The Choice of Life and Death

11 “For this commandment that I command you today (A)is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 (B)It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, (C)I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God[a] that I command you today, (D)by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,[b] then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if (E)your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 (F)I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, (G)blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice (H)and holding fast to him, for (I)he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in (J)the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 30:16 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God
  2. Deuteronomy 30:16 Or his just decrees

11 For this mitzvah which I command thee today, it is not too hidden from thee, neither is it too distant.

12 It is not in Shomayim, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to Shomayim, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

13 Neither is it beyond the yam, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the yam for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

14 But the Davar is very near unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy lev, that thou mayest do it.

15 See, I have set before thee today HaChayyim and HaTov, and Mavet and Rah;

16 In that I command thee today to love Hashem Eloheicha, to walk in His ways, and to be shomer over His mitzvot and His chukkot and His mishpatim, that thou mayest live and multiply; and Hashem Eloheicha shall bless thee in ha’aretz whither thou goest to possess it.

17 But if thine lev turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship elohim acherim, and serve them;

18 I announce unto you today, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your yamim upon ha’adamah, whither thou passest over Yarden to go to possess it.

19 I call Shomayim and Ha’Aretz to record today as witnesses against you, that I have set before you HaChayyim and HaMavet, HaBerakhah and HaKelalah; therefore choose Chayyim, that both thou and thy zera may live;

20 That thou mayest love Hashem Eloheicha, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest have deveykus unto Him: for He is Chayyeicha (your life, Pp 1:21; Ac 17:28), and the orech yameicha (length of your days); that thou mayest dwell in ha’adamah which Hashem swore unto Avoteicha, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov, to give them.

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The Offer of Life or Death

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

15 See, I set before you today life(G) and prosperity,(H) death(I) and destruction.(J) 16 For I command you today to love(K) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live(L) 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.(M) 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(N) that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.(O) Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love(P) the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,(Q) and he will give(R) you many years in the land(S) he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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