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

1Now whan all this commeth vpon the, whether it be the blessinge or ye curse which I haue layed before the, and thou goest in to thine hert, beynge amoge the Heithen, whither the LORDE thy God hath thrust the, 2and thou turnest vnto the LORDE yi God, so that thou herkenest vnto his voyce, thou and thy children with all yi hert and with all thy soule, in all that I commaunde the this daye, 3then shal the LORDE thy God turne thy captiuyte, and haue compassion vpon the, and shal gather thy congregacion agayne from amonge all the nacions, whither the LORDE thy God hath scatered the. 4And though thou werest thrust out vnto the vttemost partes of the heauen, yet shall the LORDE thy God gather the from thence, and from thece shal he fetch the, 5and shal brynge the in to the londe, which thy fathers haue possessed, and thou shalt enioye it, and he shal do the good, and multiplye the aboue thy fathers.

6And the LORDE thy God shall circumcyse thine hert, and the hert of thy sede, that thou mayest loue the LORDE yi God with all thy hert and with all yi soule, that thou mayest lyue. 7But all these curses shall the LORDE thy God laye vpon thine enemyes, and vpon them that hate the and persecute the. 8But thou shalt turne, and herken vnto the voyce of the LORDE, to do all his commaundementes, which I commaunde the this daye. 9And the LORDE thy God shal make the plenteous in all the workes of thine hades, in the frute of thy body, in the frute of thy catell, in the frute of thy londe to good. For the LORDE shall turne, to reioyse ouer the to good, as he reioysed ouer thy fathers, 10so that thou herken vnto the voyce of the LORDE thy God (to kepe his commaundementes and ordinaunces, which are wrytten in the boke of this lawe) and turne vnto the LORDE thy God with all thy hert and with all thy soule.

The Choice of Life or Death

11For the commaundement which I commaunde ye this daye, is not to wonderfull for the, ner to farre, 12ner yet in heauen, that thou neadest to saye: Who wil go vp for vs in to heauen, and brynge it vnto vs, that we maie heare it and do it? 13Nether is it beyonde the see, that thou neadest to saye: Who wyll go ouer the see for vs, and fetch it vs, that we maye heare it, and do it? 14For the worde is very nye vnto the, eue in thy mouth and in thine hert, that thou do it.

15Beholde, I haue layed before you this daye, life and good, death and euell. 16For I comaunde the this daye, to loue the LORDE thy God, and to walke in his wayes, and to kepe his commaundementes, ordinaunces, and lawes, that thou mayest lyue and multiplye, and that the LORDE thy God maye blesse the in the londe, whither thou goest to possesse it. 17But yf thou turnest awaye thine hert, so that thou wilt not heare, but fall a waye, to worshipe other goddes and to serue them, 18I certifye you this daye, that ye shal perishe, & not lyue longe in the londe, whither thou goest ouer Iordane to possesse it. 19I take heauen and earth this daye to recorde ouer you: I haue layed before you life and death, blessinge and cursinge, that thou mayest chose life, and that thou and thy sede maye lyue, 20yt ye maye loue the LORDE youre God, and herken vnto his voyce, and cleue vnto him: (For he is thy life and thy loge age) that thou mayest dwell in the londe, which the LORDE sware vnto thy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, to geue them.