Decree

However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.

So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.

Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

And you are to keep this command as a permanent statute for you and your descendants.

And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”

Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.

This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is the heave offering the Israelites will make to the LORD from their peace offerings.

Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

Then he must take off his garments, put on other clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place.

The priest is to remove a handful of fine flour and olive oil, together with all the frankincense from the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

I have taken from the sons of Israel the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as a permanent portion from the sons of Israel.’”

so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”

You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings to the LORD; for this is what I have been commanded.

And you and your sons and daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution in a ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you and your children from the peace offerings of the sons of Israel.

They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the wave offering, together with the fat portions of the food offerings, to wave as a wave offering before the LORD. It will belong permanently to you and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”

It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place; for it is to him a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD—his portion forever.”

These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws that the LORD established between Himself and the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai.

Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute.

And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.

All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring.”

Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land that you are about to enter and possess.

Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?

At that time the LORD commanded me to teach you the statutes and ordinances you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.

These are the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that Moses proclaimed to them after they had come out of Egypt,

Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I declare in your hearing this day. Learn them and observe them carefully.

But 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.”

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,

You are to diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and the testimonies and statutes He has given you.

In the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?”

And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes and to fear the LORD our God, that we may always be prosperous and preserved, as we are to this day.

So keep the commandments and statutes and ordinances that I am giving you to follow this day.

be careful to follow all the statutes and ordinances that I am setting before you today.

These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to follow all the days you live in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess.

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully follow these statutes.

It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.

The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice.

You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God and follow His commandments and statutes I am giving you today.”

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.

The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel

And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.

So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”

May He incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments and statutes and ordinances He commanded our fathers.

So let your heart be fully devoted to the LORD our God, as it is this day, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments.”

And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,

They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.

He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

Then you will succeed, if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”

And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,

For every dispute that comes before you from your brothers who dwell in their cities—whether it regards bloodshed or some other violation of law, commandments, statutes, or ordinances—you are to warn them, so that they will not incur guilt before the LORD and wrath will not come upon you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not incur guilt.

I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to leave the land that I assigned to your fathers, if only they are careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses—all the laws, statutes, and judgments.”

So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers recite laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Book of Laments.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:

We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.

You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments.

You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses.

We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons.

Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,

If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me!

I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.

For He carries out His decree against me, and He has many such plans.

when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,

when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors,

I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.

To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?

He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:

Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree?

He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.

He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

that they might keep His statutes and obey His laws. Hallelujah!

Oh, that my ways were committed to keeping Your statutes!

I will keep Your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.

Blessed are You, O LORD; teach me Your statutes.

Though rulers sit and slander me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

I recounted my ways, and You answered me; teach me Your statutes.

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep them to the end.

I lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love, and I meditate on Your statutes.

Your statutes are songs to me in the house of my pilgrimage.

The earth is filled with Your loving devotion, O LORD; teach me Your statutes.

You are good, and You do what is good; teach me Your statutes.

It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.

May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.

Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.

I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes, even to the very end.

Uphold me, and I will be saved, that I may always regard Your statutes.

You reject all who stray from Your statutes, for their deceitfulness is in vain.

Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion, and teach me Your statutes.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.

I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will obey Your statutes.

Salvation is far from the wicked because they do not seek Your statutes.

My lips pour forth praise, for You teach me Your statutes.

He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel.

He established them forever and ever; He issued a decree that will never pass away.

when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.

Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers!

Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees,

The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant.

Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.

“Only if this fixed order departed from My presence, declares the LORD, would Israel’s descendants ever cease to be a nation before Me.”

Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy with its terms and conditions, as well as the open copy—

Then you will know that I am the LORD. For you have neither followed My statutes nor practiced My ordinances, but you have conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.”

Therefore I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct.

In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.

And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

The prescribed portion of oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath from each cor (a cor consists of ten baths or one homer, since ten baths are equivalent to a homer).

This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Judah, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they reject the Law of the LORD and fail to keep His statutes; they are led astray by the lies in which their fathers walked.

The day for rebuilding your walls will come—the day for extending your boundary.

before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.

But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”

Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’