做上帝的子民

「你們的上帝耶和華帶領你們進入將要佔領的土地時,會為你們趕走赫人、革迦撒人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人這七個比你們強大的民族。 當你們的上帝耶和華把他們交在你們手裡、使你們打敗他們後,你們必須徹底毀滅他們。不可與他們立約,不可憐憫他們。 不可與他們通婚,不可讓你們的兒女與他們的兒女通婚, 因為他們會讓你們的兒女離棄耶和華去拜其他神明,以致耶和華向你們發怒,迅速毀滅你們。 你們要拆毀他們的祭壇,打碎他們的神柱,砍下他們的亞舍拉神像,焚燒他們的偶像。 因為你們屬於你們的上帝耶和華,是聖潔的民族,祂從天下萬族中揀選了你們做祂的子民——祂寶貴的產業。

「耶和華喜愛你們、揀選你們,不是因為你們的人口比別的民族多——其實你們在萬族中是最小的—— 而是因為祂愛你們,遵守祂向你們祖先所起的誓。因此,祂用大能的手把你們從受奴役的地方領出來,從埃及王法老手中救贖了你們。 所以你們要知道,你們的上帝耶和華是真神,是信實的真神,祂向愛祂、遵守祂誡命的人守約、施慈愛直到千代。 10 但祂必毫不遲延地報應、毀滅那些恨祂的人。 11 所以,你們要遵行我今天吩咐你們的誡命、律例和典章。

遵守誡命必蒙福

12 「如果你們聽從並謹遵這一切,你們的上帝耶和華就會信守祂給你們祖先的誓約,以慈愛待你們。 13 祂會愛你們,賜福給你們,使你們在祂向你們祖先起誓要賜給你們的土地上子孫昌盛,牛羊成群,收穫豐富的穀物、新酒和油。 14 天下萬族之中,你們是最蒙福的,你們的男人、女人和牲畜沒有不能生育的。 15 耶和華要使你們免患疾病,免遭你們在埃及所見的惡疾,祂要把那些惡疾降在一切憎惡你們的人身上。 16 你們必須滅絕你們的上帝耶和華交在你們手裡的各族,不可憐憫他們,不可拜他們的神明,因為那樣會使你們陷入網羅。

17 「也許你們心裡會說,『這些民族都比我們強大,我們怎能趕走他們呢?』 18 不要怕他們,要牢記你們的上帝耶和華曾如何對付埃及和法老, 19 你們親眼目睹祂如何降下大災難、行神蹟奇事、伸出臂膀和大能的手領你們離開埃及,祂也要這樣對付你們所懼怕的各族。 20 你們的上帝耶和華還要派黃蜂去攻擊他們,直到躲藏起來的殘存者也全部滅亡。 21 不要懼怕他們,因為你們的上帝耶和華住在你們當中,祂是偉大而可畏的上帝。 22 你們的上帝耶和華將在你們前面漸漸地趕走那些民族,你們不可急速地滅盡他們,否則你們周圍的野獸會大增,危害你們。 23 你們的上帝耶和華要將他們交給你們,使他們驚恐萬狀,直到被滅絕。 24 祂要將他們的王交在你們手中,無人能抵擋你們,你們要毀滅他們,使他們的名字從世上絕跡。 25 你們要燒毀他們的神像,不可貪圖神像上的金銀,不可將那些金銀據為己有,免得你們因此陷入網羅;因為那是你們的上帝耶和華所憎惡的。 26 不可把可憎之物帶到家裡,否則你們會像它們一樣被毀滅。你們要極其憎惡、厭棄它們,因為它們是當毀滅之物。

When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

19 The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

20 Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

22 And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

23 But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

24 And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therin: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.

26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

Driving Out the Nations

When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess(A) and drives out before you many nations(B)—the Hittites,(C) Girgashites,(D) Amorites,(E) Canaanites, Perizzites,(F) Hivites(G) and Jebusites,(H) seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the Lord your God has delivered(I) them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy(J) them totally.[a](K) Make no treaty(L) with them, and show them no mercy.(M) Do not intermarry with them.(N) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods,(O) and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy(P) you. This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles[b](Q) and burn their idols in the fire.(R) For you are a people holy(S) to the Lord your God.(T) The Lord your God has chosen(U) you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.(V)

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous(W) than other peoples, for you were the fewest(X) of all peoples.(Y) But it was because the Lord loved(Z) you and kept the oath he swore(AA) to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand(AB) and redeemed(AC) you from the land of slavery,(AD) from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God;(AE) he is the faithful God,(AF) keeping his covenant of love(AG) to a thousand generations(AH) of those who love him and keep his commandments.(AI) 10 But

those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
    he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.(AJ)

11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.(AK) 13 He will love you and bless you(AL) and increase your numbers.(AM) He will bless the fruit of your womb,(AN) the crops of your land—your grain, new wine(AO) and olive oil(AP)—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.(AQ) 14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.(AR) 15 The Lord will keep you free from every disease.(AS) He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt,(AT) but he will inflict them on all who hate you.(AU) 16 You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you.(AV) Do not look on them with pity(AW) and do not serve their gods,(AX) for that will be a snare(AY) to you.

17 You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?(AZ) 18 But do not be afraid(BA) of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.(BB) 19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand(BC) and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.(BD) 20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet(BE) among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. 21 Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you,(BF) is a great and awesome God.(BG) 22 The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.(BH) You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. 23 But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed.(BI) 24 He will give their kings(BJ) into your hand,(BK) and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you;(BL) you will destroy them.(BM) 25 The images of their gods you are to burn(BN) in the fire. Do not covet(BO) the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared(BP) by it, for it is detestable(BQ) to the Lord your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction.(BR) Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.
  2. Deuteronomy 7:5 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in Deuteronomy