The Promise of Restoration
(Nehemiah 1:1–11)

1When all these wordes are come vpon thee, the blessyng and the curse whiche I haue set before thee, thou shalt turne vnto thine heart, among all the nations whyther the Lorde thy God hath dryuen thee, 2And come agayne vnto the Lorde thy God, and hearken vnto his voyce in all these thynges that I commaunde thee this day, thou, and thy children, with all thine heart, and all thy soule: 3And the Lorde thy God wyll turne thy captiuitie and haue compassion vpon thee, and wyll turne and fetche thee agayne from all the nations among which the Lord thy God had scattered thee. 4Though thou wast cast vnto the extreme partes of heauen: euen from thence wyll the Lorde thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: 5And the Lorde thy God wyll bryng thee into the lande whiche thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt enioy it: And he wyll shewe thee kindnesse, and multiplie thee aboue thy fathers.

6And the Lorde thy God wyll circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seede, that thou mayest loue the Lorde thy God, with all thine heart, and all thy soule, that thou mayest lyue. 7And the Lorde thy God wyll put all these curses vpon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, and that persecute thee. 8But thou shalt turne, and hearken vnto the voyce of the Lorde, and do all his commaundementes which I commaunde thee this day: 9(And the Lorde thy God wyll make thee plenteous in al the workes of thine hande, in the fruite of thy body, and in the fruite of thy cattell, and in the fruite of thy lande, for thy wealth: For the Lorde wyll turne agayne and reioyce ouer thee to do thee good, as he reioyced ouer thy fathers. 10If thou hearken only vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God, to kepe his commaundementes and his ordinaunces which are written in the booke of this lawe, and if thou turne vnto the Lorde thy God with all thine heart and all thy soule.)

The Choice of Life or Death

11For the commaundement which I comaunde thee this day, is not hidden from thee, neither farre of. 12It is not in heauen, that thou needest to say: Who shall go vp for vs to heauen, and bryng it vnto vs, that we may heare it, and do it? 13Neither is it beyonde the sea, that thou shouldest say: Who shall go ouer the sea for vs, and bryng it vnto vs, that we may heare it, and do it? 14But the worde is very nye vnto thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thine heart, that thou do it.

15Beholde I haue set before thee this day, lyfe and good, death and euyll: 16For where as I commaunde thee this day, to loue the Lorde thy God, to walke in his wayes, and to kepe his commaundementes, his ordinaunces, and his lawes, yf thou so do thou shalt lyue and multiplie, and the Lorde thy God shall blesse thee in the lande whyther thou goest to possesse it. 17But and yf thine heart turne away, so that thou wylt not heare, but shalt go astray and worship straunge gods, and serue them: 18I pronounce vnto you also this day, that ye shall surely perishe, and that ye shall not prolong your dayes vpon the lande whyther thou passest ouer Iordane to go and possesse it. 19I call heauen and earth to recorde this day agaynst you, that I haue set before you, lyfe and death, blessyng and cursyng: Therfore choose lyfe, that both thou and thy seede may lyue: 20That thou mayest loue the Lord thy God, and be obedient to his voyce, and cleaue vnto hym: For he is thy life, & the length of thy dayes, that thou mayest dwell vpon the earth, which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers, Abraham, Isahac, and Iacob, to geue them.