ In the evening you will say, ‘If it were only morning!’ because of the fear of your heart, and the things your eyes see.

68 A nd the Lord shall bring you into Egypt again with ships by the way about which I said to you, You shall never see it again. And there you shall be sold to your enemies as bondmen and bondwomen, but no man shall buy you.

The Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships, in the way I said, ‘You will never see it again.’ There you will try to sell yourselves as men and women servants to those who hate you. But no one will buy you.”