A thoughtful guide for your walk of faith Read with context, practice with grace.
Pentateuch · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Deuteronomy 27

Moses renews the covenant and calls Israel to remember, love, and obey God.

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 27

1Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep all the commandment which I command you today.

2It shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God gives you, that you shall set yourself up great stones, and coat them with plaster.

3You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have passed over, that you may go in to the land which the LORD your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.

4It shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall coat them with plaster.

5There you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You shall not use any iron tool on them.

6You shall build the LORD your God’s altar of uncut stones. You shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God.

7You shall sacrifice peace offerings, and shall eat there. You shall rejoice before the LORD your God.

8You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”

9Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God.

10You shall therefore obey the LORD your God’s voice, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”

11Moses commanded the people the same day, saying,

12“These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.

13These shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

14With a loud voice, the Levites shall say to all the men of Israel,

15‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

16‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or his mother.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

17‘Cursed is he who removes his neighbor’s landmark.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

18‘Cursed is he who leads the blind astray on the road.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

19‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

20‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he dishonors his father’s bed.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

21‘Cursed is he who lies with any kind of animal.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

22‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

23‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

24‘Cursed is he who secretly kills his neighbor.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

25‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

26‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Moses renews the covenant and calls Israel to remember, love, and obey God. Read Deuteronomy 27 within the complete Deuteronomy overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27 contains 26 verses and about 544 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep all the commandment which I command you today.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 26 closes: “‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include people, cursed, amen, stones, israel, today. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Deuteronomy 27

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Deuteronomy 27:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer