1. Prologue (1-4)
   1. Historical review (1-3)
   2. Call to obedience (4)
2. Essence of Law (5-11)
   1. Ten commandments (5)
   2. The Great Commandment: the Shema (6)
   3. Temptation and life in the covenant (7-11)
3. Core Laws (12-26)
   1. Centralization of worship (12)
   2. False prophets and idolatry (13)
   3. Food laws (14)
   4. Sabbatical year and slavery (15)
   5. Festivals (16)
   6. Justice, the king (17)
   7. Levite, priest, prophet (18)
   8. Administration of justice (19)
   9. Rules of holy war (20)
   10. Miscellaneous laws (21-25)
   11. Ancient creed and exhortation (26)
4. Curse and Blessing (27-28)
   1. The Shechem ceremony: the covenant curses (27)
   2. Covenant blessings and curses (28)
5. Covenant Renewal (29-32)
   1. Moses's covenant exhortation (29-30)
   2. Joshua's commission and covenant ceremony (31)
   3. Song of Moses (32)
6. Epilogue (33-34)
   1. Blessing of Moses (33)
   2. Death of Moses (34)

A somewhat different way of organizing the book divides it into the major addresses of Moses.

1. First Address (1:1-4:43)
   1. Introduction (1:1-5)
   2. Moses's address (1:6-4:40)
   3. Appendix (4:41-43)
2. Second Address (4:44-26:19 and chapter 28)
   1. Introduction (4:44-49)
   2. Moses's address (5:1-26:19)
   3. [Shechem ceremony (27)]
   4. Blessings and curses (28)
3. Third Address (29-30)
   1. Introduction (29:1)
   2. Moses's address (29:2-30:20)
4. Concluding Events
   1. Joshua's commission and covenant ceremony (31)
   2. Song of Moses (32)
   3. Blessing of Moses (33)
   4. Death of Moses (34)