Build an Altar on Mount Ebal
1 Moses stood together with the leaders and told the people of Israel:
Obey all the laws and teachings that I am giving you today. 2-4 Soon you will enter the land that the Lord your God is giving to you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped, and he has promised that this land is rich with milk and honey.
After you cross the Jordan River, go to Mount Ebal. Set up large slabs of stone, then cover them with white plaster and write on them a copy of these laws.
5 At this same place, build an altar for offering sacrifices to the Lord your God. But don't use stones that have been cut with iron tools. 6 Look for stones that can be used without being cut. Then offer sacrifices to please the Lord, burning them completely on the altar. 7 Next, offer sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing, and serve the meat at a sacred meal where you will celebrate in honor of the Lord.
8 Don't forget to write out a copy of these laws on the stone slabs that you are going to set up. Make sure that the writing is easy to read.
Curses on Those Who Disobey
9 Moses stood together with the priests and said, “Israel, be quiet and listen to me! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 So you must obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you.”
11 That same day, Moses gave them the following instructions:
12-13 After you cross the Jordan River, you will go to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin will go up on Mount Gerizim, where they will bless the people of Israel. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali will go up on Mount Ebal where they will agree to the curses.
14-26 The people of the Levi tribe will speak each curse in a loud voice, then the rest of the people will agree to that curse by saying, “Amen!” Here are the curses:
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who makes an idol or worships idols, even secretly. The Lord is disgusted with idols.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on all who do not show respect for their father and mother.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who moves the rocks that mark property lines.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who tells blind people to go the wrong way.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who keeps the poor from getting justice, whether these poor are foreigners, widows, or orphans.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his father's wife; that man has shown no respect for his father's marriage.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who has sex with an animal.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his sister or his half sister or his mother-in-law.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who commits murder, even when there are no witnesses to the crime.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who accepts money to murder an innocent victim.
We ask the Lord to put a curse on anyone who refuses to obey his laws.
And so, to each of these curses, the people will answer, “Amen!”
Nlayo we Ndzimu wakakwagwa mu mabgwe
1 “Ipapo Mushe ne sholotjena bakalaya bathu beti, ‘Londolodzani nlayo wose wandinomupa nasi zhuba lino. 2 Ngono mu zhuba lamunotjuluka Jorodani mungina mu shango Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu yabanomupa mugadzike mabgwe makulukulu mube muapharela nge mpharelo, 3 ngono mube mukwala pezhugwi kwawo matama wose e nlayo iwoyu pamunowobe mutjuluka kungina shango yamunopiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, shango inowunga nkaka ne butji sekwa kati Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu benyu bakamugadzabgwe. 4 Ngono muti matjuluka Jorodani, mugadzike mabgwe iyawa andinomulaya nge kwawo nasi zhuba lino pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Ebali ngono muapharele nge mpharelo. 5 Ngono mubakile Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo, tjibeso tje mabgwe, musitongoshingisa zwishingisiwa zwe butale muali. 6 Mubakile Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo nge mabgwe asakabezhiwa ngono mupisile Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa mu tjili. 7 Muduse zwibhayilo zwe mbakisano muzwijile ikweno, ngono mushathe mbeli kwa Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu. 8 Mukwale mu mabgwe matama wose e nlayo iwoyu kunoboneka.’ ”
9 Ipapo Mushe ne bapirisiti be Balevi bakabe beti ku Baiziraela bose, “Nyalalani muhwe imwi Baiziraela, zhuba lino mabe bathu ba Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu. 10 Ndizo wali muhwe hwi la Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu mulondolodze milayo yabo iyeyi yandinomupa nasi lino zhuba.”
11 Ngono Mushe kalaya bathu zhuba ilelo eti, 12 “Muti matjuluka Jorodani, aba bame pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Gerizimu kukombolela bathu, Simiyoni na Levi na Juda na Isakari na Josefa na Bhenjamini. 13 Ngono aba banowoma pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Ebali beleba bhiso; Rubheni na Gadi na Asheri na Zebuluni na Dani na Nafutali. 14 Balevi banowolebeleka ne bathu bose be Iziraela nge hwi lipezhugwi beti,
15 “ ‘Kuna bhiso nlume unothama ndzimu we ifano tjakabezhiwa kene tjakabumbiwa, kuthu kunoshimisa kuna Yahwe, tjithu tjakathamiwa nge maboko e mbezhi ebe etjigadzika pakasumbikika.’ Ngono bathu bose badabile beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
16 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye usingakudze tate babe na mmeyabe.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
17 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unodusa n'gathu we mbakidzani uwe.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’ ”
18 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unotungamilila bhofu ntome mu zila.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’ ”
19 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unoleyesa nlubili kene siyang'wa kene tjilikadzi tjakanlingisana.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’ ”
20 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unolala ne nkadzi wa tate babe ngoti wafumula nkadzi wa tate babe.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
21 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unolala ne phuka kene ili yakatini.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
22 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unolala ne hazwadzi iye, ali nkololokadzi wa tate babe kene wa mmeyabe.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
23 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unolala na mezwale babe.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
24 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unobulaya mbakidzani uwe nge kwakasumbikala.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
25 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye unoamutjila tjizwimbanlomo kubulaya nthu usina nlandu.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’
26 “ ‘Kuna bhiso iye usinga lumbidze matama e nlayo iwoyu nge kuashinga.’ Ngono bathu bose babe beti, ‘Ngakujalo.’