Deuteronomy 6

1This is the commandment, with the statutes and ordinances, that Yahweh your God has instructed me to teach you to carry out in the land you are about to cross into and possess,

2so that you will fear Yahweh your God and keep all his statutes and commandments that I am commanding you—you, your son, and your son’s son—throughout your lifetime, and so that your life may be long.

3So listen, Israel, and take care to do them, so that things will go well for you and you will become very numerous in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, told you.

4Hear, Israel: Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one.

5Love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6These words I command you today must stay on your heart.

7Repeat them to your children again and again, and talk about them when you are sitting at home and when you are out on the road, when you lie down and when you rise.

8Tie them on your hand as a sign, and they are to be a band on your forehead.

9Write them on the doorposts of your home and on your gates.

10When Yahweh your God brings you into the land he promised your ancestors on oath—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—that he would give to you, a land of large, fine cities you did not build,

11houses filled with all sorts of good things you did not put there, cisterns hewn out that you did not hew, vineyards and olive trees you did not plant—and when you have eaten and are satisfied,

12then watch yourself so that you do not forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.

13Fear Yahweh your God. Serve him, and swear your oaths by his name.

14Do not go after other gods from among the gods of the peoples all around you,

15because Yahweh your God in your midst is a jealous God. If you do, the anger of Yahweh your God will flare up against you, and he will wipe you out from the face of the land.

16Do not put Yahweh your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.

17Take great care to keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, along with the decrees and statutes he has laid on you.

18Do what is right and good in Yahweh’s eyes, so that things will go well for you and you will enter and possess the good land that Yahweh promised your ancestors on oath,

19pushing all your enemies out of your way, just as Yahweh said.

20When your child asks you someday, ‘What are these decrees, statutes, and ordinances that Yahweh our God has commanded you?’

21you are to answer your child, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, and Yahweh led us out of Egypt with a strong hand.

22Yahweh worked signs and wonders, great and devastating, in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his house, while we watched.

23He brought us out from there so that he could bring us in and give us the land he had promised our ancestors with an oath.

24Yahweh ordered us to observe all these statutes and to fear Yahweh our God, for our good at all times, to keep us alive, as we are to this day.

25If we take care to carry out this entire commandment before Yahweh our God, just as he commanded us, that will be our righteousness.’