Deuteronomy 31

1 And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.2 And he said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: and Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.3 Jehovah thy God, he will go over before thee; he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt dispossess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as Jehovah hath spoken.4 And Jehovah will do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and unto their land; whom he destroyed.5 And Jehovah will deliver them up before you, and ye shall do unto them according unto all the commandment which I have commanded you.6 Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be affrighted at them: for Jehovah thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.7 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou shalt go with this people into the land which Jehovah hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.8 And Jehovah, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

9 And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and unto all the elders of Israel.10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,11 when all Israel is come to appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and thy sojourner that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law;13 and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear Jehovah your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it.

14 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.15 And Jehovah appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the Tent.16 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and play the harlot after the strange gods of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come upon them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?18 And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.19 Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.20 For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxed fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.21 And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.

24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,25 that Moses commanded the Levites, that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying,26 Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against Jehovah; and how much more after my death?28 Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

30 And Moses spake in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.

Deuteronomy 31

Succession of Moses by Joshua

1 Then Moses wents and spoke these wordst to all Israel.2 He said to them, “Today I am a hundred and twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about,t and the Lord has said to me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan.’3 As for the Lord your God, he is about to cross over before you; he will destroy these nations before you and dispossess them. As for Joshua, he is about to cross before you just as the Lord has said.4 The Lord will do to them just what he did to Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, and to their land, which he destroyed.5 The Lord will deliver them over to you and you will do to them according to the whole commandment I have given you.6 Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!”7 Then Moses called out to Joshuat in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the Lord promised to give their ancestors,t and you will enable them to inherit it.

8 The Lord is indeed going before you – he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”

The Deposit of the Covenant Text

9 Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all Israel’s elders.10 Het commanded them: “At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the cancellation of debts,t at the Feast of Temporary Shelters,ts11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place he chooses, you must read this law before themt within their hearing.12 Gather the people – men, women, and children, as well as the resident foreigners in your villages – so they may hear and thus learn about and fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the words of this law.

13 Then their children, who have not known this law,t will also hear about and learn to fear the Lord your God for as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

The Commissioning of Joshua

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The day of your death is near. Summon Joshua and present yourselves in the tents of meetingt so that I can commission him.”t So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tent of meeting.15 The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud thatt stood above the door of the tent.16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You are about to die,t and then these people will begin to prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land into which theyt are going. Theyt will rejectt me and break my covenant that I have made with them.t17 At that timet my anger will erupt against themt and I will abandon them and hide my face from them until they are devoured. Many disasters and distresses will overcomet themt so that theyt will say at that time, ‘Have not these disasterst overcome ust because ourt God is not among ust?’18 But I will certainlyt hide myself at that time because of all the wickedness theyt will have done by turning to other gods.19 Now write down for yourselves the following song and teach it to the Israelites. Put it into their very mouths so that this song may serve as my witness against the Israelites!20 For after I have brought themt to the land I promised to theirt ancestors – one flowing with milk and honey – and theyt eat their fillt and become fat, then theyt will turn to other gods and worship them; they will reject me and break my covenant.21 Then whent many disasters and distresses overcome themt this song will testify against them,t for theirt descendants will not forget it.t I know thet intentions they have in mindt today, even before I bring themt to the land I have promised.”22 So on that day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites,

23 and the Lordt commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will take the Israelites to the land I have promised them, and I will be with you.”s

Anticipation of Disobedience

24 When Moses finished writing on a scroll the words of this law in their entirety,25 het commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant,26 “Take this scroll of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. It will remain there as a witness against you,27 for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness.t Indeed, even while I have been living among you to this very day, you have rebelled against the Lord; you will be even more rebellious after my death!t28 Gather to me all your tribal elders and officials so I can speak to them directly about these things and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them.29 For I know that after I die you will totallyt corrupt yourselves and turn away from the path I have commanded you to walk. Disaster will confront you in the days to come because you will act wickedlyt before the Lord, inciting him to anger because of your actions.”t

30 Then Moses recited the words of this song from start to finish in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel.