Deuteronomy 30 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

When all of this comes true for you — both the good outcomes and the devastating consequences that I've laid out for you — and you take them to heart while you're living among all the nations where Yahweh your God has scattered you,

and you return to Yahweh your God and listen to his voice — following everything I'm commanding you today, you and your children, with your whole heart and your whole being —

then Yahweh your God will restore your fortunes and have deep compassion on you. He will gather you back from all the nations where Yahweh your God scattered you.

Even if you've been driven to the farthest edges of the sky, Yahweh your God will gather you from there and bring you back from there.

Yahweh your God will bring you into the land that your ancestors possessed, and you will possess it. He will make you thrive even more than your ancestors — and with even greater numbers.

Yahweh your God will reshape your heart — and the hearts of your descendants — so that you love Yahweh your God with your whole heart and your whole being, so that you truly live.

Yahweh your God will put all these devastating consequences on your enemies instead — on those who hated you and pursued you.

And you — you will come back and listen to the voice of Yahweh and follow all his instructions that I'm commanding you today.

Yahweh your God will make you abundantly successful in everything you put your hand to — in your children, in your livestock, in your crops — because Yahweh will once again take delight in making things go well for you, just as he took delight in your ancestors.

— but only when you listen to the voice of Yahweh your God and keep his instructions and principles that are written in this book of guidance, and only when you return to Yahweh your God with your whole heart and your whole being.

Because this instruction that I'm giving you today — it's not too difficult for you. It's not out of your reach.

It's not up in the sky, so that you'd have to say, 'Who's going to go up to the sky for us to get it and bring it back so we can hear it and live by it?'

And it's not across the sea, so that you'd have to say, 'Who's going to cross the sea for us to get it and bring it back so we can hear it and live by it?'

No — the message is incredibly close to you. It's in your mouth and in your heart, ready for you to live by it.

Look — I'm setting in front of you today: life and what's good, or death and what's destructive.

What I'm telling you today is this: Love Yahweh your God, walk in his ways, and keep his instructions, his principles, and his decisions — and you will live and multiply, and Yahweh your God will make things go well for you in the land you're going in to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you won't listen — if you get pulled away and bow down to other gods and serve them —

I'm telling you plainly today: you will be completely destroyed. You will not last long in the land that you're crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

I'm calling the sky and the earth as witnesses against you today: I have set in front of you life and death, thriving and devastation. Choose life — so that you and your descendants will truly live —

by loving Yahweh your God, listening to his voice, and holding tightly to him. Because he is your life and the length of your days — so that you can live in the land that Yahweh promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.