Moses, with the Levitical priests, spoke to all Israel that from that day they had become the people of Jehovah their God; therefore they were charged to listen to His voice and do His commandments and His statutes (vv. 9-10).
Moses commanded the people that six of the tribes of Israel—Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin—should stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people (vv. 11-12). Moses also commanded that the other six tribes— Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali—should stand upon Mount Ebal for cursing (v. 13). Concerning which group they would be in, the tribes had no choice but had to accept God's ordination.
The Levites were to respond and, speaking to the people with a loud voice, were to utter the curses recorded in verses 15 through 26.
To each of the curses in 27:15-26, the people were to say, "Amen." The ones who were cursed included the following: the man who makes an idol (v. 15); the man who dishonors his parents (v. 16); the man who moves his neighbor's boundary mark (v. 17); the man who leads astray a blind man on the way (v. 18); the man who distorts justice due a sojourner, an orphan, or a widow (v. 19); the man who lies with his father's wife (v. 20); the man who lies with an animal (v. 21); the man who lies with his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter (v. 22); the man who lies with his mother-in-law (v. 23); the man who slays his neighbor secretly (v. 24); the man who takes payment to slay someone of innocent blood (v. 25); and the man who does not confirm all the words of this law by doing them (v. 26).