Contemplative Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 31:12

New International Version – Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.

New Living Translation – Call them all together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns—so they may hear this Book of Instruction and learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully obey all the terms of these instructions.

As written earlier this year, I am now reading the New Living Translation instead of the New International Version. Now and then, I find a different wording that I find intriguing. That is the subject of today’s post.

The NLT calls what I have always known as the Old Testament law the Book of Instruction.

Hmmm, a book of instruction. Yahweh is instructing His people how to live. It isn’t a book of law, it is instructions for right living. No doubt some people will vehemently disagree with this twist of words. I don’t know that I agree with it 100%, but as I wrote, it is an intriguing thought.