Deuteronomy 31

Chapter 31

Joshua Becomes Israel’s Leader

1 When Moses had finished giving these instructionst to all the people of Israel,2 he said, “I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan River.’

3 But the LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will lead you across the river, just as the LORD promised.
4 “The LORD will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites.5 The LORD will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you.

6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
7 Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land.

8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Public Reading of the Book of Instruction

9 So Moses wrote this entire body of instruction in a book and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant, and to the elders of Israel.10 Then Moses gave them this command: “At the end of every seventh year, the Year of Release, during the Festival of Shelters,11 you must read this Book of Instruction to all the people of Israel when they assemble before the LORD your God at the place he chooses.12 Call them all together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns—so they may hear this Book of Instruction and learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully obey all the terms of these instructions.

13 Do this so that your children who have not known these instructions will hear them and will learn to fear the LORD your God. Do this as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.”

Israel’s Disobedience Predicted

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “The time has come for you to die. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tabernacle,t so that I may commission him there.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tabernacle.

15 And the LORD appeared to them in a pillar of cloud that stood at the entrance to the sacred tent.
16 The LORD said to Moses, “You are about to die and join your ancestors. After you are gone, these people will begin to worship foreign gods, the gods of the land where they are going. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I have made with them.17 Then my anger will blaze forth against them. I will abandon them, hiding my face from them, and they will be devoured. Terrible trouble will come down on them, and on that day they will say, ‘These disasters have come down on us because God is no longer among us!’

18 At that time I will hide my face from them on account of all the evil they commit by worshiping other gods.
19 “So write down the words of this song, and teach it to the people of Israel. Help them learn it, so it may serve as a witness for me against them.20 For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant.

21 And when great disasters come down on them, this song will stand as evidence against them, for it will never be forgotten by their descendants. I know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I swore to give them.”

22 So that very day Moses wrote down the words of the song and taught it to the Israelites.

23 Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun with these words: “Be strong and courageous, for you must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you.”
24 When Moses had finished writing this entire body of instruction in a book,25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant:26 “Take this Book of Instruction and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, so it may remain there as a witness against the people of Israel.

27 For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even now, while I am still alive and am here with you, you have rebelled against the LORD. How much more rebellious will you be after my death!
28 “Now summon all the elders and officials of your tribes, so that I can speak to them directly and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

29 I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and will turn from the way I have commanded you to follow. In the days to come, disaster will come down on you, for you will do what is evil in the LORD’s sight, making him very angry with your actions.”

The Song of Moses

30 So Moses recited this entire song publicly to the assembly of Israel:

DEUTERONOMY 31

Final Speeches //and the Death of Moses

Joshua Is Appointed //the Leader of Israel

1 Moses again spoke to the whole nation of Israel:
2  t I am 120 years old, and I am no longer able to be your leader. And besides that, the [Lord] your God has told me that he won't let me cross the Jordan River.

3-5 t But he has promised that he and Joshua will lead you across the Jordan to attack the nations that live on the other side. The [Lord] will destroy those nations just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings. Just remember—whenever you capture a place, kill everyone who lives there.

6 Be brave and strong! Don't be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The [Lord] your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.

7 Then Moses called Joshua up in front of the crowd and said:
Joshua, be brave and strong as you lead these people into their land. The [Lord] made a promise long ago to Israel's ancestors that this land would someday belong to Israel. That time has now come, and you must divide up the land among the people.

8 t The [Lord] will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don't ever be afraid of your enemies.

Read These Laws

10-11 t Moses told these priests and leaders:
Each year the Israelites must come together to celebrate the Festival of Shelters at the place where the [Lord] chooses to be worshiped. You must read these laws and teachings to the people at the festival every seventh year, the year when loans do not need to be repaid.t

12-13 Everyone must come—men, women, children, and even the foreigners who live in your towns. And each new generation will listen and learn to worship the [Lord] their God with fear and trembling and to do exactly what is said in God's Law.

Israel Will Reject //the [Lord]

14 The [Lord] told Moses, “You will soon die, so bring Joshua to the sacred tent, and I will appoint him the leader of Israel.”
Moses and Joshua went to the sacred tent, 15 and the [Lord] appeared in a thick cloud right over the entrance to the tent.

16 The [Lord] said:
Moses, you will soon die. But Israel is going into a land where other gods are worshiped, and Israel will reject me and start worshiping these gods. The people will break the agreement I made with them, 17 and I will be so furious that I will abandon them and ignore their prayers. I will send disasters and suffering that will nearly wipe them out. Finally, they will realize that the disasters happened because I abandoned them.

18 They will pray to me, but I will ignore them because they were evil and started worshiping other gods.
19 Moses and Joshua, I am going to give you the words to a new song. Write them down and teach the song to the Israelites. If they learn it, they will know what I want them to do, and so they will have no excuse for not obeying me.

20 I am bringing them into the land that I promised their ancestors. It is a land rich with milk and honey, and the Israelites will have more than enough food to eat. But they will get fat and turn their backs on me and start worshiping other gods. The Israelites will reject me and break the agreement that I made with them.

21 When I punish the Israelites and their descendants with suffering and disasters, I will remind them that they know the words to this song, so they have no excuse for not obeying me.
I will give them the land that I promised, but I know the way they are going to live later on.

22 Moses at once wrote down the words to the song, t and he taught it to the Israelites.

23  t The [Lord] told Joshua, “Be brave and strong! I will help you lead the people of Israel into the land that I have promised them.”
24 Moses wrote down all these laws and teachings in a book,

25 then he went to the Levites who carried the sacred chest and said:
26 This is The Book of God's Law. Keep it beside the sacred chest that holds the agreement the [Lord] your God made with Israel. This book is proof that you know what the [Lord] wants you to do. 27 I know how stubborn and rebellious you and the rest of the Israelites are. You have rebelled against the [Lord] while I have been alive, and it will only get worse after I am gone.

28 So call together the leaders and officials of the tribes of Israel. I will bring this book and read every word of it to you, and I will call the sky and the earth as witnesses that all of you know what you are supposed to do.

29 I am going to die soon, and I know that in the future you will stop caring about what is right and what is wrong, and so you will disobey the [Lord] and stop living the way I told you to live. The [Lord] will be angry, and terrible things will happen to you.

The Song of Moses