Blessings at Gerizim

1 “aNow it shall be, if° you diligently° Iobey°° the LORD° your God°, being° careful° to do° all° His commandments° which° I command° you today°, the LORD° your God° bwill set° you high° above° all° the nations° of the earth°. 2 All° these° blessings° will come° upon you and aovertake° you if° you Iobey°° the LORD° your God°:

3 ¶ “Blessed° [shall] you [be] in the city°, and blessed° [shall] you [be] ain the Icountry°.

4 ¶ “Blessed° [shall be] the Ioffspring° of your IIbody° and the Iproduce° of your ground° and the Ioffspring° of your beasts°, the increase° of your herd° and the young° of your flock°.

5 ¶ “Blessed° [shall be] your basket° and your kneading° bowl°.

6 ¶ “Blessed° [shall] you [be] awhen you come° in, and blessed° [shall] you [be] when you go° out.

7 ¶ “The LORD° shall cause° your enemies° who rise° up against° you to be Idefeated° before° you; they will come° out against° you one° way° and will flee° before° you seven° ways°. 8 The LORD° will command° the blessing° upon you in your barns° and in aall° that you put° your hand° to, and He will bless° you in the land° which° the LORD° your God° gives° you. 9 aThe LORD° will establish° you as a holy° people° to Himself, as He swore° to you, if° you keep° the commandments° of the LORD° your God° and walk° in His ways°. 10 So all° the peoples° of the earth° will see° that Iayou are called° by the name° of the LORD°, and they will be afraid° of you. 11 aThe LORD° will make you abound° in prosperity°, in the Ioffspring° of your IIbody° and in the Ioffspring° of your beast° and in the Iproduce° of your ground°, in the land° which° the LORD° swore° to your fathers° to give° you. 12 The LORD° will open° for you His good° storehouse°, the heavens°, to give° rain° to your land° in its season° and to bless° all° the work° of your hand°; and ayou shall lend° to many° nations°, but you shall not borrow°. 13 aThe LORD° will make° you the head° and not the tail°, and you only° will be above°, and you will not be underneath°, if° you listen° to the commandments° of the LORD° your God°, which° I charge° you today°, to Iobserve° [them] carefully°, 14 and ado not turn° aside° from any° of the words° which° I command° you today°, to the right° or to the left°, to go° after° other° gods° to serve° them.

Consequences of Disobedience

15 ¶ “aBut it shall come° about, if° you do not Iobey°° the LORD° your God°, to observe° to do° all° His commandments° and His statutes° with which° I charge° you today°, that all° these° curses° will come° upon you and overtake° you:

16 ¶ “aCursed° [shall] you [be] in the city°, and cursed° [shall] you [be] in the Icountry°.

17 ¶ “aCursed° [shall be] your basket° and your kneading° bowl°.

18 ¶ “aCursed° [shall be] the Ioffspring° of your IIbody° and the Iproduce° of your ground°, the increase° of your herd° and the young° of your flock°.

19 ¶ “aCursed° [shall] you [be] when you come° in, and cursed° [shall] you [be] when you go° out.

20 ¶ “aThe LORD° will send° upon you curses°, confusion°, and brebuke°, in all° Iyou undertake°° to do°, until° you are destroyed° and until° cyou perish° quickly°, on account°° of the evil° of your deeds°, because° you have forsaken° Me. 21 aThe LORD° will make the pestilence° cling° to you until° He has consumed° you from the land° where°° you are entering° to possess° it. 22 aThe LORD° will smite° you with consumption° and with fever° and with inflammation° and with fiery° heat° and with Ithe sword° and bwith blight° and with mildew°, and they will pursue° you until° cyou perish°. 23 IThe heaven° which° is over° your head° shall be bronze°, and the earth° which° is under° you, iron°. 24 aThe LORD° will make° the rain° of your land° powder° and dust°; from heaven° it shall come° down° on you until° you are destroyed°.

25 ¶ “aThe LORD° shall cause° you to be Idefeated° before° your enemies°; you will go° out one° way° against° them, but you will flee° seven° ways° before° them, and you will bbe [an example of] terror° to all° the kingdoms° of the earth°. 26 aYour carcasses° will be food° to all° birds° of the sky° and to the beasts° of the earth°, and there° will be no° one° to frighten° [them] away°.

27 ¶ “aThe LORD° will smite° you with the boils° of Egypt° and with btumors° and with the scab° and with the itch°, from which° you cannot°° be healed°. 28 The LORD° will smite° you with madness° and with blindness° and with bewilderment° of heart°; 29 and you will Iagrope° at noon°, as the blind° man° gropes° in darkness°, and you will not prosper° in your ways°; but you shall only° be oppressed° and robbed° continually°°, with none° to save° you. 30 aYou shall betroth° a wife°, but another° man° will violate° her; byou shall build° a house°, but you will not live° in it; you shall plant° a vineyard°, but you will not Iuse° its fruit°. 31 Your ox° shall be slaughtered° before your eyes°, but you will not eat° of it; your donkey° shall be torn° away° from you, and will not be restored° to you; your sheep° shall be given° to your enemies°, and you will have° none° to save° you. 32 aYour sons° and your daughters° shall be given° to another° people°, while your eyes° look° on and yearn° for them continually°°; but there° will be nothing° Iyou can do°. 33 aA people° whom° you do not know° shall eat° up the produce° of your ground° and all° your labors°, and you will never° be anything° but oppressed° and crushed° continually°°. 34 You shall be driven° mad° by the sight° of Iwhat° you see°. 35 aThe LORD° will strike° you on the knees° and legs° with sore° boils°, from which° you cannot°° be healed°, from the sole° of your foot° to the crown° of your head°. 36 aThe LORD° will bring° you and your king°, whom° you set° over° you, to a nation° which° neither° you nor° your fathers° have known°, and there° you shall serve° other° gods°, bwood° and stone°. 37 aYou shall become° a horror°, a proverb°, and a taunt° among all° the people° where°° the LORD° drives° you.

38 ¶ “aYou shall bring° out much° seed° to the field° but you will gather° in little°, for bthe locust° will consume° it. 39 aYou shall plant° and cultivate° vineyards°, but you will neither° drink° of the wine° nor° gather° [the grapes], for the worm° will devour° them. 40 aYou shall have° olive° trees° throughout° your territory° but you will not anoint° yourself with the oil°, for your olives° will drop° off°. 41 aYou shall Ihave° sons° and daughters° but they will not be yours, for they will go° into captivity°. 42 aThe cricket° shall possess° all° your trees° and the produce° of your ground°. 43 aThe alien° who° is among° you shall rise° above° you higher° and higher°, but you will go° down° lower° and lower°. 44 aHe shall lend° to you, but you will not lend° to him; bhe shall be the head°, and you will be the tail°.

45 ¶ “So all° these° curses° shall come° on you and pursue° you and overtake° you auntil° you are destroyed°, because° you would not Iobey°° the LORD° your God° by keeping° His commandments° and His statutes° which° He commanded° you. 46 They shall become° aa sign° and a wonder° on you and your Idescendants° forever°°.

47 ¶ “aBecause°° you did not serve° the LORD° your God° with joy° and a glad° heart°, for the abundance° of all° things°; 48 therefore you shall serve° your enemies° whom° the LORD° will send° against you, ain hunger°, in thirst°, in nakedness°, and in the lack° of all° things°; and He bwill put° an iron° yoke° on your neck° until° He has destroyed° you.

49 ¶ “aThe LORD° will bring° a nation° against° you from afar°, from the end° of the earth°, bas the eagle° swoops° down°, a nation° whose° language° you shall not understand°, 50 a nation° of fierce° countenance° who° will ahave° no° respect° for the old°, nor° show° favor° to the young°. 51 Moreover, it shall eat° the Ioffspring° of your herd° and the produce° of your ground° until° you are destroyed°, who° also leaves° you no° grain°, new° wine°, or oil°, nor° the increase° of your herd° or the young° of your flock° until° they have caused you to perish°. 52 aIt shall besiege° you in all° your Itowns° until° your high° and fortified° walls° in which° you trusted° come° down° throughout° your land°, and it shall besiege° you in all° your Itowns° throughout° your land° which° the LORD° your God° has given° you. 53 aThen you shall eat° the Ioffspring° of your own body°, the flesh° of your sons° and of your daughters° whom° the LORD° your God° has given° you, during the siege° and the distress° by which° your enemy° will IIoppress° you. 54 The man° who is Irefined° and very° delicate° among you IIshall be hostile° toward his brother° and toward the wife° IIIhe cherishes° and toward the rest° of his children° who° remain°, 55 so° that he will not give° [even] one° of them any° of the flesh° of his children° which° he will eat°, since° he has nothing°° [else] left°, during the siege° and the distress° by which° your enemy° will Ioppress° you in all° your IItowns°. 56 aThe Irefined° and delicate° woman° among you, who° would not venture° to set° the sole° of her foot° on the ground° for delicateness° and IIrefinement°, IIIshall be hostile° toward the husband° IVshe cherishes° and toward her son° and daughter°, 57 and toward her afterbirth° which issues° from between° her Ilegs° and toward her children° whom° she bears°; for ashe will eat° them secretly° for lack° of anything° [else], during the siege° and the distress° by which° your enemy° will IIoppress° you in your IIItowns°.

58 ¶ “If° you are not careful° to observe° all° the words° of this° law° which are written° in this° book°, to Iafear° this° honored° and awesome° bname°, IIthe LORD° your God°, 59 then the LORD° will bring° extraordinary° plagues° on you and Iyour descendants°, even IIsevere° and lasting° plagues°, and miserable° and chronic° sicknesses°. 60 aHe will bring° back° on you all° the diseases° of Egypt° of which° you were afraid°, and they will cling° to you. 61 Also° every° sickness° and every° plague° which°, not written° in the book° of this° law°, the LORD° will bring° on you auntil° you are destroyed°. 62 Then you shall be left° few° in number°, awhereas°° you were as numerous° as the stars° of heaven°, because° you did not Iobey°° the LORD° your God°. 63 It shall come° about that as the LORD° adelighted° over° you to prosper° you, and multiply° you, so° the LORD° will bdelight° over° you to make you perish° and destroy° you; and you will be ctorn° from the land° where°° you are entering° to possess° it. 64 Moreover, the LORD° will ascatter° you among all° peoples°, from one end° of the earth° to the other end° of the earth°; and there° you shall bserve° other° gods°, wood° and stone°, which° you or your fathers° have not known°. 65 aAmong those° nations° you shall find° no° rest°, and there will be no° resting° place° for the sole° of your foot°; but there° bthe LORD° will give° you a trembling° heart°, failing° of eyes°, and despair° of soul°. 66 So your life° shall Ihang° in doubt before you; and you will be in dread° night° and day°, and shall have° no° assurance° of your life°. 67 aIn the morning° you shall say°, ‘Would°° that it were evening°!’ And at evening° you shall say°, ‘Would°° that it were morning°!’ because° of the dread° of your heart° which° you dread°, and for the sight° of your eyes° which° you will see°. 68 The LORD° will bring° you back° to Egypt° in ships°, by the way° about which° I spoke° to you, ‘You will never° see° it again°!’ And there° you will offer° yourselves for sale° to your enemies° as male° and female° slaves°°, but there° will be no° buyer°.”