~ The Israelites Renew Their Covenant With the Lord ~

 Carefully follow the terms of this covenant,
so that you may prosper in everything you do.
All of you are standing today
in the presence of the Lord your God --
your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials,
and all the other men of Israel,
together with our children and your wives,
and the aliens living in your camps
who chop your wood and carry your water.
You are standing here in order to enter into
a covenant with the Lord your God,
a covenant the Lord is making with you this day
and sealing with an oath . . ..

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe
among you today
whose heart turns away from the Lord our God
to go and worship the gods of those nations;
make sure there is no root among you
that produces such bitter poison.

When such a person hears the words of this oath,
he invokes a blessing on himself
and therefore thinks, "I will be safe,
even though I persist in going my own way."
This will bring disaster on the watered land
as well as the dry.

(Deuteronomy 29:9-12, 18-19)