1Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel:2‘I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, “You shall not cross the Jordan.”3The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said.4And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land.5The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you.6Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.’7Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.8The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’
Public reading of the Law
9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.10Then Moses commanded them: ‘At the end of every seven years, in the year for cancelling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles,11when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing.12Assemble the people – men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns – so that they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.13Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.’
Israel’s rebellion predicted
14The Lord said to Moses, ‘Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.’ So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.15Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.16And the Lord said to Moses: ‘You are going to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.17And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, “Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?”18And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.19‘Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and make them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them.20When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant.21And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.’22So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.23The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: ‘Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.’24After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end,25he 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. There it will remain as a witness against you.27For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!28Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them.29For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.’
The song of Moses
30And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:
Deuteronomy 31
English Standard Version
Joshua to Succeed Moses
1So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel.2And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ (Ex 7:7; Nu 27:17; De 1:37; De 3:27; De 34:7)3The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken. (Nu 27:18; Nu 27:21; De 1:38; De 3:28; De 9:3)4And the Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. (Nu 21:21; Nu 21:33; De 2:31; De 3:1)5And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. (De 7:2)6Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (De 20:4; De 31:23; Jos 1:5; Jos 1:6; Jos 10:25; 1Ch 22:13; 1Ch 28:20)7Then Moses summoned 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 that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. (De 3:28; De 31:6)8It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Ex 13:21; De 1:21; De 7:18; De 31:6; Jos 1:9; Jos 8:1; Jos 10:25)
The Reading of the Law
9Then Moses wrote 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. (Nu 4:15; De 17:18; Jos 3:3; Jos 8:33; 1Ch 15:15)10And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, (Le 23:34; De 15:1)11when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. (Ex 23:14; Ex 23:17; Ex 34:23; De 16:16; Jos 8:34; 2Ki 23:2; Ne 8:1)12Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, (De 4:10)13and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” (De 4:10; De 11:2; Ps 78:5)
Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel
14And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. (Nu 27:13; Nu 27:19; De 31:23; De 34:5)15And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent. (Ex 33:9; Nu 12:5)16And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. (Ex 34:15; Le 20:5; Nu 15:39; De 31:14; De 32:15; Jud 2:12; Jud 2:20; Jud 10:6; Jud 10:13)17Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ (Nu 14:42; De 32:20; Jud 6:13; 2Ch 12:5; 2Ch 15:2; 2Ch 24:20; Ps 30:7; Ps 104:29; Isa 8:17; Isa 59:2; Isa 64:7)18And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods. (De 31:20)19“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. (De 31:21; De 31:26; De 32:1; 2Sa 1:18)20For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. (Ex 3:8; Nu 14:11; Nu 14:23; Nu 16:30; De 31:16; De 31:18; De 32:15; Ne 9:25; Jer 5:28; Ho 13:6)21And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” (De 31:19; De 31:26; Ho 5:3; Ho 13:5)22So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.23And the Lord[1] commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.” (De 31:6; De 31:8; De 31:14; Jos 1:5; Jos 3:7)24When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, (De 31:9)25Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, (De 31:9)26“Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. (De 31:19; De 31:21; 2Ki 22:8)27For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death! (De 9:6; De 9:7)28Assemble 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. (De 4:26; De 32:1)29For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.” (Ge 49:1; De 4:25; De 9:18; De 32:16; De 32:21; Jud 2:19; 1Ki 16:7; 2Ki 22:17; Jer 44:23; Ho 9:9)
The Song of Moses
30Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel: