New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Leviticus 26
1
" 'Do not make statues of gods for yourselves. Do not set up a likeness of a god or a sacred stone for yourselves. Do not place a carved stone in your land and bow down in front of it. I am the Lord your God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 33:52
References God
Leviticus 19:4
Exodus 23:24
Exodus 20:23
References Lord
Deuteronomy 27:15
2
" 'You must always keep my Sabbath days. Have respect for my sacred tent. I am the Lord.
Reference
Temple
Leviticus 19:30
3
" 'Follow my rules. Be careful to obey my commands.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 1:19
4
Then I will send you rain at the right time. The ground will produce its crops. The trees of the field will bear their fruit.
Reference
5
You will continue to thresh your grain until you gather your grapes. You will continue to gather your grapes until you plant your crops. You will have all you want to eat. And you will live in safety in your land.
Reference
6
" 'I will give you peace in the land. You will sleep, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild animals from the land. There will not be any war in your country.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 35:9
Zephaniah 3:13
Jeremiah 30:10
Ezekiel 14:15
Peace
Psalm 147:14
Ezekiel 34:25
Psalm 29:11
Haggai 2:9
Zechariah 9:10
Word
Hosea 2:18
7
You will hunt down your enemies. You will kill them with your swords.
8
Five of you will chase 100. And 100 of you will chase 10,000. You will kill your enemies with your swords.
Reference
Light
Deuteronomy 32:30
Parallel theme
Joshua 23:10
Deuteronomy 28:7
1 Chronicles 11:20
Numbers 14:9
1 Chronicles 11:11
9
" 'I will look with favor on you. I will give you many children and increase your numbers. And I will keep my covenant with you.
Reference
Covenant
Nehemiah 9:23
Ezekiel 16:62
Isaiah 55:3
Psalm 89:3
Exodus 6:4
Parallel theme
Psalm 107:38
Genesis 28:3
Jeremiah 33:3
Deuteronomy 28:11
Exodus 1:7
10
You will still be eating last year's crops when you have to move them out to make room for new crops.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 25:22
11
" 'I will live among you. I will not turn away from you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 29:45
Psalm 106:40
Ephesians 2:22
Leviticus 20:23
Temple
Exodus 25:8
Revelation 21:3
Psalm 76:2
13
I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. I did not want you to be slaves in Egypt anymore. I threw off your heavy load. I helped you walk with your heads held high.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 2:20
References God
Exodus 20:2
Leviticus 25:38
Leviticus 25:55
References Lord
Ezekiel 34:27
Psalm 116:16
14
" 'But suppose you will not listen to me. You will not carry out all of my commands.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 17:27
Leviticus 26:18
Hebrews 12:25
Acts 3:23
Malachi 2:2
Word
Lamentations 2:17
Lamentations 1:18
15
You will say no to my rules and turn away from my laws. And you will break my covenant by failing to carry out all of my commands.
Reference
16
Then here is what I will do to you. All at once I will bring terror on you. I will send sicknesses that will make you weak. I will send fever that will destroy your sight. It will slowly take your life away. When you plant seeds, it will not do you any good. Instead, your enemies will eat what you have planted.
Reference
17
I will turn against you. Then your enemies will win the battle over you. Those who hate you will rule over you. You will run away even when no one is chasing you.
Reference
Kingdom
Deuteronomy 28:25
Parallel theme
Proverbs 28:1
Leviticus 17:10
Psalm 53:5
Jeremiah 19:7
Judges 2:14
18
" 'After all of that, suppose you still will not listen to me. Then I will punish you for your sins seven times.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 119:164
Proverbs 24:16
1 Samuel 2:5
Sin
Leviticus 26:21
Leviticus 26:28
Leviticus 26:24
19
I will break down your stubborn pride. I will make the sky above you like iron, and it will not rain. I will make the ground under you like bronze, and you will not be able to farm it.
Reference
20
You will work with all of your strength, but it will not do you any good. That is because your soil will not produce any crops. The trees of the land will not bear any fruit.
Reference
21
" 'Suppose you continue to be my enemy. And suppose you still refuse to listen to me. Then I will multiply your troubles many times because of your sins.
Reference
22
I will send wild animals against you. They will kill your children. They will destroy your cattle. There will be so few of you left that your roads will be deserted.
Reference
23
" 'After all of those things, suppose you still do not accept my warnings. And suppose you continue to be my enemy.
Reference
24
Then I myself will be your enemy. I will make you suffer for your sins again and again.
Reference
25
I will send war against you to punish you for breaking my covenant. When you go back into your cities, I will send a plague among you. You will be handed over to your enemies.
Reference
Covenant
Ezekiel 20:37
Parallel theme
Numbers 14:12
Deuteronomy 28:21
Word
Ezekiel 5:17
Jeremiah 24:10
Deuteronomy 32:25
Ezekiel 33:2
Ezekiel 14:17
Ezekiel 29:8
Ezekiel 6:3
26
I will cut off your supply of bread. Ten women will need only one oven to bake your bread. They will weigh out the bread piece by piece. Even when you eat all of it, it will not be enough to satisfy you.
Reference
27
" 'After all of that, suppose you still do not listen to me. And suppose you continue to be my enemy.
Reference
28
Then I will be angry with you. I will be your enemy. I myself will again punish you for your sins over and over.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 59:18
Isaiah 63:3
Isaiah 66:15
Jeremiah 21:5
Ezekiel 8:18
Ezekiel 5:15
Ezekiel 5:13
29
You will eat the dead bodies of your sons. You will also eat the dead bodies of your daughters.
Reference
30
" 'I will destroy the high places where you worship other gods. I will pull down your incense altars. I will pile up your dead bodies on the lifeless statues of your gods. And I will turn away from you.
Reference
31
I will completely destroy your cities. I will destroy your places of worship. The pleasant smell of your offerings will not give me any delight.
Reference
32
" 'I will destroy your land so completely that your enemies who live there will be shocked.
Reference
33
I will scatter you among the nations. I will pull out my sword and hunt you down. Your land and your cities will be completely destroyed.
Reference
Parallel theme
Zechariah 7:14
Deuteronomy 4:27
Ezekiel 20:23
Psalm 44:11
Ezekiel 22:15
Word
Jeremiah 9:16
Luke 21:24
34
" 'Then the deserted land will enjoy its sabbath years. It will rest. It will not be farmed. It will enjoy its sabbaths. But you will become prisoners in the country of your enemies.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Chronicles 36:21
35
The land will rest the whole time it is deserted. It was not able to rest during the sabbaths you lived in it.
36
" 'Some of you will be left in the lands of your enemies. I will fill your hearts with fear. The sound of a leaf that is blown by the wind will scare you away. You will run as if you were escaping from swords. You will fall down, even though no one is chasing you.
Reference
37
You will trip over one another as if you were running away from the battle. You will run away, even though no one is chasing you. You will not be able to stand and fight against your enemies.
Reference
Parallel theme
Judges 2:14
38
" 'While you are still scattered among the nations, you will die. The lands of your enemies will destroy you.
39
You who are left in those lands will become weaker and weaker. You will die because of your sins and the sins of your parents.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 24:23
Deuteronomy 28:65
Ezekiel 6:9
Sin
Ezekiel 4:17
Ezekiel 33:10
Exodus 20:5
40
" 'But suppose you admit that you and your parents have sinned. You admit the evil and dishonest things you have done against me. And you admit you have become my enemy.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 36:31
Joshua 7:19
Sin
Proverbs 28:13
Numbers 5:7
Psalm 32:5
1 Kings 8:47
Leviticus 26:24
Leviticus 26:21
41
What you did made me become your enemy. I let your enemies take you into their land. But suppose you stop being stubborn. You stop being proud. And you pay for your sin.
Reference
42
Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember my covenant with Isaac. I will remember my covenant with Abraham. I will remember what I said to them about the land.
Reference
43
" 'You will leave the land. It will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies deserted because you are not there. You will pay for your sins because you said no to my laws. You turned away from my rules.
Reference
44
" 'But even after all of that, I will not say no to you or turn away from you. I will not destroy you completely in the land of your enemies. I will not break my covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.
Reference
45
Because of you, I will remember the covenant I made with the people of Israel who lived before you. I brought them out of Egypt to be their God. The nations saw me do it. I am the Lord.' "
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 20:22
References Egypt
Ezekiel 20:9
References God
Leviticus 25:38
Leviticus 22:33
Summary of Leviticus 26
Leviticus 26 describes the blessings that Israel would receive if they obeyed the Lord and the curses that would befall them if they remained disobedient. By focusing on Israel’s faithfulness and unfaithfulness to the covenant, Leviticus 26 deals with many themes presented in previous chapters. It begins with several blessings that will be given to Israel if they obey the Lord. After discussing the great blessings that can be obtained through obedience, the author warns the Israelites of the punishments that will be brought upon them if they remain disobedient. Even though God warns Israel of His judgment, He reassures them that He will not annul His covenant with them because of their disobedience.
The chapter begins with three prohibitions. The Israelites were warned that they should not make idols and graven images and that they should not bow down to them. They should also keep the Sabbath days and regard His sanctuary with reverence (Leviticus 26:1-2). These commands summarize all of the ideas introduced in the book of Leviticus, including the need to worship the true God and observe the Sabbath and treat His sanctuary with respect.
When Israel obeyed the Lord and kept His commandments, He promised to bless them. His blessing consisted of agricultural abundance and protection from enemies and wild beasts (Leviticus 26:3-5). The Lord would bring plenty of rains, so that His people would reap a bountiful harvest and enjoy the fruits of their labor. He would also guarantee peace in the land so that Israelites could rest and sleep in safety. Additionally, the Lord would protect them from wild animals and enemies who sought to harm them. If Israel was harassed by its enemies, the Lord would enable them to repel attacks and even conquer their enemies. For example, the people of Israel could defeat their enemies with five Israelites killing a hundred enemies and one hundred killing ten thousand.
Further blessings of obedience include the fact that the Lord would have respect unto Israel, make them fruitful and multiply them, and confirm His covenant with them. The Lord would bless them with an abundance of food until they had to throw away some of their surplus. The most precious blessing that the Lord promised Israel was that He would dwell in their midst (Leviticus 26:11-12). It seems that having God’s presence in their midst was the best blessing that the Lord could give to Israel.
The Lord reminded Israel that He had brought them out of Egypt and had redeemed them from the Egyptians. He had broken their yoke and made them free men (Leviticus 26:13). As the Lord prepared to bring judgment upon Israel because of their persistent disobedience, the tone of the chapter changed. If the Israelites did not obey the Lord’s commandments and statutes, they would suffer terrible curses. Disobedience would lead to them losing the joy that they experienced when they left Egypt. They would suffer from wasting diseases, with hot fever burning in their eyes and causing them to waste away in sorrow.
The enemies of Israel would also conquer them, and they would be delivered into the hands of their enemies despite fighting them. When Israel was threatened by foreign powers, they would panic and flee even when no one was chasing after them. When they faced their enemies, they would suffer defeat and humiliation. The land of Israel would fail to yield its produce, and their strength would be spent without bringing them any harvest.
Moreover, if Israel continued to disobey, the Lord would humble their proud power. He would make their heaven like iron and their land like brass, so that they would only get a fraction of the food they needed. Their land would not deliver its produce, and the trees would not yield their fruit. If they continued in their ways, the Lord would bring wild beasts upon them that would diminish their numbers until their streets were empty.
The Lord warned that He would bring a sword upon Israel to punish them for their sins. It would bring pestilence among them. Moreover, they would suffer from the famine because the Lord would withhold food from them. The verses describe in detail how starvation and severe deprivation would affect Israel. They would reach a state of desperation in which their children would eat their own children, and their neighbors would turn against them. The curse would penetrate even the holy places and the cities of Jerusalem, leaving the land desolate.
One of the reasons for the Lord’s judgment was that they had violated His instructions concerning the Sabbath. If the Israelites did not leave the land alone on the seventh year, the land would enjoy its Sabbaths while the Israelites were in captivity. Leviticus 26:34-35 says that the land would enjoy its Sabbaths when it was desolate. During this time, the people who survived would be scattered among their enemies and experience fear and terror. The sound of a leaf would terrify them, but they would not be able to flee because their enemies would destroy them. Their land would be desolate, and their cities would be laid waste.
Leviticus 26 ends on a positive note because it shows that Israel could turn to the Lord and restore their covenant relationship with Him. Beginning with Leviticus 26:40, the author discusses the mercy that the Lord would show to Israel when they confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers. They had to humble themselves and accept the guilt that came with their disobedience. The Lord would remember His covenant when they repented, and He would forgive them.
This teaching is significant because it shows that the Lord’s punishments were not permanent. When Israel repented, the Lord would forgive them, and the suffering that had befallen them would be over. However, Leviticus 26 emphasizes that the Lord would remember His covenant with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, and He would remember the land, even when Israel was in captivity. The author of Leviticus warned Israel that the Lord would not give them peace until they repented. The people needed to understand that the covenant did not depend on their faithfulness but rather on the Lord’s mercy.
Leviticus 26 describes the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. The Israelites would receive great blessings when they obeyed the Lord. They would experience peace, agricultural abundance, and the protection of the Lord. On the other hand, disobedience would bring them sorrow, enemies, and devastating judgments. The Lord warned that these punishments would come upon them if they continued in their rebellious ways. The author concluded the chapter by assuring the Israelites that the Lord would forgive their sins and disobedience if they repented.
This teaching reveals the type of relationship that the Lord wanted to establish with Israel. He wanted them to be obedient to Him and observe His commandments. He reminded them that He had brought them out of Egypt and made them His possession. By emphasizing the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience, the Lord was trying to convince Israel that He was the right God to serve. The covenant that He offered them was the best option available to them because it did not depend on their faithfulness but rather on His mercy.
The chapter begins with three prohibitions. The Israelites were warned that they should not make idols and graven images and that they should not bow down to them. They should also keep the Sabbath days and regard His sanctuary with reverence (Leviticus 26:1-2). These commands summarize all of the ideas introduced in the book of Leviticus, including the need to worship the true God and observe the Sabbath and treat His sanctuary with respect.
When Israel obeyed the Lord and kept His commandments, He promised to bless them. His blessing consisted of agricultural abundance and protection from enemies and wild beasts (Leviticus 26:3-5). The Lord would bring plenty of rains, so that His people would reap a bountiful harvest and enjoy the fruits of their labor. He would also guarantee peace in the land so that Israelites could rest and sleep in safety. Additionally, the Lord would protect them from wild animals and enemies who sought to harm them. If Israel was harassed by its enemies, the Lord would enable them to repel attacks and even conquer their enemies. For example, the people of Israel could defeat their enemies with five Israelites killing a hundred enemies and one hundred killing ten thousand.
Further blessings of obedience include the fact that the Lord would have respect unto Israel, make them fruitful and multiply them, and confirm His covenant with them. The Lord would bless them with an abundance of food until they had to throw away some of their surplus. The most precious blessing that the Lord promised Israel was that He would dwell in their midst (Leviticus 26:11-12). It seems that having God’s presence in their midst was the best blessing that the Lord could give to Israel.
The Lord reminded Israel that He had brought them out of Egypt and had redeemed them from the Egyptians. He had broken their yoke and made them free men (Leviticus 26:13). As the Lord prepared to bring judgment upon Israel because of their persistent disobedience, the tone of the chapter changed. If the Israelites did not obey the Lord’s commandments and statutes, they would suffer terrible curses. Disobedience would lead to them losing the joy that they experienced when they left Egypt. They would suffer from wasting diseases, with hot fever burning in their eyes and causing them to waste away in sorrow.
The enemies of Israel would also conquer them, and they would be delivered into the hands of their enemies despite fighting them. When Israel was threatened by foreign powers, they would panic and flee even when no one was chasing after them. When they faced their enemies, they would suffer defeat and humiliation. The land of Israel would fail to yield its produce, and their strength would be spent without bringing them any harvest.
Moreover, if Israel continued to disobey, the Lord would humble their proud power. He would make their heaven like iron and their land like brass, so that they would only get a fraction of the food they needed. Their land would not deliver its produce, and the trees would not yield their fruit. If they continued in their ways, the Lord would bring wild beasts upon them that would diminish their numbers until their streets were empty.
The Lord warned that He would bring a sword upon Israel to punish them for their sins. It would bring pestilence among them. Moreover, they would suffer from the famine because the Lord would withhold food from them. The verses describe in detail how starvation and severe deprivation would affect Israel. They would reach a state of desperation in which their children would eat their own children, and their neighbors would turn against them. The curse would penetrate even the holy places and the cities of Jerusalem, leaving the land desolate.
One of the reasons for the Lord’s judgment was that they had violated His instructions concerning the Sabbath. If the Israelites did not leave the land alone on the seventh year, the land would enjoy its Sabbaths while the Israelites were in captivity. Leviticus 26:34-35 says that the land would enjoy its Sabbaths when it was desolate. During this time, the people who survived would be scattered among their enemies and experience fear and terror. The sound of a leaf would terrify them, but they would not be able to flee because their enemies would destroy them. Their land would be desolate, and their cities would be laid waste.
Leviticus 26 ends on a positive note because it shows that Israel could turn to the Lord and restore their covenant relationship with Him. Beginning with Leviticus 26:40, the author discusses the mercy that the Lord would show to Israel when they confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers. They had to humble themselves and accept the guilt that came with their disobedience. The Lord would remember His covenant when they repented, and He would forgive them.
This teaching is significant because it shows that the Lord’s punishments were not permanent. When Israel repented, the Lord would forgive them, and the suffering that had befallen them would be over. However, Leviticus 26 emphasizes that the Lord would remember His covenant with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, and He would remember the land, even when Israel was in captivity. The author of Leviticus warned Israel that the Lord would not give them peace until they repented. The people needed to understand that the covenant did not depend on their faithfulness but rather on the Lord’s mercy.
Leviticus 26 describes the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. The Israelites would receive great blessings when they obeyed the Lord. They would experience peace, agricultural abundance, and the protection of the Lord. On the other hand, disobedience would bring them sorrow, enemies, and devastating judgments. The Lord warned that these punishments would come upon them if they continued in their rebellious ways. The author concluded the chapter by assuring the Israelites that the Lord would forgive their sins and disobedience if they repented.
This teaching reveals the type of relationship that the Lord wanted to establish with Israel. He wanted them to be obedient to Him and observe His commandments. He reminded them that He had brought them out of Egypt and made them His possession. By emphasizing the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience, the Lord was trying to convince Israel that He was the right God to serve. The covenant that He offered them was the best option available to them because it did not depend on their faithfulness but rather on His mercy.