1 All these blessings and curses I have said will happen to you. The Lord your God will send you away to other nations. There you will think about these things.
2 Then you and your children will return to the Lord your God. And you will obey him with your whole being. You will obey everything I command you today.
3 Then the Lord your God will give you back your riches. He will feel sorry for you. And he will bring you back again from the nations where he sent you.
4 He may send you to the ends of the earth. But he will gather you. He will bring you back from there.
5 He will bring you back to the land that belonged to your ancestors. It will be yours. He will give you success. And there will be more of you than there were of your ancestors.
6 The Lord your God will prepare you and your descendants to serve him. You will love him with your whole being. Then you will live.
7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies. They hate you and are cruel to you.
8 And you will again obey the Lord. You will keep all his commands that I give you today.
9 The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. You will have many children. Your cattle will have many calves. Your fields will produce good crops. He will again be happy with you, just as he was with your ancestors.
10 But you must obey the Lord your God. You must obey his commands and rules that are written in this Book of the Teachings. You must follow the Lord your God with your whole being.
11 This command I give you today is not too hard for you. It is not beyond what you can do.
12 It is not up in heaven. You do not have to ask, “Who will go up to heaven and get it for us? Then 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? Then 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.
15 Look, today I offer you life and success, death and destruction.
16 I command you today to love the Lord your God. Do what he wants you to do. Keep his commands, his rules and his laws. Then you will live and grow in number. And the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are going to take as your own.
17 But you might turn away from the Lord. You might not obey him. You might be led to bowing down and serving other gods.
18 I tell you today that you will be destroyed. And you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to enter and own.
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 may live.
20 Love the Lord your God. Obey him. Stay close to him. He is your life. And he will let you live many years in the land. This is the land he promised to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.