Deuteronomy 30
Living Bible
30 “When all these things have happened to you—the blessings and the curses I have listed—you will meditate upon them as you are living among the nations where the Lord your God will have driven you. 2 If at that time you want to return to the Lord your God, and you and your children have begun wholeheartedly to obey all of the commandments I have given you today, 3 then the Lord your God will rescue you from your captivity! He will have mercy upon you and come and gather you out of all the nations where he will have scattered you. 4 Though you are at the ends of the earth, he will go and find you and bring you back again 5 to the land of your ancestors. You shall possess the land again, and he will do you good and bless you even more than he did your ancestors! 6 He will cleanse your hearts and the hearts of your children and of your children’s children so that you will love the Lord your God with all your hearts and souls, and Israel shall come alive again!
7-8 “If you return to the Lord and obey all the commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will take his curses and turn them against your enemies—against those who hate you and persecute you. 9 The Lord your God will prosper everything you do and give you many children and much cattle and wonderful crops; for the Lord will again rejoice over you as he did over your fathers. 10 He will rejoice if you but obey the commandments written in this book of the law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your hearts and souls.
11 “Obeying these commandments is not something beyond your strength and reach; 12 for these laws are not in the far heavens, so distant that you can’t hear and obey them, and with no one to bring them down to you; 13 nor are they beyond the ocean, so far that no one can bring you their message; 14 but they are very close at hand—in your hearts and on your lips—so obey them.
15 “Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey. 16 I have commanded you today to love the Lord your God and to follow his paths and to keep his laws, so that you will live and become a great nation, and so that the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to possess. 17 But if your hearts turn away and you won’t listen—if you are drawn away to worship other gods— 18 then I declare to you this day that you shall surely perish; you will not have a long, good life in the land you are going in to possess.
19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you that today I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! 20 Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and to cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days. You will then be able to live safely in the land the Lord promised your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Deuteronomy 30
Expanded Bible
The Israelites Will Return
30 When all these blessings and curses I have described happen to you, and the Lord your God has ·sent [driven] you away to other nations [2 Kin. 25:1–21; 2 Chr. 36:17–20; Jer. 39:1–10; 52:1–30], ·think about [call to mind; meditate on] these things. 2 Then you and your children will return to the Lord your God, and you will ·obey him [listen to his voice] with ·your whole being [L all your heart/mind and all your soul] in everything I am commanding you today. 3 Then the Lord your God will ·give you back your freedom [restore your fortunes]. He will ·feel sorry for [have mercy on] you, and he will bring you back again from the nations where he scattered you [2 Chr. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1—2:70]. 4 He may ·send [drive] you to the ends of the ·earth [L heavens], but he will gather you and bring you back from there, 5 back to the land that belonged to your ·ancestors [fathers]. It will be yours. He will give you success, and there will be more of you than there were of your ·ancestors [fathers]. 6 The Lord your God will ·prepare you and your descendants [L circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed] to love him with ·your whole being [L all your heart/mind and all your soul] so that you will live. 7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies, who hate you and ·are cruel to [persecute] you. 8 And you will again ·obey [listen to the voice of] the Lord, keeping all his commands that I ·give [command] you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you ·successful [prosperous] in ·everything you do [L all the work of your hands]. ·You will have many children, your cattle will have many calves, and your fields will produce good crops [L …in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your land], because the Lord will again be ·happy [pleased; delighted] with you, just as he was with your ·ancestors [fathers]. 10 But you must ·obey [listen to the voice of] the Lord your God by keeping all his commands and ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] that are written in this ·Book [Scroll] of the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions]. You must return to the Lord your God with ·your whole being [L all your heart/mind and all your soul].
Choose Life or Death
11 This command I ·give [command] you today is not too hard for you; it is not ·beyond what you can do [far away]. 12 It is not up in heaven. You do not have to ask, “Who will go up to heaven and get it for us so we can obey it and keep it?” 13 It is not on the other side of the sea. You do not have to ask, “Who will go across the sea and get it? Who will tell it to us so we can keep it?” 14 No, the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it [Rom. 10:6–8].
15 Look, today I offer you life and ·success [prosperity; good things], death and ·destruction [failure; bad things]. 16 I command you today to love the Lord your God, to ·do what he wants you to do [L walk in his ways/paths], and to keep his commands, his ·rules [statutes; ordinances, requirements], and his laws. Then you will live and ·grow in number [multiply], and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to take as your ·own [possession].
17 But if you turn away from the Lord and do not ·obey [listen to] him, if you are led to bow and serve other gods, 18 I tell you today that you will surely be destroyed. And you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to enter and ·take as your own [possess].
19 Today I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses. I am offering you life or death, blessings or curses. Now, choose life! Then you and your ·children [L seed] may live. 20 To choose life is to love the Lord your God, ·obey him [listen to his voice], and ·stay close [cling] to him. He is your life, and he will let you live many years in the land, the land he ·promised [swore] to give your ·ancestors [fathers] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [Gen. 12:1–3; 15:17–20].
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