归向耶和华必蒙福

30 “当我向你们陈明的这些祝福和咒诅都应验在你们身上时,如果你们在你们的上帝耶和华驱逐你们去的各国中回想这些话, 归向你们的上帝耶和华,你们及子孙照我今天的吩咐全心全意地听从祂的话, 祂必改变你们被掳的境遇,怜悯你们,把你们从祂驱逐你们去的列国招聚回来。 即使你们被驱逐到天涯,你们的上帝耶和华也会把你们带回来, 带到你们祖先的土地上,使你们拥有那片土地,比你们祖先更加人丁兴旺、繁荣昌盛。 你们的上帝耶和华要洁净你们和你们子孙的心,好让你们全心全意地爱祂,并且存活。 你们的上帝耶和华要把所有的咒诅加在你们的仇敌及憎恶你们、迫害你们的人身上。 你们必再次听从耶和华,遵行今天祂借我吩咐你们的一切诫命。 9-10 倘若你们听从你们的上帝耶和华的话,遵守这律法书上的诫命和律例,全心全意地归向祂,祂必使你们凡事蒙福、儿女众多、牛羊成群、五谷丰登。因为祂必乐意再次赐福你们,像从前赐福你们祖先一样。

生死抉择

11 “我今天颁布给你们的诫命,对你们来说不难遵行,也非遥不可及。 12 这诫命并非在天上,以致你们说,‘谁替我们上天取下来,讲给我们听,让我们遵行呢?’ 13 这诫命也不在海的彼岸,以致你们说,‘谁替我们过海取来,讲给我们听,好让我们遵行呢?’ 14 这诫命近在咫尺,就在你口里,在你心中,好让你们遵行。

15 “看啊,今天我把生死祸福摆在你们面前。 16 我今天吩咐你们要爱你们的上帝耶和华,遵行祂的旨意,遵守祂的诫命、律例和典章,以便你们可以存活,人口兴旺,在你们将要占领的土地上蒙祂赐福。 17 但倘若你们心中偏离,不肯听从,被引诱去祭拜、供奉别的神明, 18 我今天警告你们,你们必定灭亡,在约旦河对岸——你们将要占领的土地上无法长久。 19 今天,我叫天地为你们作证,我已把生死祸福摆在你们面前。选择生命吧,以便你们及子孙可以存活。 20 要爱你们的上帝耶和华,听从祂的话,倚靠祂,因为祂是你们的生命,祂必使你们长久住在祂起誓赐给你们祖先亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的土地上。”

God’s Fidelity Assured

30 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you this day, with all your heart and with all your soul; then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes, and have compassion upon you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will fetch you; and the Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, that you may possess it; and he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. And the Lord your God will put all these curses upon your foes and enemies who persecuted you. And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord, and keep all his commandments which I command you this day. The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground; for the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Exhortation to Choose Life

11 “For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up for us to heaven, 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, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God[a] which I command you this day, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you this day, that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 30:16 Gk: Heb lacks If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God