Returning to the Lord

30 “When all these things happen to you—the blessings and curses I have set before you—and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you,(A) and you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and all your soul(B) by doing[a] everything I am commanding you today, then he will restore your fortunes,[b](C) have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.(D) Even if your exiles are at the farthest horizon, he will gather you and bring you back from there.(E) The Lord your God will bring you into the land your ancestors possessed, and you will take possession of it.(F) He will cause you to prosper and multiply you more than he did your ancestors.(G) The Lord your God will circumcise your heart(H) and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.(I) The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. Then you will again obey him and follow all his commands I am commanding you today. The Lord your God will make you prosper abundantly in all the work of your hands,(J) your offspring,[c] the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. Indeed, the Lord will again delight in your prosperity, as he delighted in that of your ancestors, 10 when you obey the Lord your God by keeping his commands and statutes that are written in this book of the law and return to him with all your heart and all your soul.

Choose Life

11 “This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. 12 It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ 13 And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ 14 But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.(K) 15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity.(L) 16 For[d] I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live[e] and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow in worship to other gods and serve them, 18 I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not prolong your days in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life(M) so that you and your descendants may live, 20 love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful[f] to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors(N) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Footnotes

  1. 30:2 Lit soul according to
  2. 30:3 Or will end your captivity
  3. 30:9 Lit hands in the fruit of your womb
  4. 30:16 LXX reads If you obey the commands of the Lord your God that
  5. 30:16 LXX reads ordinances, then you will live
  6. 30:20 Lit and hold on

Prosperity After Turning to the Lord

30 When all these blessings and curses(A) I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations,(B) and when you and your children return(C) to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart(D) and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes[a](E) and have compassion(F) on you and gather(G) you again from all the nations where he scattered(H) you.(I) Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens,(J) from there the Lord your God will gather(K) you and bring you back.(L) He will bring(M) you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous(N) than your ancestors. The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants,(O) so that you may love(P) him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. The Lord your God will put all these curses(Q) on your enemies who hate and persecute you.(R) You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.(S) The Lord will again delight(T) in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, 10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law(U) and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.(V)

The Offer of Life or Death

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.(W) 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven(X) to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”(Y) 13 Nor is it beyond the sea,(Z) so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”(AA) 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.(AB)

15 See, I set before you today life(AC) and prosperity,(AD) death(AE) and destruction.(AF) 16 For I command you today to love(AG) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live(AH) and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.(AI) You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you(AJ) that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.(AK) Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love(AL) the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,(AM) and he will give(AN) you many years in the land(AO) he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 30:3 Or will bring you back from captivity