And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.
Parallel translations
- WEB The statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever more. You shall not fear other gods.
- KJV And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
- NKJV And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods.
- NASB And the statutes, the ordinances, the Law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall take care to do always; and you shall not fear other gods.
- NLT Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They must always observe the law God wrote for them and fear no other gods. Lasting obedience is bound to God's written word.
Overview
The covenant command requires perpetual observance of the statutes, ordinances, and law the LORD inscribed for His people. The repeated warning against fearing other gods stresses how central exclusive worship is. By tying obedience to God's written word, the text affirms the abiding authority of Scripture as the rule for God's people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Deut 5:31But you stand here with Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances you are to teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them to possess.”
- Deut 4:44–45This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites.
- Deut 12:32See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.
- Lev 19:37You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and follow them. I am the LORD.”
- Neh 9:13–14You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments.
- Deut 31:9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
- Ps 105:44–45He gave them the lands of the nations, that they might inherit the fruit of others’ labor,
- Ps 19:8–11The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
- 1 Chr 29:19And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”
- Deut 31:11when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 17:37 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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