📖 Deuteronomy — Chapter 28 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, Rif thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall Rcome on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 28:3 Blessed shalt thou be Rin the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
Deuteronomy 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Deuteronomy 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy Tstore.
Deuteronomy 28:6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Deuteronomy 28:7 The LORD Rshall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
Deuteronomy 28:8 The LORD shall Rcommand the blessing upon thee in thy Tstorehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deuteronomy 28:9 The LORD shall Restablish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
Deuteronomy 28:10 RAnd all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
Deuteronomy 28:11 And the LORD shall make thee Rplenteous Tin goods, in the fruit of thy Tbody, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
Deuteronomy 28:12 The LORD shall Ropen unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
Deuteronomy 28:13 And the LORD shall make thee Rthe head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
Deuteronomy 28:14 And Rthou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to pass, Rif thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Deuteronomy 28:16 Cursed shalt thou be Rin the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
Deuteronomy 28:17 RCursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
Deuteronomy 28:18 Cursed shall be Rthe fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Deuteronomy 28:19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Deuteronomy 28:20 The LORD shall Rsend upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto Tfor to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
Deuteronomy 28:21 The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
Deuteronomy 28:22 The LORD shall smite thee with Ra consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the Tsword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
Deuteronomy 28:23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
Deuteronomy 28:24 The LORD shall Rmake the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Deuteronomy 28:25 The LORD shall Rcause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be Tremoved into all the kingdoms of the earth.
Deuteronomy 28:26 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
Deuteronomy 28:27 The LORD will smite thee with Rthe botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
Deuteronomy 28:28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
Deuteronomy 28:29 And thou shalt Rgrope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
Deuteronomy 28:30 Thou shalt Rbetroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not Tgather the grapes thereof.
Deuteronomy 28:31 Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and Tshall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
Deuteronomy 28:32 Thy Rsons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand.
Deuteronomy 28:33 RThe fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
Deuteronomy 28:34 So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Deuteronomy 28:35 The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore Rbotch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
Deuteronomy 28:36 The LORD shall Rbring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 28:37 And thou shalt Rbecome an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
Deuteronomy 28:38 Thou Rshalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
Deuteronomy 28:39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; Rfor the worms shall eat them.
Deuteronomy 28:40 Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not Ranoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
Deuteronomy 28:41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but Tthou shalt not enjoy them; Rfor they shall go into captivity.
Deuteronomy 28:42 All Rthy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust Tconsume.
Deuteronomy 28:43 The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
Deuteronomy 28:44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
Deuteronomy 28:45 RMoreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
Deuteronomy 28:46 And they shall be upon thee for Ra sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
Deuteronomy 28:47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
Deuteronomy 28:48 Therefore shalt thou Rserve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Deuteronomy 28:49 The LORD shall Rbring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not Tunderstand;
Deuteronomy 28:50 A nation RTof fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
Deuteronomy 28:51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: Rwhich also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
Deuteronomy 28:52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deuteronomy 28:53 And thou shalt eat Rthe fruit of thine own Tbody, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
Deuteronomy 28:54 So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, Rhis eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:
Deuteronomy 28:55 So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.
Deuteronomy 28:56 The tender Rand delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon 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,
Deuteronomy 28:57 And toward her Tyoung one that Rcometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.
Deuteronomy 28:58 RIf thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
Deuteronomy 28:59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
Deuteronomy 28:60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
Deuteronomy 28:61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD Tbring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Deuteronomy 28:62 And ye shall be left Rfew in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 28:63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD Rrejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deuteronomy 28:64 And the LORD shall Rscatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 28:65 And among these nations Rshalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
Deuteronomy 28:66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:
Deuteronomy 28:67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Deuteronomy 28:68 And the LORD shall Rbring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Deuteronomy 28:1–14 — Blessings of covenant obedience
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Moses describes the blessings promised if Israel diligently hears and obeys the LORD. The promises reach households, work, produce, and national life.
Key Truth: The blessings are presented with a call to diligent obedience.
Check What You Remember
1. Would blessing reach both city and field? (Deuteronomy 28:3)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:3 (KJV).
2. What two food containers are named in the blessing? (Deuteronomy 28:5)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:5 (KJV).
3. What command concerning other gods closes this section? (Deuteronomy 28:14)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:14 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Deuteronomy 28:15–44 — The reversal of blessing
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The chapter warns that refusing God's commands will bring the reversal of blessing, including disease, failed crops, and social distress. These warnings belong to Israel's stated covenant.
Key Truth: The covenant warnings address the consequences of turning from the LORD.
Check What You Remember
1. What brings the stated curses according to the opening verse of this section? (Deuteronomy 28:15)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:15 (KJV).
2. What material would the heaven over Israel's head be like? (Deuteronomy 28:23)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:23 (KJV).
3. What material would the earth beneath them be like? (Deuteronomy 28:23)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:23 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Deuteronomy 28:45–68 — Siege, scattering, and loss
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The warnings intensify into defeat, siege, exile, and fear. Moses connects them with failure to serve the LORD in the time of abundance.
Key Truth: Abundance is a reason for grateful service, not forgetfulness.
Check What You Remember
1. With what attitude should Israel have served the LORD in abundance? (Deuteronomy 28:47)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:47 (KJV).
2. Where would the LORD scatter Israel? (Deuteronomy 28:64)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:64 (KJV).
3. What fearful thing would be said in the morning? (Deuteronomy 28:67)
Find it in Deuteronomy 28:67 (KJV).
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. What conditions frame the chapter’s blessings and curses?
2. What reversal appears in the enemy’s directions of approach and flight?
3. How does the description of heaven contrast provision with deprivation?
4. What failure precedes service to enemies in hunger and want?
5. What does the morning-and-evening wish express near the chapter’s end?
Notes
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