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)

¹⁵ See, I set before you today life^(A) and prosperity,^(B) death^(C) and destruction.^(D)

¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you^(A) that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.^(B) Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

²⁸ Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.^(A)

²⁸ In furious anger and in great wrath^(A) the Lord uprooted^(B) them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.”

¹⁸ Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns^(A) away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.^(B)

¹⁹ When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing^(C) on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,”^(D) they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. ²⁰ The Lord will never be willing to forgive^(E) them; his wrath and zeal^(F) will burn^(G) against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot^(H) out their names from under heaven. ²¹ The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster,^(I) according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.^(J)

²² Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it.^{(K) 23} The whole land will be a burning waste^(L) of salt^(M) and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,^(N) Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger.^(O)

⁶⁴ Then the Lord will scatter^(A) you among all nations,^(B) from one end of the earth to the other.^(C) There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known.^(D)

The Altar on Mount Ebal

27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands^(A) that I give you today. ² When you have crossed the Jordan^(B) into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones^(C) and coat them with plaster.^{(D) 3} Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(E) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. ⁴ And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal,^(F) as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. ⁵ Build there an altar^(G) to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool^(H) on them. ⁶ Build the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. ⁷ Sacrifice fellowship offerings^(I) there, eating them and rejoicing^(J) in the presence of the Lord your God.^{(K) 8} And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones^(L) you have set up.”^(M)

Curses From Mount Ebal

⁹ Then Moses and the Levitical^(N) priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God.^{(O) 10} Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”

¹¹ On the same day Moses commanded the people:

¹² When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim^(P) to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,^(Q) Joseph and Benjamin.^{(R) 13} And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal^(S) to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

¹⁴ The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice: