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Deuteronomy 31
Legacy Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 31
Legacy Standard Bible
Be Strong and Courageous
31 So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am (A)120 years old today; (B)I am no longer able to come and go, and Yahweh has said to me, ‘(C)You shall not cross this Jordan.’ 3 (D)It is Yahweh your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. (E)Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as Yahweh has spoken. 4 And Yahweh will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. 5 (F)And Yahweh will give them over before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. 6 (G)Be strong and courageous. (H)Do not be afraid or be in dread of them, for (I)Yahweh your God is the one who goes with you. (J)He will not fail you or forsake you.”
7 Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “(K)Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. 8 (L)And Yahweh is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. (M)He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
9 So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi (N)who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of (O)the year of the remission of debts, at the (P)Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes (Q)to appear before Yahweh your God at (R)the place which He will choose, (S)you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and little ones and [a]the sojourner who is within your gates, so that they may hear and so that they may (T)learn and fear Yahweh your God and be careful to do all the words of this law. 13 And their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear Yahweh your God, all the days you live on the land [b]which you are about to cross the Jordan to [c]possess.”
Yahweh Has Moses Write a Song
14 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, [d](U)the time for you to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” (V)So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 (W)And Yahweh appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent. 16 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, (X)you are about to lie down with your fathers; and (Y)this people will arise and play the harlot with the foreign gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and they (Z)will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have cut with them. 17 (AA)Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and (AB)I will forsake them and (AC)hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will find them, so that they will say in that day, ‘(AD)Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have found us?’ 18 But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.
19 “So now, (AE)write this song for yourselves and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 (AF)For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and (AG)become fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it will be, (AH)when many evils and troubles have found them, that this song will answer them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the mouths of their seed); for (AI)I know their intent which they are [e]developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” 22 (AJ)So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the sons of Israel.
Joshua Is Commissioned
23 (AK)Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “(AL)Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and (AM)I will be with you.”
24 And it happened, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites (AN)who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, saying, 26 “Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, that it may be there as a witness against you. 27 For I know (AO)your rebellion and (AP)your [f]stiff-neck; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Yahweh; how much more, then, after my death? 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and (AQ)call the heavens and the earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will (AR)act corruptly and turn away from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the last days, for you will do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.”
The Song of Moses
30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete:
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit your sojourner
- Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit where
- Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit possess it
- Deuteronomy 31:14 Lit your days to die are
- Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit making
- Deuteronomy 31:27 Or stubbornness
Deuteronomy 31
New International Version
Deuteronomy 31
New International Version
Joshua to Succeed Moses
31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old(A) and I am no longer able to lead you.(B) The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’(C) 3 The Lord your God himself will cross(D) over ahead of you.(E) He will destroy these nations(F) before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross(G) over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og,(H) the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The Lord will deliver(I) them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous.(J) Do not be afraid or terrified(K) because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;(L) he will never leave you(M) nor forsake(N) you.”
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said(O) 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,(P) and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;(Q) he will never leave you nor forsake you.(R) Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Public Reading of the Law
9 So Moses wrote(S) down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried(T) 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, in the year for canceling debts,(U) during the Festival of Tabernacles,(V) 11 when all Israel comes to appear(W) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,(X) you shall read this law(Y) before them in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn(Z) to fear(AA) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children,(AB) 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
14 The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your death(AC) is near. Call Joshua(AD) and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.(AE)” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.(AF)
15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.(AG) 16 And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,(AH) and these people will soon prostitute(AI) themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake(AJ) me and break the covenant I made with them. 17 And in that day I will become angry(AK) with them and forsake(AL) them; I will hide(AM) my face(AN) from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters(AO) 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?’(AP) 18 And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.
19 “Now write(AQ) down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness(AR) for me against them. 20 When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors,(AS) and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods(AT) and worship them,(AU) rejecting me and breaking my covenant.(AV) 21 And when many disasters and calamities come on them,(AW) this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do,(AX) even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” 22 So Moses wrote(AY) down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.
23 The Lord gave this command(AZ) to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous,(BA) for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”
24 After Moses finished writing(BB) in a book the words of this law(BC) from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried(BD) 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.(BE) 27 For I know how rebellious(BF) and stiff-necked(BG) 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! 28 Assemble 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.(BH) 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt(BI) and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster(BJ) 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
30 And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:
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