Deuteronomy 5:32
New International Version
So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.

New Living Translation
So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail.

English Standard Version
You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Berean Standard Bible
So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.

King James Bible
Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

New King James Version
“Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

New American Standard Bible
So you shall be careful to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.

NASB 1995
“So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.

NASB 1977
“So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Legacy Standard Bible
So you shall be careful to do just as Yahweh your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Amplified Bible
Therefore you shall pay attention and be careful to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left [deviating from My commandments].

Christian Standard Bible
“Be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left.

American Standard Version
Ye shall observe to do therefore as Jehovah your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Contemporary English Version
Israel, you must carefully obey the LORD's commands.

English Revised Version
Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you. Never stop living this way.

Good News Translation
"People of Israel, be sure that you do everything that the LORD your God has commanded you. Do not disobey any of his laws.

International Standard Version
You must be careful to do what the LORD your God commanded you, turning neither to the left nor to the right.

Majority Standard Bible
So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.

NET Bible
Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left!

New Heart English Bible
You shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God has commanded you: you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

World English Bible
You shall observe to do therefore as Yahweh your God has commanded you. You shall not turn away to the right hand or to the left.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And you have observed to do as your God YHWH has commanded you, you do not turn aside [to] the right or left;

Young's Literal Translation
'And ye have observed to do as Jehovah your God hath commanded you, ye turn not aside -- right or left;

Smith's Literal Translation
And watch ye to do as Jehovah your God commanded right: ye shall not turn aside to the right and to the left.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Keep therefore and do the things which the Lord God hath commanded you: you shall not go aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so, keep and do the things which the Lord God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left.

New American Bible
Be careful, therefore, to do as the LORD, your God, has commanded you, not turning aside to the right or to the left,

New Revised Standard Version
You must therefore be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You must observe and do therefore as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Keep and do as LORD JEHOVAH your God commanded you and do not turn away, not to the right, neither to the left.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And ye shall take heed to do as the Lord thy God commanded thee; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moses Intercedes for the People
31But you stand here with Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances you are to teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them to possess.” 32So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left. 33You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.…

Cross References
Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.

Proverbs 4:27
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.

Deuteronomy 28:14
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.

2 Kings 22:2
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Psalm 119:1
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD.

Isaiah 30:21
And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

1 Kings 15:5
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

2 Chronicles 34:2
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Deuteronomy 17:20
Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.

Deuteronomy 6:1-2
These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess, / so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. / But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Luke 1:6
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

James 1:22
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

1 John 2:3-6
By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. / If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. / But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: ...


Treasury of Scripture

You shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God has commanded you: you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

observe

Deuteronomy 6:3,25
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey…

Deuteronomy 8:1
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.

Deuteronomy 11:32
And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.

ye shall not

Deuteronomy 4:1,2
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you…

Deuteronomy 12:32
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Deuteronomy 17:20
That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

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Deuteronomy 5
1. The covenant in Horeb
6. The ten commandments
23. At the people's request Moses receives the law from God














So be careful
The phrase "So be careful" serves as a solemn admonition to the Israelites. In Hebrew, the word for "careful" is "שָׁמַר" (shamar), which means to guard, keep, or observe. This word is often used in the context of keeping commandments and is a call to vigilance and attentiveness. The historical context here is crucial; the Israelites are on the brink of entering the Promised Land, and Moses is reminding them of the importance of adhering to God's laws. This phrase underscores the necessity of intentionality in one's spiritual walk, emphasizing that obedience to God requires active and deliberate effort.

to do
The Hebrew word for "to do" is "עָשָׂה" (asah), which means to accomplish, make, or perform. This word implies action and implementation, not just passive acknowledgment. In the context of Deuteronomy, it highlights the importance of putting faith into practice. The Israelites are not merely to hear the commandments but to actively live them out. This serves as a reminder that faith without works is dead, as echoed in the New Testament (James 2:26).

as the LORD your God has commanded you
This phrase emphasizes divine authority and the source of the commandments. "The LORD" is the English translation of "YHWH," the sacred name of God, which signifies His eternal and unchanging nature. "Your God" personalizes the relationship, reminding the Israelites of their covenant with Him. The word "commanded" (צִוָּה, tzavah) indicates a direct order or charge, underscoring the non-negotiable nature of God's instructions. Historically, this reflects the covenantal relationship established at Sinai, where God gave the Law to Moses. It is a call to remember that these are not mere suggestions but divine mandates.

do not turn aside
The phrase "do not turn aside" is a warning against deviation. The Hebrew word "סוּר" (sur) means to turn away, depart, or remove. This is a common biblical metaphor for straying from the path of righteousness. In the ancient Near Eastern context, roads and paths were often used as metaphors for moral and spiritual journeys. This phrase serves as a caution against idolatry and assimilation into the pagan practices of surrounding nations, which were constant temptations for Israel.

to the right or to the left
This expression is a Hebrew idiom that signifies staying on the correct path without deviation. It is a call to maintain a straight course in obedience to God's commandments. The imagery of a path or road is prevalent in biblical literature, symbolizing the journey of faith. Historically, this reflects the challenges the Israelites faced in maintaining their distinct identity amidst the diverse cultures of the ancient Near East. Spiritually, it is a reminder to modern believers to remain steadfast in their faith, avoiding distractions and temptations that lead away from God's will.

Verses 32, 33. - Moses winds up this part of his discourse by exhorting them to observe and do all God's commandments, not in any way departing from that course of action to which he had called them, that they might live, and it should be well with them in the land they were about to possess. Verse 32. - To the right hand or to the left. "This signifieth an exact care to walk in God's Law, as in the highway, from which men may not turn aside, as in Deuteronomy 2:27" (Ainsworth); cf. Deuteronomy 17:11, 20; Deuteronomy 28:14; Joshua 1:7; Proverbs 4:27; Isaiah 30:21. "To receive what God enjoins is only half obedience; it belongs thereto also that nothing be required beyond this. We must not desire to be more righteous than as we are taught by the Law" (Calvin).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So be careful
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם (ū·šə·mar·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

to do
לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

has commanded you;
צִוָּ֛ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

you are not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to turn aside
תָסֻ֖רוּ (ṯā·su·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

to the right
יָמִ֥ין (yā·mîn)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

or to the left.
וּשְׂמֹֽאל׃ (ū·śə·mōl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8040: Dark, the north, the left hand


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 5:32 You shall observe to do therefore as (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 5:31
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