Deuteronomy 27

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

2 It 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.

3 You 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.

4 It 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.

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

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

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

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

9 Moses 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.

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

11 Moses 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.

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

14 With 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.’”

Around Deuteronomy 27

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

Deuteronomy 27 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

On the day Israel crosses the Jordan, they are to set up great stones, coat them with plaster, and write all the words of this law on them very plainly. On Mount Ebal they will also build an altar of uncut stones, with no iron tool, and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings, and eat and rejoice before the LORD.

Moses and the Levitical priests then say, Be silent and listen, Israel. Today you have become the people of the LORD your God.

Half the tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless and half on Mount Ebal for the curse. The Levites speak the curses in a loud voice, and after each one all the people answer, Amen. The curses fall on secret idolatry, dishonoring parents, moving a landmark, leading the blind astray, denying justice to the foreigner, fatherless and widow, forbidden sexual acts, secret murder, taking a bribe to kill the innocent, and, last of all, anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by doing them.

Background

Joshua 8 describes this ceremony being carried out at the same two mountains, near Shechem. Notice that the curses are about acts done in secret or hidden from a court, and about the vulnerable, so the people themselves agree with an Amen. Paul quotes verse 26 in Galatians 3, and Christians have read his argument in different ways. Chapter 28 continues with blessings and curses in more detail.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 26 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes