Deuteronomy 31:27

²⁵ he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD:

²⁶ “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!

²⁸ Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

²⁹ For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger by the work of your hands.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!
KJV: For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
WEB: For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Behold, while I am yet alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death?
ASV: For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against Jehovah; and how much more after my death?
DARBY: for I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck. Lo, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against Jehovah; and how much more after my death!
BLB: For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Behold, in my being yet alive with you⁺ this day, you⁺ have been rebellious against YHWH; how much more surely after my death!

ÅB: For jeg kjenner din gjenstridighet og din stive nakke; se, enda idag mens jeg lever og er iblant dere, har dere vært gjenstridige mot Herren; hvor meget mere da etter min død!
OTB: For jeg vet hvor opprørske og stivnakkede dere er. Hvis dere har vært opprørske mot Herren mens jeg fortsatt lever blant dere, hvor mye mer vil dere ikke gjøre opprør etter min død?
B1930: For jeg kjenner din gjenstridighet og din stive nakke; se, ennu idag mens jeg lever og er iblandt eder, har I vært gjenstridige mot Herren; hvor meget mere da efter min død!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 32:20
He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation— children of unfaithfulness.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 9:24
You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.
Read in context
Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
Read in context
Isaiah 48:4
For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 9:6–7
Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
Read in context
Psalms 78:8
Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 30:8
Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.
Read in context
Exodus 32:8–9
How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
Read in context