the Fourth Week of Advent
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New Life Version
Deuteronomy 30
Good Comes to Those Who Return to the Lord
1 "When all these things have come upon you, the good things and the curses which I have told you about, you will remember them in all the nations where the Lord your God has sent you. 2 When you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul by all I have told you today, 3 then the Lord your God will have you return from where you were held. He will have loving-pity for you. He will gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has sent you. 4 Even if you are driven to the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. 5 The Lord your God will bring you into the land your fathers lived in and it will be yours. He will bring good to you and make you more in number than your fathers. 6 The Lord your God will take away the sin from your heart and from the heart of your children. You will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so you may live. 7 Then the Lord your God will send all these curses upon those who hate you and upon those who made it hard for you. 8 You will obey the Lord again, and keep all His Laws which I tell you today. 9 And the Lord your God will bring much good upon all the work you do, and upon your children, and the young of your cattle, and the food of your field. For the Lord will again be happy to bring good to you, just as He was happy with your fathers. 10 But you must obey the Lord your God to keep His Laws which are written in this book of the Law. You must turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
Life or Death
11 "For this Law I give you today is not too hard for you, or too far from you. 12 It is not in heaven. You do not need to say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to make us hear it, so we may obey it?' 13 It is not farther than the sea. You do not need to say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us and bring it to us to make us hear it, so we may obey it?' 14 But the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may obey it.
15 "See, I have put in front of you today life and what is good, and death and what is bad. 16 I tell you today to love the Lord your God. Walk in His ways. Keep all His Laws and all that He has decided. Then you will live and become many. And the Lord your God will bring good to you in the land you are going in to take. 17 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but leave to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I tell you today that you will die for sure. You will not live long in that land across the Jordan which you are about to take for your own. 19 I call heaven and earth to speak against you today. I have put in front of you life and death, the good and the curse. So choose life so you and your children after you may live. 20 Love the Lord your God and obey His voice. Hold on to Him. For He is your life, and by Him your days will be long. You will be allowed to live in the land the Lord promised to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
