Leviticus 26

King James Version

Full text for Leviticus Chapter 26

1¶ Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up [any] image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I [am] the LORD your God.

2Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I [am] the LORD.

3If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

4Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

5And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

6And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make [you] afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

7And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

8And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

9For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.

10And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.

11And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

12And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

13I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

14¶ But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;

15And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, [but] that ye break my covenant:

16I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

17And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

18And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

19And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

20And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

21And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

22I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your [high] ways shall be desolate.

23And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;

24Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

25And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of [my] covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

26[And] when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver [you] your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

27And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;

28Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

29And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.

30And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

31And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.

32And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.

33And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

34Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye [be] in your enemies' land; [even] then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

35As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

36And upon them that are left [alive] of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

37And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

38And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

39And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.

40¶ If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

41And [that] I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

42Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

43The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.

44And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I [am] the LORD their God.

45But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I [am] the LORD.

46These [are] the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Leviticus 26 outlines the blessings for obedience to God's commandments and the severe curses for disobedience. It promises prosperity, peace, and God's presence for faithfulness, contrasting this with famine, war, disease, and exile for rebellion. Despite the dire warnings, the chapter concludes with a promise of remembrance and restoration if the people humble themselves and confess their sins.

Medium Summary

Leviticus 26 begins by reiterating fundamental commands against idolatry and for observing Sabbaths and reverencing God's sanctuary. It then presents a clear covenant structure: if Israel obeys God's statutes, they will receive abundant blessings. These include timely rain, bountiful harvests, peace in the land, safety from enemies and wild beasts, military victory, and God's abiding presence among them. Conversely, severe curses are detailed for disobedience, escalating through stages of increasing hardship such as disease, famine, defeat by enemies, desolation of the land, and scattering among foreign nations. The land itself would then enjoy its neglected sabbaths. However, the chapter offers a glimmer of hope, stating that if the people confess their iniquity and humble themselves, God will remember His covenant with their ancestors and not utterly destroy them, demonstrating His enduring faithfulness.

Long Summary

Leviticus 26 establishes a comprehensive covenant framework, beginning with foundational commands against idolatry, graven images, and the importance of keeping Sabbaths and reverencing God's sanctuary. The chapter then meticulously details the blessings promised for Israel's obedience to God's statutes and commandments. These include timely and abundant rainfall, ensuring plentiful harvests and sustained food supply, leading to security and satisfaction in the land. Furthermore, God promises peace, freedom from fear, eradication of wild beasts, and decisive military victories over their enemies, where a few would rout many. God also pledges to show them favor, make them fruitful, multiply them, establish His covenant, and dwell among them, affirming His role as their God who delivered them from Egyptian bondage. However, the chapter shifts to a stark warning, outlining escalating curses for disobedience, despising God's judgments, or breaking the covenant. Initial punishments include terror, disease, failed crops, and defeat by enemies, leading to their oppressors ruling over them. If they persist in rebellion, the punishments intensify sevenfold, bringing drought, barren land, and attacks by wild beasts that diminish their population. Continued defiance would result in further severe plagues, war, pestilence, and famine so severe that food would be rationed and unsatisfying. The ultimate consequences include cannibalism, destruction of their idolatrous high places and sanctuaries, desolation of their cities and land, and their scattering among foreign nations. During their exile, the land would finally enjoy its neglected sabbaths. Despite these dire warnings, a path to restoration is offered: if the people confess their sins, acknowledge their rebellion, and humble their uncircumcised hearts, God promises to remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He assures them that He will not utterly cast them away or break His covenant, demonstrating His enduring faithfulness to His ancestral promises. The chapter concludes by affirming these as the statutes, judgments, and laws given by the LORD through Moses at Mount Sinai.

Core Concepts

  • Covenant BlessingsThe positive consequences promised by God for Israel's obedience, including agricultural prosperity, peace, safety, military victory, fruitfulness, and God's abiding presence. These blessings demonstrate God's provision and protection when His people walk in His ways.
  • Covenant CursesThe severe and escalating punishments threatened by God for Israel's disobedience and rebellion against His laws. These include disease, famine, defeat, desolation of the land, scattering among nations, and a general loss of divine favor and protection.
  • Idolatry and Sabbath ObservanceFundamental commands reiterated at the chapter's outset, emphasizing the prohibition against making or worshipping idols and the importance of keeping God's Sabbaths and reverencing His sanctuary. These actions are presented as foundational to their relationship with God.
  • Escalating PunishmentA key theme illustrating that God's judgment for continued disobedience would intensify, described as "seven times more" severe. This progressive worsening of conditions, from disease to famine, war, and ultimately exile, highlights the gravity of persistent rebellion.
  • Land's SabbathsThe concept that the land itself would "enjoy her sabbaths" during Israel's desolation and exile, specifically because the people had failed to observe the land's rest periods. This emphasizes a divine justice where the land recovers what was denied to it.
  • Divine Remembrance and RestorationThe ultimate promise that despite severe punishment, if the people humble themselves and confess their iniquity, God will remember His covenant with their patriarchs and not utterly destroy them. This offers hope for future reconciliation and return.
  • God's Presence and AbhorrenceGod's promise to "set my tabernacle among you" and "my soul shall not abhor you" for obedience, contrasted with His declaration that His "soul shall abhor you" and "I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours" for severe disobedience. This highlights the conditional nature of His manifest presence and favor.