23 Be careful. Don't forget the covenant the Lord your God made with you. Don't make for yourselves a statue of any god at all. He has told you not to. So don't do it.
24 The Lord your God is like a fire that burns everything up. He's a jealous God.
25 You will have children and grandchildren. And you will live in the land a long time. But don't commit a horrible sin. Don't make a statue of a god. If you do, that will be an evil thing in the sight of the Lord your God. You will make him angry.
26 I'm calling out to heaven and earth to be witnesses against you this very day. If you do those things, you will quickly die in the land you are going across the Jordan River to take over. You won't live there very long. You will certainly be destroyed.
27 The Lord will drive you out of your land. He will scatter you among the nations. Only a few of you will remain alive there.
28 There you will worship gods that men have made out of wood and stone. Those gods can't see, hear, eat or smell.
29 Perhaps while you are there, you will look to the Lord your God. You will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.