Return and restoration
1When all these things come upon you — the blessing and the curse I have set before you — and you take them to heart among all the nations where Yahweh your God has driven you, 2and you return to Yahweh your God and obey his voice with all your heart and all your soul — you and your children — in accordance with everything I am commanding you today, 3then Yahweh your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you; he will gather you again from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you. 4Even if you are scattered to the farthest horizon, Yahweh your God will gather you from there and bring you back. 5Yahweh your God will bring you into the land your fathers possessed, and you will possess it; he will make you prosper and multiply you more than your fathers. 6Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul, and live. 7Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies, on those who hate you and persecuted you. 8You will again obey the voice of Yahweh and do all his commandments that I am giving you today, 9and Yahweh your God will make you abound in prosperity in everything your hand does — in the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your land — for Yahweh will again delight in your prosperity, just as he delighted in that of your fathers, 10when you obey the voice of Yahweh your God, keeping his commandments and statutes written in this book of the law, and turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul.
This word is not too far away
11This commandment I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not out of reach. 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us to get it and proclaim it to us, so we may do it?” 13Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross the sea for us to get it and proclaim it to us, so we may do it?” 14No, the word is very near you — in your mouth and in your heart — so that you may do it.
Choose life
15See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16For I command you today to love Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and Yahweh your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart turns away and you do not obey — if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and serve them — 18I declare to you today that you will surely perish; you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today: I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, 20loving Yahweh your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him — for he is your life and the length of your days, so that you may live on the land Yahweh swore to give your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
