31
1 Moses
went and spoke
these words to
all Israel.
2 He
said to them, “I
am one hundred
twenty years old
today. I can
no more go
out and come
in. The LORD
has said to
me, ‘You shall
not go over
this Jordan.’
3 The
LORD your God
himself will go
over before you.
He will destroy
these nations from
before you, and
you shall
dispossess them.
Joshua will go
over before you,
as the LORD
has spoken.
4 The
LORD will do
to them as
he did to
Sihon and to
Og, the kings
of the Amorites,
and to their land,
when he destroyed
them.
5 The
LORD will deliver
them up before
you, and you
shall do to
them according to
all the
commandment which
I have commanded
you.
6 Be
strong and
courageous. Don’t be
afraid or scared
of them, for
the LORD your
God himself is
who goes with
you. He will
not fail you
nor forsake you.”
7 Moses
called to Joshua,
and said to
him in the
sight of all
Israel, “Be strong
and courageous,
for you shall
go with this
people into
the land which the
LORD has sworn
to their fathers
to give them;
and you shall
cause them to
inherit it.
8 The
LORD himself is
who goes before
you. He will
be with you.
He will not
fail you nor
forsake you. Don’t
be afraid. Don’t
be discouraged.”
9 Moses
wrote this law
and delivered it
to the priests
the sons of
Levi, who bore
the ark of the
LORD’s covenant,
and to all
the elders of
Israel.
10 Moses
commanded them, saying, “At
the end of
every seven years,
in the set
time of the
year of release,
in the feast
of booths,
11 when
all Israel has
come to appear
before the LORD
your God in
the place which
he will choose,
you shall read
this law before
all Israel in
their hearing.
12 Assemble
the people, the
men and the women
and the little
ones, and the
foreigners who
are within your
gates, that they
may hear, learn,
fear the LORD
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 the
LORD your God,
as long as
you live in
the land where you
go over the
Jordan to possess
it.”
14 The
LORD said to
Moses, “Behold,
your days approach
that you must
die. Call Joshua,
and present
yourselves in
the Tent of
Meeting, that I
may commission
him.”
Moses and Joshua
went, and
presented themselves
in the Tent of
Meeting.
15 The
LORD appeared in
the Tent in a
pillar of cloud,
and the pillar
of cloud stood
over the Tent’s
door.
16 The
LORD said to Moses,
“Behold, you shall
sleep with
your fathers. This
people will rise
up and play
the prostitute
after the
strange gods of
the land where
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 on them;
so that they
will say in that
day, ‘Haven’t these
evils come on
us because our
God is not
among us?’
18 I
will surely hide
my face in
that day for
all the evil
which they have
done, in that
they have turned
to other gods.
19 “Now
therefore write
this song
for yourselves, and
teach it to
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 have
brought them into
the land which I
swore to
their fathers, flowing
with milk and
honey, and they
have eaten and
filled themselves, and grown
fat, then they
will turn to other
gods, and serve
them, and despise
me, and break
my covenant.
21 It
will happen, when
many evils and
troubles have come
on them, that
this song will
testify before
them as a
witness; for it
will not be
forgotten out of
the mouths of
their descendants;
for I know
their ways and
what they are
doing today,
before I have
brought them into
the land which
I promised them.”
22 So
Moses wrote this
song the same
day, and taught
it to the
children of Israel.
23 He
commissioned Joshua
the son of
Nun, and said, “Be
strong and
courageous; for
you shall bring
the children of
Israel into
the land which I
swore to them.
I will be
with you.”
24 When
Moses had finished
writing the words
of this law
in a book,
until they were
finished,
25 Moses
commanded the
Levites, who bore
the ark of the
LORD’s covenant, saying,
26 “Take
this book of
the law, and
put it by
the side of
the ark of the
LORD your God’s
covenant, that it
may be there
for a witness
against you.
27 For
I know your
rebellion and your
stiff neck. Behold,
while I am
yet alive with
you today, you
have been
rebellious against
the LORD. How much
more after my
death?
28 Assemble
to 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
you will utterly
corrupt yourselves,
and turn away
from the way
which I have
commanded you; and
evil will happen
to you in
the latter days,
because you will
do that which
is evil in
the LORD’s sight,
to provoke him
to anger through
the work of
your hands.”
30 Moses
spoke in the ears
of all the
assembly of Israel
the words of
this song, until
they were finished.