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) 2} 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, ³ 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) 4} 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) 5} 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. ⁶ 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. ⁷ The Lord your God will put all these curses^(Q) on your enemies who hate and persecute you.^{(R) 8} You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. ⁹ 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.

Judgment Against Wicked Kings

22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king^(A) of Judah and proclaim this message there: ² ‘Hear^(B) the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne^(C)—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.^{(D) 3} This is what the Lord says: Do what is just^(E) and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor^(F) the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow,^(G) and do not shed innocent blood^(H) in this place. ⁴ For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings^(I) who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. ⁵ But if you do not obey^(J) these commands, declares the Lord, I swear^(K) by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

⁶ For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:

⁸ “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’^{(R) 9} And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.^(S)’”

¹¹ For this is what the Lord says about Shallum^[a](W) son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. ¹² He will die^(X) in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”

¹⁸ Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

²⁴ “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin^[c](BB) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring^(BC) on my right hand, I would still pull you off. ²⁵ I will deliver^(BD) you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.^{[d] 26} I will hurl^(BE) you and the mother^(BF) who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. ²⁷ You will never come back to the land you long to return^(BG) to.”

6 As God’s co-workers^(A) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.^{(B) 2} For he says,

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

³ We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,^(D) so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments^(E) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;^{(F) 6} in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit^(G) and in sincere love;^{(H) 7} in truthful speech^(I) and in the power of God;^(J) with weapons of righteousness^(K) in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor,^(L) bad report^(M) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;^{(N) 9} known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,^(O) and yet we live on;^(P) beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;^(Q) poor, yet making many rich;^(R) having nothing,^(S) and yet possessing everything.^(T)

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.^{(U) 12} We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³ As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children^(V)—open wide your hearts^(W) also.

Warning Against Idolatry

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together^(X) with unbelievers.^(Y) For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?^{(Z) 15} What harmony is there between Christ and Belial^[b]?^(AA) Or what does a believer^(AB) have in common with an unbeliever?^{(AC) 16} What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?^(AD) For we are the temple^(AE) of the living God.^(AF) As God has said:

¹⁷ Therefore,

¹⁸ And,