1 “ 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.

It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

2 A ll these good things will come upon you if you will obey the Lord your God.

All these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you, if you listen to Yahweh your God’s voice.

3 G ood will come to you in the city, and good will come to you in the country.

You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.

4 G ood 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.

You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock.

5 G ood will come to your basket and your bread pan.

Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed.

6 G ood will come to you when you come in, and when you go out.

You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out.

7 “ 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.

Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways.

8 T he 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.

Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to. He will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

9 T he 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.

Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and walk in his ways.

10 T hen 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.

All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by Yahweh’s name, and they will be afraid of you.

11 T he 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.

Yahweh will grant you abundant prosperity, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.

12 T he 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.

Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow.

13 T he 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.

Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath; if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you today, to observe and to do,

14 D o 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.

and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

15 “ 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.

But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you, and overtake you.

16 Y ou will be cursed in the city, and in the country.

You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field.

17 Y our basket and your bread pan will be cursed.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.

18 Y our children will be cursed, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your cattle and flock.

The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed.

19 Y ou will be cursed when you come in and when you go out.

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

20 “ 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.

Yahweh will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke, in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed, and until you perish quickly; because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me.

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

Yahweh will make the pestilence cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land, where you go in to possess it.

22 T he 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.

Yahweh will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish.

23 T he heavens above your head will be brass. And the earth under you will be iron.

Your sky that is over your head will be brass, and the earth that is under you will be iron.

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

Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky, until you are destroyed.

25 T he 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.

Yahweh will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and will flee seven ways before them. You will be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.

26 Y our 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.

Your dead body will be food to all birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth; and there will be no one to frighten them away.

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

Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed.

28 T he Lord will punish you by making you crazy, and blind, and troubled in your mind.

Yahweh will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart.

29 Y ou 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.

You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you.

30 Y ou 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.

You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit.

31 Y our 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.

Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.

32 Y our 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.

Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look, and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand.

33 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.

A nation which you don’t know eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always;

34 Y ou will be driven crazy by what you see.

so that the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad.

35 T he 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.

Yahweh will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil, of which you can not be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.

36 T he 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.

Yahweh will bring you, and your king whom you will set over yourselves, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers. There you will serve other gods of wood and stone.

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

You will become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where Yahweh will lead you away.

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

You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in; for the locust will consume it.

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

You will plant vineyards and dress them, but you will neither drink of the wine, nor harvest, because worms will eat them.

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

You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives will drop off.

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

You will father sons and daughters, but they will not be yours; for they will go into captivity.

42 T he locust will own all your trees and the food of your field.

Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground.

43 T he stranger among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will become less and less.

The foreigner who is among you will mount up above you higher and higher, and you will come down lower and lower.

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

He will lend to you, and you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.

45 A ll 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.

All these curses will come on you, and will pursue you, and overtake you, until you are destroyed; because you didn’t listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you.

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

They will be for a sign and for a wonder to you and to your offspring forever.

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

Because you didn’t serve Yahweh your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things;

48 y ou 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.

therefore you will serve your enemies whom Yahweh sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck, until he has destroyed you.

49 “ 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,

Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies; a nation whose language you will not understand;

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

a nation of fierce facial expressions, that doesn’t respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young,

51 I t 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.

and they will eat the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also won’t leave you grain, new wine, or oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.

52 Y our 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.

They will besiege you in all your gates, until your high and fortified walls come down, in which you trusted, throughout all your land. They will besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land, which Yahweh your God has given you.

53 D uring 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.

You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Yahweh your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you.

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

The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye will be evil toward his brother, toward the wife whom he loves, and toward the remnant of his children whom he has remaining;

55 H e 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.

so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left to him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in all your gates.

56 T he 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,

The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil toward the husband that she loves, toward her son, toward her daughter,

57 t o 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.

toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates.

58 “ 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,

If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH YOUR GOD;

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

then Yahweh will make your plagues fearful, and the plagues of your offspring, even great plagues, and of long duration, and severe sicknesses, and of long duration.

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

He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they will cling to you.

61 T he 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.

Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, Yahweh will bring them on you, until you are destroyed.

62 Y ou 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.

You will be left few in number, even though you were as the stars of the sky for multitude; because you didn’t listen to Yahweh your God’s voice.

63 A s 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.

It will happen that as Yahweh rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Yahweh will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you. You will be plucked from off of the land where you go in to possess it.

64 T he 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.

Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. There you will serve other gods, which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone.

65 Y ou 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.

Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul.

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

Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day, and will have no assurance of your life.

67 I n 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.

In the morning you will say, “I wish it were evening!” and at evening you will say, “I wish it were morning!” for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see.

68 T he 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.”

Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told to you that you would never see it again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you.