Rom 7:7-12; Exo 20:1-17;

Romans 7:7-12 ⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." ⁸But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. ⁹I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ¹⁰The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death; ¹¹for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. ¹² Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

What commandment is coveting?

Exodus 20:1-17 ¹God spoke all these words, saying, ²"I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³"You shall have no other gods before me. ⁴"You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: ⁵you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. ⁷"You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. ⁸"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹You shall labor six days, and do all your work, ¹⁰but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; ¹¹for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. ¹²"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. ¹³"You shall not murder. ¹⁴"You shall not commit adultery. ¹⁵"You shall not steal. ¹⁶"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. ¹⁷"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

Thou shalt not covet is the 10th commandment. Some Catholic renditions of the 10 commandments split this 10th commandment into two commandments. Catholics will often list coveting as the 9th and 10th commandments and remove the 2nd commandment. Now why would they remove the 2nd commandment about bowing down to graven images? When I went to one of my brother's wedding, I went inside a Catholic church and they had an image of what they thought was Jesus and an image of what they thought was Mary and probably many others, but I distinctly remember these two. To have these in a church is one thing, but to bow down to them is clearly in violation of the second commandment. And if you didn't have a bible in your lap that you could read and had to rely on the Catholics for the truth, you would never know bowing down to an image is breaking one of the 10 commandments would you? Something to think about. Coveting is not the 9th and 10th commandments, it is the 10th commandment. How important is it anyway? Let's take a look at some of the disastrous results of coveting.

1 Cor 6:8-10; Eph 5:1-7;

This is not the only time Paul speaks of this. The Corinthian church was not the only church that had problems with breaking this commandment.

Ephesians 5:1-7 ¹ Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. ²Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. ³But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints; ⁴nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate; but rather giving of thanks. ⁵Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. ⁷Therefore don't be partakers with them.

Quite frankly brethren, most in the world, even professing Christians do not really fear the wrath of God. They think the Father won't bring the punishments he has warned of. They mistake his paitience and mercy for lack of will to enforce his laws. Are we that way? Do we take covetousness lightly? Paul clearly shows us with his letters to the Corinthians and the Ephesians that some of the brethren were not taking God's commandments seriously and Paul warned them if they did not repent they would not be in the Kingdom and would face the wrath of God. Do you fear the wrath of God?

Isaiah 28:11-19; Isaiah 14:12-17; Genesis 3:1-5; Genesis 3:6-8 Genesis 3:16-24;

Isaiah 28:11-19 ¹¹Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ¹²Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. ¹³You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. In the day that you were created they were prepared. ¹⁴You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, [so that] you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. ¹⁵You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. ¹⁶By the abundance of your traffic they filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I have cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. ¹⁷Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings, that they may see you. ¹⁸By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your traffic, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of you; it has devoured you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you. ¹⁹All those who know you among the peoples shall be astonished at you: you have become a terror, and you shall nevermore have any being.

Where do we see Satan's sin of coveting and what did he covet?

Isaiah 14:12-17 ¹²How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! ¹³You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! ¹⁴I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!" ¹⁵Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. ¹⁶Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms; ¹⁷who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn't release his prisoners to their home?"

Satan coveted God's power and glory. And that brethren is where sin began. Satan is the Father and originator of sin and it all began with Coveting. Do you now see how important this commandment is? We read in the previous verses that Satan was in Eden and what do you supposed he was doing there? Was he trying to teach mankind coveting?

Genesis 3:1-5 ¹Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, "Has God really said, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'" ²The woman said to the serpent, "Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, ³but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" ⁴The serpent said to the woman, "You won't surely die, ⁵for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Now here we have the first recorded sin of lying, which was commited by Satan, not man. Let me ask you a quesion, Where is Eve? Has anyone seen her lately? Eve is dead in her grave, because she died just as God said she would for disobeying. Satan is much to blame for the sins of man. He is not totally responsible, but he is responsible for bringing sin on mankind. Let's continue.

Genesis 3:6-8 ⁶When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. ⁸They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

Notice Eve saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise. Eve coveted the fruit, before she took it and this is the first recorded sin of mankind. Then she took it which was stealing, then she ate it, which was disobeying her parent who was God. Coveting led to even more sins and what was the result?

Genesis 3:16-24¹⁶To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bear children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." ¹⁷To Adam he said, "Because you have listened to your wife's voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. ¹⁸It will yield thorns and thistles to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. ¹⁹By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return." ²⁰The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. ²¹Yahweh God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them. ²²Yahweh God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..." ²³Therefore Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴So he drove out the man; and he placed Cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Coveting has cost mankind dearly from the very beginning. We are still paying for the covetessness of Adam and Eve aren't we?

Gen 13:7-11; Gen 14:14-24; Gen 39:1-9; Gen 41:37-46; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 1:13-20; John 1:1-5;

Abraham did not covet the best of the land or possessions of his neighbors things.

Genesis 13:7-11 ⁷There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the land at that time. ⁸Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives. ⁹Isn't the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left." ¹⁰Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. ¹¹So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Genesis 14:14-24 ¹⁴When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. ¹⁵He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. ¹⁶He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. ¹⁷The king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). ¹⁸Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. ¹⁹He blessed him, and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: ²⁰and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." Abram gave him a tenth of all. ²¹The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, and take the goods to yourself." ²²Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, ²³that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' ²⁴I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion."

Joseph did not covet the Potiphar's wife or Pharoah's power.

Genesis 39:1-9 ¹Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there. ²Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian. ³His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand. ⁴Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. ⁵It happened from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Yahweh blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of Yahweh was on all that he had, in the house and in the field. ⁶He left all that he had in Joseph's hand. He didn't concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome. ⁷It happened after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph; and she said, "Lie with me." ⁸But he refused, and said to his master's wife, "Behold, my master doesn't know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. ⁹He isn't greater in this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

Joseph was second only to his master and he did not try to take over and be master and refused to commit adultery with his wife. He did not covet what was not his.

Genesis 41:37-46 ³⁷The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. ³⁸Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" ³⁹Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Because God has shown you all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as you. ⁴⁰You shall be over my house, and according to your word will all my people be ruled. Only in the throne I will be greater than you." ⁴¹Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." ⁴²Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck, ⁴³and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, "Bow the knee!" He set him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt." ⁴⁵Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. ⁴⁶Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph was loyal to the Pharaoh even until his death. He did not try to take over the Kingdom and did not covet the power that was not his.

Jesus Christ did not covet his father's power. If anyone had reason to covet the Father's power and glory it would be the Messiah.

Philippians 2:1-8 ¹If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, ²make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; ³doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; ⁴each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. ⁵Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. ⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This makes it clear that the Messiah was originally with God as God, but God the Father has always been in charge. Much like a husband and wife relationship where the two individuals are both equally human, but the man as specified by God is the head of the Family.

Colossians 1:13-20 ¹³who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love; ¹⁴in whom we have our redemption,[2] the forgiveness of our sins; ¹⁵who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. ¹⁸He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. ¹⁹For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; ²⁰and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

Our savior was with the Father from the beginning. I am stunned at some that teach Christ did not exist as God, before he became our saviour. Scripture makes it very clear that he pre existed before anything else. You can not create everything else, unless you existed before everything else was created.

John 1:1-5 ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.

John 1:14 ¹⁴The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

God is NOT a Trinity. God is a family which was originally composed of Father God and the Word God and the Father has always been in charge and respected and loved by the Word, who became flesh and paid for sins with his life that we too could become a part of God's Family. Instead of trying to take over the Father's power and glory, the Messiah stepped down from his glory so that we could step up to his glory and become brothers. What an awesome truth we under stand that few in the world know at this time. That my friends is about as far from coveting as you can get.

Prov 21:26; Jer 6:9-15; Jer 8:8-13; Mic 2:1-3; Mrk 7:17-23; Luk 12:13-15;

Proverbs 21:26 ²⁶There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and don't withhold.

Jeremiah 6:9-15 ⁹Thus says Yahweh of Armies, "They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel like a vine. Turn again your hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets." ¹⁰To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can't listen. Behold, the word of Yahweh has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it. ¹¹Therefore I am full of the wrath of Yahweh. I am weary with holding in. "Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him who is full of days. ¹²Their houses shall be turned to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand on the inhabitants of the land, says Yahweh." ¹³"For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. ¹⁴They have healed also the hurt of my people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace. ¹⁵Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I visit them, they shall be cast down," says Yahweh.

Jeremiah 8:8-13 ⁸How do you say, We are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has worked falsely. ⁹ The wise men are disappointed, they are dismayed and taken: behold, they have rejected the word of Yahweh; and what kind of wisdom is in them? ¹⁰Therefore will I give their wives to others, and their fields to those who shall possess them: for everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest every one deals falsely. ¹¹They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. ¹²Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among those who fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says Yahweh. ¹³I will utterly consume them, says Yahweh: no grapes shall be on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

Micah 2:1-3 ¹Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. ²They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. ³Therefore thus says Yahweh: "Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

Mark 7:17-23 ¹⁷When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Don't you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can't defile him, ¹⁹because it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foods?" ²⁰He said, "That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. ²¹For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, ²²covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. ²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

Luke 12:13-15 ¹³One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." ¹⁴But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" ¹⁵He said to them, "Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man's life doesn't consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses."

And while we are on the subject of inheritance.

Luke 15:11-32

Luke 15:11-32 ¹¹He said, "A certain man had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of your property.' He divided his livelihood between them. ¹³Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. ¹⁴When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. ¹⁹I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants."' ²⁰"He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' ²²"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; ²⁴for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to celebrate. ²⁵"Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. ²⁷He said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.' ²⁸But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' ³¹"He said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.'"

We shouldn't be surprised at the reaction of the prodigal sons brother. Let's face it, if this was your brother in real life who did this, we would almost all react the same way, because we see it as a brother. However, if our child did the same thing, we would again probably see it as the Father does in this parable. You see, it is a matter of perspective and one of the things the Messiah was trying to teach us from this parable is that the Father has the perspective of a Father and the Messiah has the perspective of the obedient brother, except he is glad for our repentence, not jealous like the prodigal son brother. However, he would still be ashamed of what his brother did and the Father didn't take the other sons inheritance and give it to the other son. That prodigal brother was going to be dependent on the other brother to help him out, just as we need the help of our obedient brother the Messiah to bring us out of our evil ways.

Deuteronomy 28:1-68

Which of the political candidates are telling us about this? The solution is simple. Balance the budget and hand each one of us a bill for $31,721.91. And that's not per family, that is per person, every man, woman and child in this country owes this money and the debt continues to increase by about 1.84 billion dollars per DAY! I think every single one of our elected officials that are a part of this financial fiasco should be FIRED, certainly not reelected. It is only the beginning of things to come.

Deuteronomy 28:1-68 ¹It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you this day, that Yahweh your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth: ²and all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of Yahweh your God. ³You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field. ⁴You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock. ⁵Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed. ⁶You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out. ⁷Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways. ⁸Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to; and he will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. ⁹Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you; if you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and walk in his ways. ¹⁰ All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Yahweh; and they shall be afraid of you. ¹¹Yahweh will make you plenteous for good, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you. ¹²Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, and you shall not borrow. ¹³Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do, ¹⁴and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. ¹⁵But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day, that all these curses shall come on you, and overtake you. ¹⁶You shall be cursed in the city, and you shall be cursed in the field. ¹⁷Your basket and your kneading trough shall be cursed. ¹⁸The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock shall be cursed. ¹⁹You shall be cursed when you come in, and you shall be cursed when you go out. ²⁰Yahweh will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke, in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed, and until you perish quickly; because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me. ²¹Yahweh will make the pestilence cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land, where you go in to possess it. ²²Yahweh will strike you with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with fiery heat, and with the sword, and with blight, and with mildew; and they shall pursue you until you perish. ²³Your sky that is over your head shall be brass, and the earth that is under you shall be iron. ²⁴Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust: from the sky shall it come down on you, until you are destroyed. ²⁵Yahweh will cause you to be struck before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them, and shall flee seven ways before them: and you shall be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth. ²⁶Your dead body shall be food to all birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth; and there shall be none to frighten them away. ²⁷Yahweh will strike you with the boil of Egypt, and with the tumors, and with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed. ²⁸Yahweh will strike you with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart; ²⁹ and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways: and you shall be only oppressed and robbed always, and there shall be none to save you. ³⁰You shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: you shall build a house, and you shall not dwell therein: you shall plant a vineyard, and shall not use its fruit. ³¹Your ox shall be slain before your eyes, and you shall not eat of it: your donkey shall be violently taken away from before your face, and shall not be restored to you: your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have none to save you. ³²Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people; and your eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day: and there shall be nothing in the power of your hand. ³³ The fruit of your ground, and all your labors, shall a nation which you don't know eat up; and you shall be only oppressed and crushed always; ³⁴so that you shall be mad for the sight of your eyes which you shall see. ³⁵Yahweh will strike you in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore boil, of which you can not be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. ³⁶Yahweh will bring you, and your king whom you shall set over you, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone. ³⁷You shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all the peoples where Yahweh shall lead you away. ³⁸You shall carry much seed out into the field, and shall gather little in; for the locust shall consume it. ³⁹You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine, nor harvest; for the worm shall eat them. ⁴⁰You shall have olive trees throughout all your borders, 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. ⁴²All your trees and the fruit of your ground shall the locust possess. ⁴³The foreigner who is in the midst of you shall mount up above you higher and higher; 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. ⁴⁵All these curses shall come on you, and shall pursue you, and overtake you, until you are destroyed; because you didn't listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you: ⁴⁶and they shall be on you for a sign and for a wonder, and on your seed forever. ⁴⁷Because you didn't serve Yahweh your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things; ⁴⁸therefore you shall serve your enemies whom Yahweh shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron on your neck, until he has destroyed you. ⁴⁹Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies; a nation whose language you shall not understand; ⁵⁰ a nation of fierce facial expressions, that shall not respect the person of the old, nor show favor to the young, ⁵¹and shall eat the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed; that also shall not leave you grain, new wine, or oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish. ⁵²They shall besiege you in all your gates, until your high and fortified walls come down, in which you trusted, throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land, which Yahweh your God has given you. ⁵³You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Yahweh your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you. ⁵⁴The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children whom he has remaining; ⁵⁵ so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat, because he has nothing left him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your gates. ⁵⁶The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, ⁵⁷and toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your gates. ⁵⁸If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH YOUR GOD; ⁵⁹then Yahweh will make your plagues wonderful, and the plagues of your seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and severe sicknesses, and of long continuance. ⁶⁰He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they shall cling to you. ⁶¹Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, Yahweh will bring them on you, until you are destroyed. ⁶²You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of the sky for multitude; because you didn't listen to the voice of Yahweh your God. ⁶³It shall happen that as Yahweh rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Yahweh will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you; and you shall be plucked from off the land where you go in to possess it. ⁶⁴Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone. ⁶⁵Among these nations you shall find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot: but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul; ⁶⁶and your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you shall fear night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. ⁶⁷ In the morning you shall say, "I wish it were evening!" and at evening you shall say, "I wish it were morning!" for the fear of your heart which you shall fear, and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see. ⁶⁸Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I said to you, You shall see it no more again: and there you shall sell yourselves to your enemies for bondservants and for bondmaids, and no man shall buy you.

People don't think that we as a people could be sold into slavery in these modern times. I believe the Bible, not what others think.

We have gone from being the home of the brave and free, to being the home of the largest debtors in the world.

We have gone from being the home of the brave and free, to being the home of the largest debtors in the world. Covetessness and greed has led us to this downfall. Let us not forget what scripture teaches us, that Covetors will not be in God's Kingdom.