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The Results of Covenant Reaffirmation

30 “When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings and the curses[a] I have set before you, you will reflect upon them[b] in all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you. Then if you and your descendants[c] turn to the Lord your God and obey him with your whole mind and being[d] just as[e] I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will reverse your captivity and have pity on you. He will turn and gather you from all the peoples among whom he[f] has scattered you. Even if your exiles are in the most distant land,[g] from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. Then he[h] will bring you to the land your ancestors[i] possessed and you also will possess it; he will do better for you and multiply you more than he did your ancestors. The Lord your God will also cleanse[j] your heart, and the hearts of your descendants[k] so that you may love him[l] with all your mind and being and so that you may live. Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies, on those who hate you and persecute you. You will return and obey the Lord, keeping all his commandments I am giving[m] you today. The Lord your God will make the labor of your hands[n] abundantly successful and multiply your children,[o] the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the Lord will once more[p] rejoice over you to make you prosperous[q] just as he rejoiced over your ancestors, 10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him[r] with your whole mind and being.

Exhortation to Covenant Obedience

11 “This commandment I am giving[s] you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote. 12 It is not in heaven, as though one must say, ‘Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ 13 And it is not across the sea, as though one must say, ‘Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ 14 For the thing is very near you—it is in your mouth and in your mind[t] so that you can do it.

15 “Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other. 16 What[u] I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are about to possess.[v] 17 However, if you[w] turn aside and do not obey, but are lured away to worship and serve other gods, 18 I declare to you this very day that you[x] will certainly[y] perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.[z] 19 Today I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live! 20 I also call on you[aa] to love the Lord your God, to obey him and be loyal to him, for he gives you life and enables you to live continually[ab] in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 30:1 tn Heb “the blessing and the curse.”
  2. Deuteronomy 30:1 tn Heb “and you bring (them) back to your heart.”
  3. Deuteronomy 30:2 tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “children.”
  4. Deuteronomy 30:2 tn Or “heart and soul” (also in vv. 6, 10).
  5. Deuteronomy 30:2 tn Heb “according to all.”
  6. Deuteronomy 30:3 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  7. Deuteronomy 30:4 tn Heb “are at the farthest edge of the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
  8. Deuteronomy 30:5 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on the second occurrence of the word “he” in v. 3.
  9. Deuteronomy 30:5 tn Heb “fathers” (also later in this verse and in vv. 9, 20).
  10. Deuteronomy 30:6 tn Heb “circumcise” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “will give you and your descendents obedient hearts.” See note on the word “cleanse” in Deut 10:16.
  11. Deuteronomy 30:6 tn Heb “seed” (so KJV, ASV).
  12. Deuteronomy 30:6 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on the second occurrence of the word “he” in v. 3.
  13. Deuteronomy 30:8 tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I now enjoin on you.”
  14. Deuteronomy 30:9 tc The MT reads “hand” (singular). Most versions read the plural.
  15. Deuteronomy 30:9 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV); NRSV “of your body.”
  16. Deuteronomy 30:9 tn Heb “return and.” The Hebrew verb is used idiomatically here to indicate the repetition of the following action.
  17. Deuteronomy 30:9 tn The Hebrew text includes “for good.”
  18. Deuteronomy 30:10 tn Heb “to the Lord your God.” See note on the second occurrence of the word “he” in v. 3.
  19. Deuteronomy 30:11 tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you.”
  20. Deuteronomy 30:14 tn Heb “heart.”
  21. Deuteronomy 30:16 tc A number of LXX mss insert before this verse, “if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God,” thus translating אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) as “which” and the rest as “I am commanding you today, to love,” etc., “then you will live,” etc.
  22. Deuteronomy 30:16 tn Heb “which you are going there to possess it.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  23. Deuteronomy 30:17 tn Heb “your heart,” as a metonymy for the person.
  24. Deuteronomy 30:18 sn To this point in the chapter, Moses has addressed the people with the singular pronoun “you,” but here he switches to the plural. Rhetorically, the singular pronoun has emphasized the responsibilities and consequences for the nation as a whole. It is a group responsibility that requires a group effort. At v. 18 he shifts to using the plural form. This individualizes the threatened punishment in v. 18 and highlights individual responsibility in the first half of v. 19 (calling heaven and earth as witness “against you”) before returning to the collective responsibility that “you” (singular) choose life.
  25. Deuteronomy 30:18 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “certainly.”
  26. Deuteronomy 30:18 tn Heb “to go there to possess it.”
  27. Deuteronomy 30:20 tn The words “I also call on you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20 are one long sentence, which the translation divides into two.
  28. Deuteronomy 30:20 tn Heb “he is your life and the length of your days to live.”

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。”

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