Deuteronomy 28:13 web — Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shal…

World English Bible

"Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],"

— Deuteronomy 28:13, World English Bible

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

Deuteronomy 28:13 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the Lord shall make thee the 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:”

  • ASV

    “And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them, ”

  • NET

    “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom, if you obey his commandments which I am urging you today to be careful to do.”

  • DRB

    “And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail: and thou shalt be always above, and not beneath: yet so if thou wilt hear the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, and keep and do them,”

  • BBE

    “The Lord will make you the head and not the tail; and you will ever have the highest place, if you give ear to the orders of the Lord your God which I give you today, to keep and to do them;”

  • KJVA

    “And the Lord shall make thee the 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 — Context

10

All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Yahweh; and they shall be afraid of you.

11

Yahweh will make you plenteous for good, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.

12

Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, and you shall not borrow.

13

Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],

14

and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

15

But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day, that all these curses shall come on you, and overtake you.

16

You shall be cursed in the city, and you shall be cursed in the field.

Deuteronomy 28:13 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Deuteronomy 28:13 say?
Deuteronomy 28:13 in the World English Bible reads: “Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],”
Where is Deuteronomy 28:13 in the Bible?
Deuteronomy 28:13 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 28, verse 13.
Who wrote Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). Largely framed as Moses' farewell speeches; the closing chapter narrating his death was likely added by Joshua or a later editor. It was written c. 1406 BC.
What is the book of Deuteronomy about?
Deuteronomy is Moses' final sermons to Israel before they enter the Promised Land — a renewed call to love and obey the LORD. It re-states the Law, rehearses Israel's history, and lays before the people blessing for obedience and curse for rebellion.
What are the major themes of Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy explores themes including Covenant, Love, Obedience, Remembrance, Blessing & Curse. These themes shape the meaning and context of Deuteronomy 28:13.
What translation should I read Deuteronomy 28:13 in?
Deuteronomy 28:13 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Deuteronomy 28:13?
Deuteronomy 28:13 reads (WEB): “Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
GodsGoodBook logo

GodsGoodBook

Making God's Word accessible to everyone

Experience the Bible like never before with multiple translations, powerful search tools, and features to make God's Word personal to you. Completely free, forever.

Features

15+ Bible Translations
Powerful Search Tools
Highlight & Annotate
Share Verses
100% Free Forever
© 2025 GodsGoodBookVersion 1.8.2