Deuteronomy 31

1 When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel,

2 he said to them, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’

3 The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said.

4 And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land.

5 The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you.

6 Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

7 Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.

8 The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.

10 Then Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of remission of debt, during the Feast of Tabernacles,

11 when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel.

12 Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law.

13 Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.

15 Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.

16 And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.

17 On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’

18 And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.

19 Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.

20 When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.

21 And when many troubles and afflictions have come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their inclination, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.”

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

23 Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.”

24 When Moses had finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end,

25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD:

26 “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.

27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!

28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

29 For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger by the work of your hands.”

30 Then Moses recited aloud to the whole assembly of Israel the words of this song from beginning to end:

1 ¶ And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.

2 And he said unto them, I [am] an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

3 The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, [and] he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: [and] Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.

4 And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.

5 And the LORD shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.

6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD 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 a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

8 And the LORD, 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, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.

10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of [every] seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

11 When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that [is] within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

13 And [that] their children, which have not known [any thing], may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

14 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

15 And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers 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 befall 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 evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

19 Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach 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, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

21 And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

22 ¶ Moses therefore 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 a 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, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,

26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD 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 the LORD; and how much more after my death?

28 Gather 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 record 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 evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

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

1 And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel;

2 And said unto them: I am this day an hundred and twenty years old; I can go no more out and in: therefore the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

3 The LORD thy God himself shall go before thee; he himself shall destroy these nations before thee, and thou shalt possess them. Joshua shall pass over before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.

4 And the LORD shall do unto them as he did unto Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and to their land, which he destroyed.

5 When therefore the LORD shall give them before you, ye shall do unto them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.

6 Be of good courage, fear not, neither be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God himself will walk with thee, and will not turn away his hand from thee, nor forsake thee.

7 And Moses called Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be of good courage and undaunted: for thou shalt bring this people into the land which the LORD sware unto their fathers to give them, and thou shalt divide it among them.

8 But the LORD himself, which goeth before you, shall be with thee, and shall not remove his hand from thee, nor forsake thee. Fear not, neither be dismayed.

9 And Moses wrote this law, and gave it to the priests, to the children of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel;

10 And commanded them, saying, For seven years, in the year of remission, at the feast of tabernacles,

11 When all Israel come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt cause this law to be proclaimed before all Israel in their ears,

12 Even before the congregation of the people, both of the men, and of the women, and of the children, and of thy stranger that is within thy gates; that they may hear and learn, that they may fear the LORD their God, and keep him, to do all the words of this law,

13 And that their children also, which know it not, may hear and learn; that they may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life, which are in the land whither ye go in over Jordan.

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy time is come to die. Call Joshua, and come into the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may command him. And Moses went with Joshua, and they entered into the tabernacle of the congregation.

15 And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud: and the same pillar of cloud stood in the door of the tabernacle.

16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people shall come up, and whoredom after strange gods, of the land whither they go, and shall forsake me, and shall forsake the covenant that I have made with them.

17 Then shall my wrath be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and hide my face from them, and they shall be consumed. And when much calamity and anguish shall befall them, they shall say, Hath not all this evil entered me, Because my God is not with me?

18 But I will hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, in that they have turned unto other gods.

19 Now therefore write ye this song, and teach it the children of Israel, and put it in their mouths; that the song may be a witness unto me among the children of Israel.

20 For I will bring them into the land, which I sware unto their fathers, when milk and honey flowed within. And when they eat, and are filled, and grow fat, they shall turn unto other gods, and serve them; and they shall blaspheme me, and forsake my covenant.

21 And when much calamity and anguish shall enter them, this song shall answer them for a testimony: for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouth of their seed. For I know their thoughts, that they may go about even now, before I bring them into the land which I have sworn.

22 So Moses wrote this song at that time, and taught it the children of Israel.

23 And he commanded Joshua the son of Nun, saying, Be of good courage, and be not afraid: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them, and I will be with thee.

24 Now Moses had written out the whole words of this law in a book,

25 And he commanded the Levites that bare the ark of the testimony of the LORD, saying:

26 Take the book of this law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that there it may be a witness against thee.

27 For I know your disobedience and stubbornness. Behold, because I live with you this day, ye have been disobedient to the LORD: how much more after my death?

28 Gather therefore before me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and take heaven and earth for witnesses against them.

29 For I know that after my death ye shall perish, and go out of the way which I have commanded you. Then shall evil befall you hereafter: because ye have done evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger with the work of your hands.

30 So Moses spake the words of this song in the ears of all the congregation of Israel: