Leviticus 26 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Leviticus 26 meaning explained in AI Summary

Blessings and Curses

Conditional Covenant: This chapter outlines the consequences of obedience and disobedience to God's commandments. It presents a series of blessings for faithfulness, including abundant harvests, victory over enemies, and God's presence among them. Conversely, curses are pronounced for disobedience, including crop failures, disease, and exile.
Motivation for Obedience: The potential blessings and curses served as a powerful motivator for the Israelites to remain faithful to the covenant they had made with God.
God's Redemptive Love: Even amidst pronouncements of curses, the chapter hints at God's enduring love and His willingness to forgive if the Israelites repented.

Leviticus 26 outlines the covenant blessings for obedience and the devastating consequences for disobedience to God's laws. It can be divided into two main sections:

Blessings for Obedience (Verses 3-13):

Abundant harvests: Rains will come in their season, crops and fruit trees will flourish, and there will be plenty of food.
Peace and security: God will drive out enemies, ensuring peace within the land and safety from invaders.
Divine presence and prosperity: God will dwell among them, bless them with large families, and uphold his covenant.
Victory and dominion: They will defeat their enemies and establish dominance over their adversaries.

Curses for Disobedience (Verses 14-46):

This section outlines a series of increasingly severe punishments for turning away from God and worshipping idols:

Initial hardships: Disease, famine, drought, crop failure, and defeat by enemies.
Escalating suffering: Panic and fear, wild animals attacking livestock and people, plague, and fever.
Severe consequences: Cannibalism due to extreme famine, destruction of cities and sanctuaries, exile to enemy lands, and constant fear.
Ultimate desolation: The land will become desolate and enjoy the Sabbath rest they denied it.

Hope for Repentance (Verses 40-45):

Even in the midst of judgment, there is a glimmer of hope. If the Israelites confess their sins and repent, God promises to:

Remember his covenant: He will not forget his promises to their ancestors.
Show mercy and compassion: He will forgive their sins and gather them back to the land.
Restore their fortunes: He will heal their land and allow them to prosper once again.

Overall Message:

Leviticus 26 emphasizes the importance of covenant faithfulness. Obedience to God brings blessings, while disobedience leads to severe consequences. However, even in judgment, God remains merciful and offers hope for restoration through repentance. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of choosing to follow God and the consequences of turning away from him.

Leviticus 26 bible study ai commentary

Leviticus 26 serves as the climactic conclusion to the legal codes given at Sinai, functioning as the covenantal sanctions for all the preceding laws. It presents Israel with a stark choice framed within the structure of an ancient treaty. Obedience to God's statutes leads to life, abundance, and God's presence in the Promised Land. Conversely, disobedience initiates a series of five escalating cycles of divine discipline, designed to bring the nation to repentance, culminating in exile. Yet, the chapter concludes not with final condemnation but with the profound hope of restoration, grounded in the unbreakability of God's covenant with the patriarchs and His own faithfulness.

Leviticus 26 context

This chapter was delivered to Israel at Mount Sinai shortly after the exodus from Egypt. Its literary form mirrors ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaties, where a great king (suzerain, God) establishes a relationship with a lesser nation (vassal, Israel). These treaties included: 1) Identification of the suzerain, 2) stipulations of the treaty (the Law), 3) blessings for loyalty, and 4) curses for rebellion. Leviticus 26 contains the blessings and curses, making it the legal ratification of the covenant. The context is a direct polemic against Canaanite religion; it asserts that YHWH, not Baal or other regional deities, is the sole source of fertility, rain, peace, and national security.

Leviticus 26:1

‘You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or a sacred pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.

In-depth-analysis

This verse establishes the foundational requirement for receiving covenant blessings: exclusive worship. It is a direct expansion of the first two commandments.
Idols ('elilim): Literally means "worthless things" or "nobodies," a term of contempt.
Image (pesel): A carved image, often of wood or stone.
Sacred Pillar (matstsebah): A standing stone, commonly used in Canaanite worship to represent male deities or mark a sacred site. It was forbidden when used for pagan worship.
Figured Stone ('eben maskit): A stone carved with figures, used as an object of prostration in pagan cults.
The prohibition is comprehensive, covering all known forms of idolatry in the region, ensuring YHWH's worship remains pure and imageless.

Bible references

Exodus 20:4-5: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image... you shall not bow down to them or serve them...' (Directly from the Ten Commandments).
Deuteronomy 16:21-22: 'You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar... And you shall not set up a pillar, which the LORD your God hates.' (Specifies and prohibits pagan cult objects).

Cross references

Deut 4:15-19 (warning against any form), Deut 5:8-9 (Decalogue parallel), Isa 44:9-20 (satire on idol makers), 1 Cor 10:14 (flee idolatry).

Polemics

This is a direct theological assault on the core practices of Canaanite, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian religions, which were all image-based. By forbidding any visual representation, the Torah sets Israel's worship apart, emphasizing that God is a spiritual being who cannot be manipulated or localized in a physical object like the regional storm god Baal or fertility goddess Asherah.

Leviticus 26:2

You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

In-depth-analysis

Following the prohibition of what not to do (idolatry), this verse gives two positive commands that define covenant faithfulness: one in time (Sabbaths) and one in space (sanctuary).
Keep my Sabbaths: This refers not only to the weekly Sabbath but all the appointed feasts (cf. Lev 23). It's a sign of the covenant and a declaration of trust in God's provision.
Reverence my sanctuary: The Tabernacle (and later the Temple) was the designated place of God's dwelling among His people. Reverence for it was reverence for Him.
I am the LORD: This concluding phrase is a covenantal seal, reminding Israel of the authority and identity of the one giving the commands.

Bible references

Exodus 31:13: '...you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you...' (Sabbath as a covenant sign).
Leviticus 19:30: 'You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.' (Exact repetition, showing its central importance).
Hebrews 12:28-29: '...let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.' (NT principle of reverent worship).

Cross references

Ex 20:8 (Sabbath command), Isa 56:2-7 (blessing for keeping Sabbath), Neh 13:15-22 (re-instituting Sabbath), Heb 4:9-10 (Sabbath rest in Christ).

Leviticus 26:3-5

‘If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.

In-depth-analysis

This begins the section of blessings, conditional upon obedience. The structure is "If... then...".
The primary blessing is agricultural abundance, the basis of life and economy in the ancient world.
Rains in their season: The "early" rains (autumn, for planting) and "latter" rains (spring, for maturing crops) were essential in the Levant's climate.
Overlapping Harvests: The imagery of threshing (grain) lasting until the grape harvest, which lasts until planting, paints a picture of supernatural, back-to-back abundance where there is no lean season.
Dwell securely: This blessing combines prosperity with peace.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 12: '...all these blessings shall come upon you... The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season...' (Parallel list of blessings in Deuteronomy).
Joel 2:23-24: '...he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you... The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow...' (Prophetic promise of restoration using this same language).
Amos 9:13: '“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper...”' (Messianic fulfillment promises even greater abundance).

Cross references

Deut 11:13-15 (rain for obedience), Psa 65:9-13 (God provides rain and bounty), Ezek 34:26-27 (covenant of peace blessing), Gal 6:7-8 (sowing and reaping principle).

Polemics

This is a direct challenge to Baal, the Canaanite storm and fertility god. Ancient myths depicted Baal battling to bring the rains. Here, YHWH declares that He alone controls the rain and seasons. The blessings demonstrate His absolute sovereignty over creation, making trust in Baal both foolish and unnecessary.

Leviticus 26:6-8

I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight, and your enemies shall fall before you by thesword.

In-depth-analysis

The blessings move from agriculture to national security.
Peace (Shalom): More than the absence of war, it implies wholeness, well-being, and tranquility from all threats, both internal and external.
None shall make you afraid: A state of perfect security where one can rest without fear (cf. Micah 4:4).
Remove harmful beasts: Both a literal promise for a pastoral society and a figurative one for removing all predatory dangers.
Supernatural Victory: The hyperbolic ratios (5 vs. 100, 100 vs. 10,000) are not literal math but a promise of overwhelming, God-given victory where the odds are irrelevant. This demonstrates that military success is from YHWH, not human strength.

Bible references

Joshua 23:10: 'One man of you puts to flight a thousand, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you...' (Joshua confirms the fulfillment of this promise).
Psalm 4:8: 'In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.' (Personal application of this national promise).
Romans 8:31: '...If God is for us, who can be against us?' (The theological principle behind the promise of supernatural victory).

Cross references

1 Ki 4:25 (peace in Solomon's reign), Isa 35:9 (highway of holiness free of beasts), Zech 2:4-5 (God as a wall of fire), Rom 16:20 (God will crush Satan).

Leviticus 26:9-13

I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. And you shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

In-depth-analysis

This section describes the ultimate blessing: intimate, unhindered fellowship with God.
Fruitful and multiply: A direct echo of the commands/blessings in Genesis (Gen 1:28, 9:1, 17:6), linking Israel's growth to God's primordial creational and patriarchal purposes.
My dwelling (mishkan): God will place His Tabernacle, the physical sign of His presence, in their midst. This is the goal of the entire system.
I will walk among you: This intimate language recalls God walking in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:8). It signifies a restoration of the fellowship lost at the Fall.
I will be your God... you my people: The classic covenant formula, the very heart of the relationship (cf. Jer 31:33).
Broken the bars of your yoke: God reminds them of their redemption from Egypt. The imagery is of freeing an ox. This past salvation is the foundation for their future obedience and blessing. They can "walk erect" as free people, not slaves.

Bible references

Genesis 17:7-8: 'I will establish my covenant... to be God to you and to your offspring... And I will give to you... the land...' (Reaffirmation of the Abrahamic covenant).
Exodus 29:45: 'And I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.' (The purpose of the Tabernacle and priesthood).
2 Corinthians 6:16: '...For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them...”' (Paul applies this promise directly to the church).
Revelation 21:3: '...“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people...”' (The ultimate eschatological fulfillment of this verse).

Cross references

Jer 31:33 (New Covenant), Ezek 37:26-27 (fulfillment in restoration), John 1:14 (Christ "tabernacled" among us), Gal 5:1 (freed from yoke of slavery).

Leviticus 26:14-17

‘But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments... I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you.

In-depth-analysis

The turning point of the chapter. It now lays out the curses (qelalah) for disobedience.
The first cycle of judgment is a direct reversal of the blessings of peace and security.
If you will not listen: This introduces the condition for judgment. The list of sins includes spurning statutes, abhorring rules, and breaking the covenant.
I will appoint over you terror: Includes sudden panic, wasting diseases ("consumption," likely tuberculosis) and fever.
Set my face against you: This is the opposite of "turning" His face toward them in blessing (v. 9). It implies active divine opposition and judgment.
Flee when none pursues you: A psychological curse of profound fear and paranoia, the antithesis of the peace promised in verse 6.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 28:15, 25: 'But if you will not obey... all these curses shall come upon you... The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies.' (Parallel first curse in Deuteronomy).
Jeremiah 15:1-3: '...My soul does not turn to this people... I will appoint for them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds... to devour...' (Prophetic enactment of these covenant curses).
Proverbs 28:1: 'The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.' (Wisdom literature reflecting this principle).

Cross references

Lam 1:5 (enemies as masters), Psa 53:5 (fear where there is no fear), Judg 2:14-15 (God giving them over to plunderers).

Leviticus 26:18-20

And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again, sevenfold for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

In-depth-analysis

This is the second cycle of discipline, invoked if the first does not lead to repentance.
Discipline you again, sevenfold: Seven signifies completeness and intensity. This is not a literal multiplier but an idiom for a punishment that is perfectly and completely intensified. It introduces the escalating nature of God's corrective judgments.
Break the pride of your power: To shatter their national arrogance and self-reliance.
Heavens like iron and your earth like bronze: A powerful metaphor for a severe, unbreakable drought. The sky yields no rain (iron) and the ground is baked so hard it cannot be tilled (bronze). This is a direct reversal of the blessing in v. 4.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 28:23: 'And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron.' (Exact parallel curse in Deuteronomy).
1 Kings 17:1: '...as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.' (Elijah enacts this curse upon disobedient Israel).
Isaiah 26:5: 'For he has brought low the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city...' (God's opposition to pride).

Cross references

Psa 107:33-34 (God turns rivers to desert for sin), Hag 1:9-11 (panelled houses while God's house is in ruins cause this), Amos 4:6-8 (God describes sending this exact discipline).

Leviticus 26:21-22

‘Then if you walk contrary to me and are not willing to listen to me, I will bring on you sevenfold more plagues, according to your sins. And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.

In-depth-analysis

The third cycle of judgment, for continued rebellion.
Walk contrary (qeri) to me: This key term implies a life of accidental, casual, or indifferent opposition to God. It's walking out of step with Him.
Wild beasts... bereave you of your children: A terrifying judgment where God removes his protective hand and allows nature itself to become an instrument of His wrath. This reverses the blessing of safety (v. 6) and fruitfulness (v. 9).
Roads shall be deserted: This depicts a complete breakdown of society, commerce, and safety. People are too few or too terrified to travel.

Bible references

Ezekiel 5:17: 'And I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children...' (Ezekiel explicitly prophesies this Levitical curse upon Jerusalem).
2 Kings 17:25: '...because they did not fear the LORD, the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.' (A literal historical fulfillment of this curse among the resettled people of Samaria).
Ezekiel 14:15, 21: 'If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land... Or if I bring all four of these dreadful judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts and plague—upon Jerusalem...' (Lists this as one of God's four "dreadful judgments").

Cross references

Deut 32:24 (curse of "the teeth of beasts"), Jer 15:3 (curse of dogs), Lam 1:4 (roads of Zion mourn).

Leviticus 26:23-26

‘And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant... and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall dole it out by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

In-depth-analysis

The fourth, and even more severe, cycle of judgment.
I also will walk contrary (qeri) to you: This is a terrifying mirroring of Israel's actions. God will now actively and directly oppose them, matching their hostility with His own.
Sword... that shall execute vengeance for the covenant: This isn't just a random war, but a war specifically ordained by God as the penalty for breaking His covenant treaty.
Break your staff of bread: An idiom for causing a severe famine, where bread, the "staff" or support of life, is gone.
Ten women... one oven: A shocking picture of scarcity. Normally, each household had its own oven. Here, the rations are so small that one oven is enough for ten families, and the bread is rationed by weight, yet provides no satisfaction.

Bible references

Ezekiel 5:16: 'When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine, which are for destruction...' (Famine as a covenant curse).
Isaiah 3:1: 'For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem... the whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water...' (Famine as judgment).
Micah 6:14: 'You shall eat, but not be satisfied...' (The curse of food that doesn't nourish).

Cross references

Deut 28:48-51 (curse of foreign invasion), Judg 2:14 (Lord gives them into hands of enemies), Jer 24:10 (sending sword, famine, pestilence).

Leviticus 26:27-33

‘But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters... I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate... And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

In-depth-analysis

The fifth and final cycle of discipline, resulting in total societal collapse and exile.
I will walk contrary to you in fury: God's opposition now adds the element of "fury" (chemah), righteous covenantal anger at their persistent rebellion.
Eat the flesh of your sons/daughters: The most horrific curse, showing the ultimate depth of depravity and desperation to which they will sink during siege.
Destroy your high places (bamot): The illicit hilltop shrines Israel built for idolatry.
Make your sanctuaries desolate: This is the climax of judgment. God will abandon and allow the destruction of the very Tabernacle/Temple that signified His presence. The ultimate blessing (v. 11) is now completely revoked.
Scatter you among the nations: Exile. The ultimate punishment, removing them from the Promised Land, the locus of covenant blessing.

Bible references

2 Kings 6:28-29: '...This woman said to me, “Give your son, that we may eat him today...” So we boiled my son and ate him.' (A horrifying literal fulfillment during the siege of Samaria).
Lamentations 4:10: 'The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction...' (Eyewitness account of fulfillment during the fall of Jerusalem).
Jeremiah 9:16: 'I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known...' (Prophetic announcement of the exile curse).
2 Chronicles 36:19, 21: 'And they burned the house of God... to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths.' (Direct link between Jerusalem's destruction, exile, and the land's sabbath rest mentioned in the next verses).

Cross references

Deut 28:53-57 (prophecy of cannibalism), 2 Ki 25:9 (destruction of the Temple), Luke 21:24 (scattered among nations).

Leviticus 26:34-39

‘Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate... the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your sabbaths when you were dwelling in it... And those of you who are left shall rot away in their iniquity in the lands of your enemies...

In-depth-analysis

The land itself is personified as a victim of Israel's sin, which now receives its long-overdue rest.
The land shall enjoy its sabbaths: A profound and ironic theological statement. Since Israel refused to honor God's command for the land to rest every seventh year (Lev 25:2-4), God will enforce that rest by exiling the people. The duration of the Babylonian Exile (70 years) is directly linked by Jeremiah and the Chronicler to the accumulated Sabbath years the nation failed to keep.
Rot away in their iniquity: Describes the pining, languishing state of the exiles, plagued by guilt and fear in a foreign land.
They will suffer for their own sins and the "iniquities of their fathers," highlighting the generational consequences of covenant-breaking.

Bible references

2 Chronicles 36:21: '...to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. For all the days that it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.' (The definitive divine interpretation of the 70-year exile's purpose).
Jeremiah 29:10: '“For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill my promise and bring you back to this place.”' (Connects the 70-year duration to eventual restoration).
Ezekiel 4:6: '...you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah for forty days. I have appointed for you a day for each year.' (God assigns prophetic time based on years of sin).

Cross references

Lev 25:2-7 (Sabbath for the land), Lam 1:7 (Jerusalem remembers her affliction), Neh 9:36-37 (Israel as servants in their own land).

Leviticus 26:40-45

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers... and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land... I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers...

In-depth-analysis

This section provides the stunning conclusion of hope after judgment. The covenant relationship, though severely strained, is not ultimately broken.
If they confess... humble their uncircumcised hearts: Repentance is the necessary condition. "Uncircumcised hearts" is a metaphor for a heart that is stubborn, proud, and insensitive to God (cf. Deut 10:16).
Then I will remember my covenant: God's "remembering" is not a passive recall but an active stepping in to act upon His prior promises. Significantly, He lists the patriarchs in reverse order (Jacob, Isaac, Abraham), perhaps tracing the promise back to its original foundation.
I will not... break my covenant: God's own faithfulness and character are the ultimate security for Israel. He will not destroy them utterly because that would violate His own name and promise. His purpose is correction, not annihilation.

Bible references

1 Kings 8:47-50: '...if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent... then hear in heaven... and forgive your people...' (Solomon's prayer at the Temple dedication anticipates this very scenario of exile and repentance).
Nehemiah 1:8-9: 'Remember the word that you commanded... ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you... but if you return to me... I will gather them...’' (Nehemiah explicitly claims this promise as the basis for his appeal for restoration).
Romans 11:28-29: 'As regards the gospel... As regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.' (Paul argues that God's covenant promises to ethnic Israel are ultimately unbreakable because of His faithfulness).

Cross references

Deut 4:29-31 (promise of restoration upon repentance), Deut 30:1-6 (promise to circumcise their hearts), Dan 9:4-19 (Daniel's prayer as a model of this confession), Psa 106:44-46 (God remembers his covenant).

Leviticus 26:46

These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between him and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.

In-depth-analysis

A concluding summary statement or colophon, marking the end of the main body of law given at Sinai that began in Exodus 25.
It reinforces the divine origin ("the LORD made"), the human mediator ("through Moses"), and the location ("on Mount Sinai") of these laws. This validates the entire legal corpus from Exodus 25 through Leviticus 26.

Bible references

John 1:17: 'For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.' (The NT acknowledges the Mosaic origin of the law while pointing to its fulfillment in Christ).

Cross references

Lev 27:34 (similar concluding formula), Deut 33:4 (Moses as mediator), Mal 4:4 ("Remember the law of my servant Moses").

Leviticus 26 analysis

Covenant Treaty Structure: The chapter is a classic example of the literary form of an Ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaty, which gives it legal and historical weight. The blessings and curses are not arbitrary but are the sworn sanctions of this divine treaty with Israel.
Five Cycles of Discipline: The curses are not a single-act punishment. They are structured into five deliberate, escalating stages (v. 14-17, 18-20, 21-22, 23-26, 27-39). Each stage is more intense, designed as a "wake-up call" to drive Israel to repentance before the next, more severe judgment is enacted. The recurring phrase "sevenfold" emphasizes the perfect and complete nature of each disciplinary stage.
Chiastic (Mirror) Structure: The entire chapter has a chiastic structure, emphasizing the central turning point.
- A: Stipulations (v. 1-2)
  - B: Blessings for obedience (v. 3-13)
    - C: Warning of Judgment (v. 14-15)
      - D: The Five Cycles of Discipline (v. 16-39)
    - C': Call to Repentance (v. 40-41a)
  - B': Restoration based on the Covenant (v. 41b-45)
- A': Conclusion (v. 46)
The Theology of the Land: The Promised Land is more than just a geographical location; it is a central component of the covenant. The land itself is portrayed as a participant: it yields its bounty under obedience, it is defiled by sin (Lev 18:25), it vomits out the inhabitants for wickedness, and it finally gets its long-denied "sabbath rest" during the exile.
Prophetic Template: This chapter became the foundational text for Israel's prophets. Figures like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel did not invent their oracles of doom and hope; they interpreted their historical circumstances (Assyrian and Babylonian threats) through the lens of Leviticus 26, announcing the coming of the covenant curses and calling for the repentance described in verses 40-41.

Leviticus 26 summary

Leviticus 26 details the covenant's blessings and curses, establishing the direct consequences of Israel's obedience or disobedience. Faithfulness to God's commands—epitomized by rejecting idolatry and keeping the Sabbaths—brings agricultural abundance, peace, and God’s own presence. Unfaithfulness triggers five escalating cycles of disciplinary judgments—including famine, disease, war, and societal collapse—intended to produce repentance, with the ultimate curse being exile from the land. The chapter powerfully concludes with the promise that if the people confess and humble themselves even in exile, God will remember His unbreakable patriarchal covenant and restore them.

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Leviticus chapter 26 kjv

¹ Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.
² Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
³ If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
⁴ Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
⁵ And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
⁶ And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
⁷ And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
⁸ And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
⁹ For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.
¹⁰ And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.
¹¹ And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
¹² And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
¹³ I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.
¹⁴ But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;
¹⁵ And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
¹⁶ I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
¹⁷ And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.
¹⁸ And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
¹⁹ And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
²⁰ And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.
²¹ And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
²² I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.
²³ And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;
²⁴ Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
²⁵ And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
²⁶ And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.
²⁷ And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;
²⁸ Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
²⁹ And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
³⁰ And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.
³¹ And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors.
³² And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.
³³ And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
³⁴ Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
³⁵ As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.
³⁶ And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.
³⁷ And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
³⁸ And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
³⁹ And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.
⁴⁰ If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
⁴¹ And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
⁴² Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
⁴³ The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
⁴⁴ And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.
⁴⁵ But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.
⁴⁶ These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

Leviticus chapter 26 nkjv

¹ 'You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.
² You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
³ 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
⁴ then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
⁵ Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
⁶ I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.
⁷ You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.
⁸ Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.
⁹ 'For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.
¹⁰ You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.
¹¹ I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.
¹² I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
¹³ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright.
¹⁴ 'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,
¹⁵ and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
¹⁶ I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
¹⁷ I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.
¹⁸ 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
¹⁹ I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.
²⁰ And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
²¹ 'Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.
²² I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate.
²³ 'And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me,
²⁴ then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
²⁵ And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
²⁶ When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.
²⁷ 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,
²⁸ then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
²⁹ You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.
³⁰ I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you.
³¹ I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.
³² I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.
³³ I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.
³⁴ Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
³⁵ As long as it lies desolate it shall rest? for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.
³⁶ 'And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.
³⁷ They shall stumble over one another, as it were before a sword, when no one pursues; and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
³⁸ You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
³⁹ And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; also in their fathers' iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.
⁴⁰ 'But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,
⁴¹ and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt?
⁴² then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.
⁴³ The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes.
⁴⁴ Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.
⁴⁵ But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.' "
⁴⁶ These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the LORD made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

Leviticus chapter 26 niv

¹ "?'Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.
² "?'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.
³ "?'If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,
⁴ I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.
⁵ Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.
⁶ "?'I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.
⁷ You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.
⁸ Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
⁹ "?'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.
¹⁰ You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.
¹¹ I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you.
¹² I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
¹³ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.
¹⁴ "?'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands,
¹⁵ and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,
¹⁶ then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.
¹⁷ I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
¹⁸ "?'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.
¹⁹ I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.
²⁰ Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit.
²¹ "?'If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.
²² I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.
²³ "?'If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me,
²⁴ I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over.
²⁵ And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.
²⁶ When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.
²⁷ "?'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me,
²⁸ then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.
²⁹ You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.
³⁰ I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.
³¹ I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.
³² I myself will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled.
³³ I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.
³⁴ Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
³⁵ All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
³⁶ "?'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them.
³⁷ They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies.
³⁸ You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you.
³⁹ Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their ancestors' sins they will waste away.
⁴⁰ "?'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors?their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me,
⁴¹ which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies?then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin,
⁴² I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
⁴³ For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees.
⁴⁴ Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God.
⁴⁵ But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.'?"
⁴⁶ These are the decrees, the laws and the regulations that the LORD established at Mount Sinai between himself and the Israelites through Moses.

Leviticus chapter 26 esv

¹ "You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.
² You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
³ "If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them,
⁴ then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
⁵ Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.
⁶ I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.
⁷ You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
⁸ Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
⁹ I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you.
¹⁰ You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new.
¹¹ I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you.
¹² And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.
¹³ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
¹⁴ "But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments,
¹⁵ if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,
¹⁶ then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
¹⁷ I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you.
¹⁸ And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins,
¹⁹ and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.
²⁰ And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.
²¹ "Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins.
²² And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.
²³ "And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me,
²⁴ then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins.
²⁵ And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
²⁶ When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.
²⁷ "But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me,
²⁸ then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins.
²⁹ You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.
³⁰ And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you.
³¹ And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas.
³² And I myself will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it.
³³ And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
³⁴ "Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths.
³⁵ As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling in it.
³⁶ And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues.
³⁷ They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
³⁸ And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
³⁹ And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them.
⁴⁰ "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me,
⁴¹ so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies ? if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity,
⁴² then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
⁴³ But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes.
⁴⁴ Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God.
⁴⁵ But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD."
⁴⁶ These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.

Leviticus chapter 26 nlt

¹ "Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the LORD your God.
² You must keep my Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.
³ "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,
⁴ I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit.
⁵ Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land.
⁶ "I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land.
⁷ In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords.
⁸ Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.
⁹ "I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you.
¹⁰ You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!
¹¹ I will live among you, and I will not despise you.
¹² I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.
¹³ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.
¹⁴ "However, if you do not listen to me or obey all these commands,
¹⁵ and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands,
¹⁶ I will punish you. I will bring sudden terrors upon you ? wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them.
¹⁷ I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you!
¹⁸ "And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins.
¹⁹ I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze.
²⁰ All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit.
²¹ "If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins.
²² I will send wild animals that will rob you of your children and destroy your livestock. Your numbers will dwindle, and your roads will be deserted.
²³ "And if you fail to learn the lesson and continue your hostility toward me,
²⁴ then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins.
²⁵ I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken. When you run to your towns for safety, I will send a plague to destroy you there, and you will be handed over to your enemies.
²⁶ I will destroy your food supply, so that ten women will need only one oven to bake bread for their families. They will ration your food by weight, and though you have food to eat, you will not be satisfied.
²⁷ "If in spite of all this you still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward me,
²⁸ then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins.
²⁹ Then you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters.
³⁰ I will destroy your pagan shrines and knock down your places of worship. I will leave your lifeless corpses piled on top of your lifeless idols, and I will despise you.
³¹ I will make your cities desolate and destroy your places of pagan worship. I will take no pleasure in your offerings that should be a pleasing aroma to me.
³² Yes, I myself will devastate your land, and your enemies who come to occupy it will be appalled at what they see.
³³ I will scatter you among the nations and bring out my sword against you. Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins.
³⁴ Then at last the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years as it lies desolate while you are in exile in the land of your enemies. Then the land will finally rest and enjoy the Sabbaths it missed.
³⁵ As long as the land lies in ruins, it will enjoy the rest you never allowed it to take every seventh year while you lived in it.
³⁶ "And for those of you who survive, I will demoralize you in the land of your enemies. You will live in such fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send you fleeing. You will run as though fleeing from a sword, and you will fall even when no one pursues you.
³⁷ Though no one is chasing you, you will stumble over each other as though fleeing from a sword. You will have no power to stand up against your enemies.
³⁸ You will die among the foreign nations and be devoured in the land of your enemies.
³⁹ Those of you who survive will waste away in your enemies' lands because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.
⁴⁰ "But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me.
⁴¹ When I have turned their hostility back on them and brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their stubborn hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins.
⁴² Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
⁴³ For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected my regulations and despised my decrees.
⁴⁴ "But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out, for I am the LORD their God.
⁴⁵ For their sakes I will remember my ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of all the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD."
⁴⁶ These are the decrees, regulations, and instructions that the LORD gave through Moses on Mount Sinai as evidence of the relationship between himself and the Israelites.