White stones on Mount Ebal
1Moses and the leaders of the people said: ‘You must do everything that I tell you today. 2When you have gone to the other side of the Jordan River into the land that the Lord your God gives you, you must put up big stones and paint them white. 3Then you must write down all the words of these laws on the stones when you have gone over the Jordan River into the land that the Lord your God gives you, a land with a lot of food, milk and honey. The Lord, the God of your forefathers, has promised to give it to you. 4After you have gone to the other side of the Jordan River, you must go to Mount Ebal and put the stones upright there and paint them white as I have told you today.’
The altar on Mount Ebal
5‘You must build an altar for the Lord your God on Mount Ebal, an altar of stones that you have not cut. 6Build the altar with stones that are not broken and sacrifice burnt-offerings for the Lord your God on the altar. 7You must also sacrifice meal-offerings there and eat them and rejoice in front of the Lord your God. 8You must write down all the words of these laws very clearly on the big flat stones.’
The Levites must curse some people
9Moses and the priests, who were the descendants of Levi, told all the Israelites: ‘People of Israel, you must be quiet and listen. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10That is why you must listen to the Lord and do everything that He has said and decided, everything that I am telling you today.’
11On that day Moses told all the people: 12‘When you have gone to the other side of the Jordan River, then some of the tribes must go and stand on Mount Gerizim to say how God will bless the people of Israel. The tribes that must go there are: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13And the other tribes must go and stand on Mount Ebal to say how God will curse people who do not listen. The tribes that must go there are: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali. 14The Levites must talk out loudly and say to all the Israelites:
15“God will punish anyone who makes an image and worships it where no one can see him. God hates false gods. They are only images that workers have made of wood or metal.” Then all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
16Then the Levites must say: “We curse anyone who does not respect his father or mother.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
17Then the Levites must say: “We curse anyone who changes the borders of his neighbour's land to get more land for himself.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
18The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who leads a blind man the wrong way.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
19The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who does not help strangers, orphans and widows and who are not fair to them.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
20The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who has sex with his father's wife, because he has humiliated his father.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
21The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who has sex with an animal.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
22The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who has sex with his sister, a daughter of his father or his mother.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
23The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who has sex with his mother-in-law.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
24The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who kills someone else, even if no one sees it.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
25The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who takes bribe money to cause innocent people to die.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.”
26The Levites must then say: “We curse anyone who does not do everything that these laws say.” And all the people must say: “Yes, we agree.” ’
