« | Deuteronomy 11 | » |
1 "So you must love the Lord your God. You must do what he tells you to do and always obey his laws, rules, and commands.
2 Remember today all the great things the Lord your God has done to teach you. It was you, not your children, who saw those things happen and lived through them. You saw how great he is. You saw how strong he is, and you saw the powerful things he does.
3 You, not your children, saw the miracles he did in Egypt. You saw what he did to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his whole country.
4 You, not your children, saw what he did to the Egyptian army—to their horses and chariots. They were chasing you, but you saw him cover them with the water from the Red Sea. You saw him completely destroy them.
5 It was you, not your children, who saw everything he did for you in the desert until you came to this place.
6 You saw what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab from Reuben's family. All the Israelites watched as the ground opened up like a mouth and swallowed them, their families, their tents, and all of their servants and animals.
7 It was you, not your children, who saw all the great things the Lord did.
8 "So you must obey every command I tell you today. Then you will be strong. And you will be able to go across the Jordan River and take the land that you are ready to enter.
9 Then you will live a long life in that country. The Lord promised to give that land to your ancestors and all their descendants. It is a land filled with many good things.
10 The land that you will get is not like the land of Egypt that you came from. In Egypt you planted your seeds and used your feet to pump water from the canals to water your fields like a vegetable garden.
11 But the land that you will soon get is not like that. In Israel there are mountains and valleys, and the land gets its water from the rain that falls from the sky.
12 The Lord your God cares for that land. The Lord your God watches over it, from the beginning to the end of the year.
13 "The Lord says, 'You must listen carefully to the commands I give you today: You must love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul. If you do that,
14 I will send rain for your land at the right time. I will send the autumn rain and the spring rain. Then you can gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil.
15 And I will make grass grow in your fields for your cattle. You will have plenty to eat.'
16 "He says, 'Be careful! Don't be fooled. Don't turn away from me to serve other gods and to bow down to them.'
17 If you do that, the Lord will become very angry with you. He will shut the skies, and there will be no rain. The land will not make a harvest, and you will soon die in the good land that the Lord is giving you.
18 "Remember these commands I give you. Keep them in your hearts. Write them down and tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads as a way to remember my laws.
19 Teach these laws to your children. Talk about these things when you sit in your houses, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.
20 Write these commands on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
21 Then both you and your children will live a long time in the land that the Lord promised to give to your ancestors. You will live there as long as the skies are above the earth.
22 "Be careful to obey every command I have told you to follow: Love the Lord your God, follow all his ways, and be faithful to him.
23 Then, when you go into the land, the Lord will force all those other nations out. You will take the land from nations that are larger and more powerful than you.
24 All the land you walk on will be yours. Your land will go from the desert in the south all the way to Lebanon in the north. It will go from the Euphrates River in the east all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
25 No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will make the people fear you wherever you go in that land. That is what he promised you before.
26 "Today I am giving you a choice. You may choose the blessing or the curse.
27 You will get the blessing if you listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God that I have told you today.
28 But you will get the curse if you refuse to listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God. So don't stop living the way I command you today, and don't follow other gods that you don't know.
29 "The Lord your God will lead you to your land. You will soon go in and take that land. At that time you must go to the top of Mount Gerizim and read the blessings to the people from there. And then you must go to the top of Mount Ebal and read the curses to the people from there.
30 These mountains are on the other side of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites living in the Jordan Valley. These mountains are toward the west, not far from the oak trees of Moreh near the town of Gilgal.
31 You will go across the Jordan River. You will take the land that the Lord your God is giving you. This land will belong to you. When you are living in this land,
32 you must carefully obey all the laws and rules I give you today.
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.