A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.

Chapter 4

And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you,

and do them that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord

the God of your fathers is giving you.

You shall not add to the word that I command you nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it,

that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the

Lord did at Bail Peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the

bail of Peor. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and

rules as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering

to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding

and the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes,

will say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people, for what great nation is there

that has a God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him,

and what great nation is there that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law

that I set before you today. Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the

things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.

Make them known to your children and your children's children. How on the day that you

stood before the Lord your God at Horrib, the Lord said to me, gather the people to me that I may

let them hear my words so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth,

and that they may teach their children so. And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain,

while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud and gloom.

...