Deuteronomy 31

New American Standard Bible

Moses’ Last Counsel

31 So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. ²And he said to them, “I am ^(A)120 years old today; ^(B)I am no longer able to ^[a]go out and come in, and the Lord has told me, ‘^(C)You shall not cross this Jordan.’ ³^(D)It is the Lord your God who is going to cross ahead of you; He Himself will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. ^(E)Joshua is the one who is going to cross ahead of you, just as the Lord has spoken. ⁴And the Lord 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)The Lord will turn them over to you, and you will do to them in accordance with all the commandments which I have commanded you. ⁶^(G)Be strong and courageous, ^(H)do not be afraid or in dread of them, for ^(I)the Lord your God is the One who is going with you. ^(J)He will not desert you or abandon you.”

⁷Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “^(K)Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance. ⁸And ^(L)the Lord is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. ^(M)He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.”

⁹So Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi ^(N)who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. ¹⁰Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of ^(O)the year of the release of debts, at the ^(P)Feast of Booths, ¹¹when all Israel comes ^(Q)to appear before the Lord your God at ^(R)the place which He will choose, ^(S)you shall read this Law before all Israel ^[b]so that they hear it. ¹²Assemble the people, the men, the women, the children, and the stranger who is in your ^[c]town, so that they may hear and ^(T)learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to ^[d]follow all the words of this Law. ¹³And their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land ^[e]which you are about to cross the Jordan to ^[f]possess.”

Israel Will Fall Away

¹⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, ^[g]^(U)the time for you to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, and I will commission him.” ^(V)So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. ¹⁵^(W)And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance of the tent. ¹⁶The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, ^(X)you are about to ^[h]lie down with your fathers; and ^(Y)this people will arise and play the prostitute with the foreign gods of the land into the midst of which they are going, and ^(Z)they will abandon Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. ¹⁷^(AA)Then My anger will be kindled against them on that day, and ^(AB)I will abandon them and ^(AC)hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will find them; so they will say on that day, ‘^(AD)Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have found us?’ ¹⁸But I will assuredly hide My face on that day because of all the evil that they will have done, for they will have turned away to other gods.

¹⁹“Now then, ^(AE)write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it ^[i]on their lips, 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 eat and are satisfied and ^(AG)become ^[j]prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. ²¹Then it will come about, ^(AH)when many evils and troubles find them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of their ^[k]descendants); for ^(AI)I know their inclination which they are ^[l]developing today, before I bring them into the land which I swore.” ²²^(AJ)So Moses wrote down this song on 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 will bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and ^(AM)I will be with you.”

²⁴It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this Law in a book until they were complete, ²⁵that Moses commanded the Levites ^(AN)who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, 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 ^[m]remain there as a witness against you. ²⁷For I know ^(AO)your rebellion and ^(AP)your ^[n]stubbornness; behold, as long as I have been alive with you until today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; how much more, then, after my death? ²⁸Assemble 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 as witnesses against them. ²⁹For I know that after my death you will ^(AR)behave very corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will confront you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.”

³⁰Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete:

Footnotes

Deuteronomy 31:2 I.e., as Israel’s leader
Deuteronomy 31:11 Lit in their ears
Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit gates
Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit perform
Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit where
Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit possess it
Deuteronomy 31:14 Lit your days to die are
Deuteronomy 31:16 I.e., die
Deuteronomy 31:19 Lit in their mouths
Deuteronomy 31:20 Lit fat
Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit seed
Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit making
Deuteronomy 31:26 Lit be
Deuteronomy 31:27 Lit stiff neck

Psalm 119:97-120

New American Standard Bible

Mem

⁹⁷How I ^(A)love Your Law!
It is my ^(B)meditation all the day.
⁹⁸Your ^(C)commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever ^[a]mine.
⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my ^(D)meditation.
¹⁰⁰I understand ^(E)more than those who are old,
Because I have ^(F)complied with Your precepts.
¹⁰¹I have ^(G)restrained my feet from every evil way,
So that I may keep Your word.
¹⁰²I have not ^(H)turned aside from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
¹⁰³How ^(I)sweet are Your ^[b]words to my ^[c]taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴From Your precepts I ^(J)get understanding;
Therefore I ^(K)hate every false way.

Nun

¹⁰⁵Your word is a ^(L)lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
¹⁰⁶I have ^(M)sworn and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
¹⁰⁷I am exceedingly ^(N)afflicted;
^[d]^(O)Revive me, Lord, according to Your word.
¹⁰⁸Be pleased to accept the ^(P)^[e]voluntary offerings of my mouth, Lord,
And ^(Q)teach me Your judgments.
¹⁰⁹My ^[f]^(R)life is continually ^[g]in my hand,
Yet I do not ^(S)forget Your Law.
¹¹⁰The wicked have ^(T)set a ^[h]trap for me,
Yet I have not ^(U)wandered from Your precepts.
¹¹¹I have ^(V)inherited Your testimonies forever,
For they are the ^(W)joy of my heart.
¹¹²I have ^(X)inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even ^(Y)to the end.

Samekh

¹¹³I hate those who are ^(Z)double-minded,
But I love Your ^(AA)Law.
¹¹⁴You are my ^(AB)hiding place and my ^(AC)shield;
I ^[i]^(AD)wait for Your word.
¹¹⁵^(AE)Leave me, you evildoers,
So that I may ^(AF)comply with the commandments of my God.
¹¹⁶^(AG)Sustain me according to Your ^[j]word, that I may live;
And ^(AH)do not let me be ^[k]ashamed of my hope.
¹¹⁷Sustain me so that I may be ^(AI)safe,
That I may ^(AJ)have regard for Your statutes continually.
¹¹⁸You have ^[l]rejected all those ^(AK)who stray from Your statutes,
For their deceitfulness is ^[m]useless.
¹¹⁹You have ^[n]removed all the wicked of the earth like ^[o]^(AL)impurities;
Therefore I ^(AM)love Your testimonies.
¹²⁰My flesh ^[p]^(AN)trembles from the fear of You,
And I am ^(AO)afraid of Your judgments.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Psalm 119:98 Or with me
Psalm 119:103 Or promises
Psalm 119:103 Lit palate
Psalm 119:107 Or Keep me alive
Psalm 119:108 Or freewill offerings
Psalm 119:109 Lit soul
Psalm 119:109 I.e., in danger
Psalm 119:110 Lit trapping net
Psalm 119:114 Or hope in
Psalm 119:116 Or promise
Psalm 119:116 Lit put to shame because of
Psalm 119:118 Lit made light of
Psalm 119:118 Lit falsehood
Psalm 119:119 Lit caused to cease
Psalm 119:119 Lit dross
Psalm 119:120 Lit bristles up from

Isaiah 58

New American Standard Bible

Observances of Fasts

58 “^(A)Cry loudly, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their ^(B)wrongdoing,
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
²Yet they ^(C)seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done ^(D)righteousness
And ^(E)has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight ^(F)in the nearness of God.
³‘Why have we ^(G)fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not ^[a]notice?’
Behold, on the ^(H)day of your fast you find your desire,
And oppress all your workers.
⁴Behold, you fast for contention and ^(I)strife, and to strike with a wicked fist.
You do not fast like you have done today to ^(J)make your voice heard on high!
⁵Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it for bowing ^[b]one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out ^(K)sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an ^(L)acceptable day to the Lord?
⁶Is this not the fast that I choose:
To ^(M)release the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the ropes of the yoke,
And to ^(N)let the oppressed go free,
And ^(O)break every yoke?
⁷Is it not to ^(P)break your bread ^[c]with the hungry
And ^(Q)bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the ^(R)naked, to cover him;
And not to ^(S)hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸Then your ^(T)light will break out like the dawn,
And your ^(U)recovery will spring up quickly;
And your ^(V)righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the ^(W)Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹Then you will ^(X)call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you ^(Y)remove the yoke from your midst,
The ^[d]^(Z)pointing of the finger and ^(AA)speaking wickedness,
¹⁰And if you ^(AB)offer yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the ^[e]need of the afflicted,
Then your ^(AC)light will rise in darkness,
And your gloom will become like midday.
¹¹And the ^(AD)Lord will continually guide you,
And ^(AE)satisfy your ^[f]desire in scorched places,
And ^(AF)give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a ^(AG)watered garden,
And like a ^(AH)spring of water whose waters do not ^[g]fail.
¹²Those from among you will ^(AI)rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will ^(AJ)raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the ^(AK)breach,
The restorer of the ^[h]streets in which to dwell.

Keeping the Sabbath

¹³“If, because of the Sabbath, you ^(AL)restrain your foot
From doing as you wish on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a ^(AM)pleasure, and the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your ^(AN)own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And ^(AO)speaking your own word,
¹⁴Then you will take ^(AP)delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride ^(AQ)on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the ^(AR)mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Footnotes

Isaiah 58:3 Lit know
Isaiah 58:5 Lit his
Isaiah 58:7 Lit for
Isaiah 58:9 I.e., an abusive gesture
Isaiah 58:10 Or soul
Isaiah 58:11 Or soul
Isaiah 58:11 Or deceive
Isaiah 58:12 Lit paths

Matthew 6

New American Standard Bible

Charitable Giving to the Poor and Prayer

6 “Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, ^(A)to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

²“So when you ^[a]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they ^(B)will be praised by people. ^(C)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ³But when you ^[b]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and ^(D)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁵“And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to ^(E)stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners ^(F)so that they ^[c]will be seen by people. ^(G)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ⁶But as for you, when you pray, ^(H)go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and ^(I)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁷“And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their ^(J)many words. ⁸So do not be like them; for ^(K)your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

The Lord’s Prayer

⁹“^(L)Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
^[d]Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰^[e]^(M)Your kingdom come.
^(N)Your will be done,
^[f]On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹^(O)Give us this day ^[g]our daily bread.
¹²And ^(P)forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³And do not lead us into temptation, but ^(Q)deliver us from ^[h]^(R)evil.^[i]’

¹⁴^(S)For if you forgive other people for their ^[j]offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But ^(T)if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your ^[k]offenses.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth

¹⁶“Now ^(U)whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they ^[l]distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. ^(V)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ¹⁷But as for you, when you fast, ^[m]^(W)anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your ^(X)Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

¹⁹“^(Y)Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves ^(Z)treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹for ^(AA)where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²“^(AB)The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is ^[n]clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if ^(AC)your eye is ^[o]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴“^(AD)No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and ^[p]^(AE)wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵“^(AF)For this reason I say to you, ^[q]do not be ^(AG)worried about your ^[r]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶^(AH)Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? ²⁷And which of you by ^(AI)worrying can ^(AJ)add a single ^[s]day to his ^[t]life’s span? ²⁸And why are you ^(AK)worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, ²⁹yet I say to you that not even ^(AL)Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the ^(AM)grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? ^(AN)You of little faith! ³¹Do not ^(AO)worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ ³²For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for ^(AP)your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But ^[u]seek first ^[v]His kingdom and His righteousness, and ^(AQ)all these things will be ^[w]provided to you.

³⁴“So do not ^(AR)worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will ^[x]worry about itself. ^[y]Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes

Matthew 6:2 Lit make a charitable gift
Matthew 6:3 Lit make a charitable gift
Matthew 6:5 Lit may show themselves to
Matthew 6:9 I.e., treated as sacred or holy
Matthew 6:10 Or May Your...come
Matthew 6:10 Lit as in heaven, also on earth
Matthew 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow
Matthew 6:13 Or the evil one
Matthew 6:13 Late mss add For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
Matthew 6:14 Or wrongdoings
Matthew 6:15 Or wrongdoings
Matthew 6:16 I.e., leave unwashed, or discolor their faces with makeup
Matthew 6:17 I.e., rub oil in the hair
Matthew 6:22 Or healthy; or sincere
Matthew 6:23 Or evil
Matthew 6:24 Gr mamonas, for Aramaic mamon (mammon); i.e., wealth etc. personified as an object of worship
Matthew 6:25 Or stop being worried
Matthew 6:25 Lit soul
Matthew 6:27 Lit cubit (about 18 in. or 45 cm)
Matthew 6:27 Or height
Matthew 6:33 Or continually seek
Matthew 6:33 Or the kingdom
Matthew 6:33 Or added
Matthew 6:34 Or look after itself
Matthew 6:34 Lit Sufficient for the day is its evil