Deuteronomy 28:23-48
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 28
23The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. 24The Lord will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.
25The Lord will cause you to be defeated by your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways from their presence, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
26Your dead bodies will serve as food for all birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away.
27The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, the festering rash, and with scabies, from which you cannot be healed.
28The Lord will strike you with insanity, blindness, and with confusion of mind;
29and you will be groping about at noon, just as a person who is blind gropes in the darkness, and you will not be successful in your ways; but you will only be oppressed and robbed all the time, with no one to save you.
30You will betroth a woman, but another man will violate her; you will build a house, but you will not live in it; you will plant a vineyard, but you will not make use of its fruit.
31Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your donkey will be snatched away from you, and will not be restored to you; your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.
32Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people, while your eyes look on and long for them constantly; but there will be nothing you can do.
33A people whom you do not know will eat the produce of your ground and every product of your labor, and you will never be anything but oppressed and mistreated continually.
34You will also be driven insane by the sight of what you see.
35The Lord will strike you on the knees and thighs with severe boils from which you cannot be healed, and strike you from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.
36The Lord will bring you and your king, whom you appoint over you, to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, made of wood and stone.
37And you will become an object of horror, a song of mockery, and an object of taunting among all the peoples where the Lord drives you.
38You will bring out a great amount of seed to the field, but you will gather in little, because the locust will devour it.
39You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor bring in the harvest, because the worm will eat it.
40You will have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, because your olives will drop off prematurely.
41You will father sons and daughters but they will not remain yours, because they will go into captivity.
42The cricket will take possession of all your trees and the produce of your ground.
43The stranger who is among you will rise above you higher and higher, and you will go down lower and lower.
44He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he will be the head, and you will be the tail.
45So all these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.
46And they will become a sign and a wonder against you and your descendants forever.
47Since you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, in gratitude for the abundance of all things,
48you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and devoid of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
King James Version
Chapter 28
23And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. 24The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. 25The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. 26And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. 27The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. 28The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: 29And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. 30Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. 31Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. 32Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand. 33The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway: 34So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. 35The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head. 36The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. 37And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee. 38Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. 39Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. 40Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit. 41Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. 42All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. 43The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. 44He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
45Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
46And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
47Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
48Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 28
23The sky above you will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. 24The Lord will turn the rain of your land into falling dust; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed. 25The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them from one direction but flee from them in seven directions. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, with no one to scare them away.
27"The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, tumors, a festering rash, and scabies, from which you cannot be cured.
28The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness, and mental confusion,
29so that at noon you will grope as a blind person gropes in the dark. You will not be successful in anything you do. You will only be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will help you.
30You will become engaged to a woman, but another man will rape her. You will build a house but not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but not enjoy its fruit.
31Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away from you and not returned to you. Your flock will be given to your enemies, and no one will help you.
32Your sons and daughters will be given to another people, while your eyes grow weary looking for them every day. But you will be powerless to do anything.
33A people you don't know will eat your land's produce and everything you have labored for. You will only be oppressed and crushed continually.
34You will be driven mad by what you see.
35The Lord will afflict you with painful and incurable boils on your knees and thighs--from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.
36"The Lord will bring you and your king that you have appointed to a nation neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you will worship other gods, of wood and stone.
37You will become an object of horror, scorn, and ridicule among all the peoples where the Lord will drive you.
38"You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because locusts will devour it.
39You will plant and cultivate vineyards but not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.
40You will have olive trees throughout your territory but not moisten your skin with oil, because your olives will drop off.
41You will father sons and daughters, but they will not remain yours, because they will be taken prisoner.
42Buzzing insects will take possession of all your trees and your land's produce.
43The resident alien among you will rise higher and higher above you, while you sink lower and lower.
44He will lend to you, but you won't lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.
45"All these curses will come, pursue, and overtake you until you are destroyed, since you did not obey the Lord your God and keep the commands and statutes he gave you.
46These curses will be a sign and a wonder against you and your descendants forever.
47Because you didn't serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, even though you had an abundance of everything,
48you will serve your enemies that the Lord will send against you, in famine, thirst, nakedness, and a lack of everything. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
New Living Translation
Chapter 28
23The skies above will be as unyielding as bronze, and the earth beneath will be as hard as iron. 24The Lord will change the rain that falls on your land into powder, and dust will pour down from the sky until you are destroyed.
25The Lord will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You will attack your enemies from one direction, but you will scatter from them in seven! You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
26Your corpses will be food for all the scavenging birds and wild animals, and no one will be there to chase them away.
27The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, scurvy, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.
28The Lord will strike you with madness, blindness, and panic.
29You will grope around in broad daylight like a blind person groping in the darkness, but you will not find your way. You will be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will come to save you.
30You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will sleep with her. You will build a house, but someone else will live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will never enjoy its fruit.
31Your ox will be butchered before your eyes, but you will not eat a single bite of the meat. Your donkey will be taken from you, never to be returned. Your sheep and goats will be given to your enemies, and no one will be there to help you.
32You will watch as your sons and daughters are taken away as slaves. Your heart will break for them, but you won’t be able to help them.
33A foreign nation you have never heard about will eat the crops you worked so hard to grow. You will suffer under constant oppression and harsh treatment.
34You will go mad because of all the tragedy you see around you.
35The Lord will cover your knees and legs with incurable boils. In fact, you will be covered from head to foot.
36The Lord will exile you and your king to a nation unknown to you and your ancestors. There in exile you will worship gods of wood and stone!
37You will become an object of horror, ridicule, and mockery among all the nations to which the Lord sends you.
38You will plant much but harvest little, for locusts will eat your crops.
39You will plant vineyards and care for them, but you will not drink the wine or eat the grapes, for worms will destroy the vines.
40You will grow olive trees throughout your land, but you will never use the olive oil, for the fruit will drop before it ripens.
41You will have sons and daughters, but you will lose them, for they will be led away into captivity.
42Swarms of insects will destroy your trees and crops.
43The foreigners living among you will become stronger and stronger, while you become weaker and weaker.
44They will lend money to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, and you will be the tail!
45If you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and to obey the commands and decrees he has given you, all these curses will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed.
46These horrors will serve as a sign and warning among you and your descendants forever.
47If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received,
48you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. The Lord will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you.
English Standard Version
Chapter 28
23And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. 24The LORD will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed.
25“The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
26And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away.
27The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, and with tumors and scabs and itch, of which you cannot be healed.
28The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind,
29and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you.
30You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit.
31Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat any of it. Your donkey shall be seized before your face, but shall not be restored to you. Your sheep shall be given to your enemies, but there shall be no one to help you.
32Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless.
33A nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your ground and of all your labors, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually,
34so that you are driven mad by the sights that your eyes see.
35The LORD will strike you on the knees and on the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
36“The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone.
37And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away.
38You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it.
39You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them.
40You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off.
41You shall father sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours, for they shall go into captivity.
42The cricket shall possess all your trees and the fruit of your ground.
43The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.
44He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
45“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you.
46They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever.
47Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,
48therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.
New International Version
Chapter 28
23The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed.
25The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth.
26Your carcasses will be food for all the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.
27The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.
28The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind.
29At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.
30You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and rape her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit.
31Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them.
32Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand.
33A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days.
34The sights you see will drive you mad.
35The LORD will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
36The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone.
37You will become a thing of horror, a byword and an object of ridicule among all the peoples where the LORD will drive you.
38You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.
39You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.
40You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off.
41You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity.
42Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.
43The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower.
44They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.
45All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.
46They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever.
47Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity,
48therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
New King James Version
Chapter 28
23And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. 24The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.
25“The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.
26Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away.
27The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed.
28The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart.
29And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.
30“You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes.
31Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them.
32Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand.
33A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually.
34So you shall be driven mad because of the sight which your eyes see.
35The Lord will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.
36“The Lord will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods—wood and stone.
37And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the Lord will drive you.
38“You shall carry much seed out to the field but gather little in, for the locust shall consume it.
39You shall plant vineyards and tend them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
40You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off.
41You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity.
42Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land.
43“The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.
44He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
45“Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.
46And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever.
47“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything,
48therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.
