What must the people answer after each curse pronounced by the Levites?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

All the people must answer Amen after each of the twelve curses. The last curse concerns anyone who does not remain in the words of the law and fulfill them in action; the preceding curses name specific acts and relationships.

Chapter breakdown

Moses and Israel’s elders command the people to keep every command given that day. After crossing the Jordan into the Lord’s given land, they must set up great stones and plaster them, writing all the law’s words so they may enter the promised land flowing with milk and honey, as sworn to their fathers. The stones must be set up on Mount Hebal and plastered. There they must build the Lord an altar of stones untouched by iron, neither fashioned nor polished, offer holocausts—burnt offerings—and sacrifice peace victims, eat, and feast before him. They must write all the law’s words on the stones plainly and clearly.

Moses and the Levitical priests tell all Israel to attend and hear: that day it has become the Lord’s people and must hear his voice and do the commanded commandments and justices. Moses directs that after crossing the Jordan, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin stand on Mount Garizim to bless the people. Opposite them on Mount Hebal, Ruben, Gad, Aser, Zabulon, Dan, and Nephtali must stand to curse. The Levites must pronounce the following words loudly to all Israel’s men.

The first curse concerns a man who makes a carved and molten thing, an abomination to the Lord made by craftsmen’s hands, and puts it in a secret place. Next come curses on one who does not honor his father and mother; removes his neighbor’s landmarks; makes a blind person wander from his way; or perverts the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. Further curses concern one who lies with his father’s wife and uncovers his bed; lies with any beast; lies with his sister, whether his father’s or mother’s daughter; or lies with his mother-in-law. The next concern one who secretly kills his neighbor and one who takes gifts to kill an innocent person. The final curse concerns one who does not remain in the law’s words and fulfill them in action. After every one of these twelve pronouncements, all the people must say Amen.

The story inside

The command to write all the law plainly on plastered stones is followed by the people’s spoken response to particular curses. Moses gives two complete tribal groups and their mountains, then directs the Levites to speak loudly. Each curse has the same required answer from all the people: Amen. The list begins with the crafted image put secretly away and ends with not fulfilling the law in action. Secret placement or killing is expressly named in particular entries; the chapter does not say every listed offense is secret or explain Amen through an invented psychological mechanism. The commands describe what must happen after crossing the Jordan, not a completed ceremony.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The stones and altar have different stated requirements. The law is written plainly on plastered stones; the altar stones must be untouched by iron and neither fashioned nor polished. Offerings and feasting also belong to the directions.
2
The tribal assignments are specific. Six named tribes stand on Garizim to bless, and the other six on Hebal to curse. The Levites speak loudly to all Israel’s men.
3
The response belongs to every curse. All the people must say Amen after each, including the final curse about fulfilling the law in action. The list keeps distinct offenses rather than reducing them all to hidden conduct.

Test your recall

What failure is named in the final curse, which all the people must answer with Amen?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 21325–21357
Deuteronomy Chapter 27 The commandments must be written on stones: and an altar erected, and sacrifices offered. The observers of the commandments are to be blessed, and the transgressors cursed. 27:1. And Moses with the ancients of Israel commanded the people, saying: Keep every commandment that I command you this day. 27:2. And when you are passed over the Jordan into the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, thou shalt set up great stones, and shalt plaster them over with plaster, 27:3. That thou mayst write on them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over the Jordan: that thou mayst enter into the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as he swore to thy fathers. 27:4. Therefore when you are passed over the Jordan, set up the stones which I command you this day, in mount Hebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster: 27:5. And thou shalt build there an altar to the Lord thy God, of stones which iron hath not touched, 27:6. And of stones not fashioned nor polished: and thou shalt offer upon it holocausts to the Lord thy God: 27:7. And shalt immolate peace victims, and eat there, and feast before the Lord thy God. 27:8. And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law plainly and clearly.
Lines 21359–21376
27:9. And Moses and the priests of the race of Levi said to all Israel: Attend, and hear, O Israel: This day thou art made the people of the Lord thy God: 27:10. Thou shalt hear his voice, and do the commandments and justices which I command thee. 27:11. And Moses commanded the people in that day, saying: 27:12. These shall stand upon mount Garizim to bless the people, when you are passed the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Juda, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 27:13. And over against them shall stand on mount Hebal to curse: Ruben, Gad, and Aser, and Zabulon, Dan, and Nephtali. 27:14. And the Levites shall pronounce, and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice:
Lines 21378–21416
27:15. Cursed be the man that maketh a graven and molten thing, the abomination of the Lord, the work of the hands of artificers, and shall put it in a secret place: and all the people shall answer and say: Amen. 27:16. Cursed be he that honoureth not his father and mother: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:17. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmarks: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:18. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of his way: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:19. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, of the fatherless and the widow: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:20. Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife, and uncovereth his bed: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:21. Cursed be he that lieth with any beast: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:22. Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or of his mother: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:23. Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:24. Cursed be he that secretly killeth his neighbour: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:25. Cursed be he that taketh gifts, to slay an innocent person: and all the people shall say: Amen. 27:26. Cursed be he that abideth not in the words of this law, and fulfilleth them not in work: and all the people shall say: Amen.