11 “For this commandment which I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it far away. 12 It is not in heaven, [a]that you could say, ‘(A)Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us, and proclaim it to us, so that we may [b]follow it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, [c]that you could say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us and get it for us and proclaim it to us, so that we may [d]follow it?’ 14 On the contrary, the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may [e]follow it.

Choose Life

15 “See, (B)I have placed before you today life and [f]happiness, and death and [g]adversity, 16 in that I am commanding you today (C)to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, so that you (D)may live and become numerous, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but allow yourself to be led astray and you worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that (E)you will certainly perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter [h]and take possession of it. 19 (F)I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, (G)the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your [i]descendants, 20 (H)by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and (I)by holding close to Him; (J)for [j]this is your life and the length of your days, [k]so that you may live in (K)the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 30:12 Lit to say
  2. Deuteronomy 30:12 Lit perform
  3. Deuteronomy 30:13 Lit to say
  4. Deuteronomy 30:13 Lit perform
  5. Deuteronomy 30:14 Lit perform
  6. Deuteronomy 30:15 Lit good
  7. Deuteronomy 30:15 Lit evil
  8. Deuteronomy 30:18 Lit to
  9. Deuteronomy 30:19 Lit seed
  10. Deuteronomy 30:20 Lit that
  11. Deuteronomy 30:20 Lit to dwell

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.

Read full chapter