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:

⁴⁴ Moses came with Joshua^[g](GD) son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. ⁴⁵ When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, ⁴⁶ he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day,^(GE) so that you may command^(GF) your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. ⁴⁷ They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.^(GG) By them you will live long^(GH) in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Moses to Die on Mount Nebo

⁴⁸ On that same day the Lord told Moses,^{(GI) 49} “Go up into the Abarim^(GJ) Range to Mount Nebo^(GK) in Moab, across from Jericho,^(GL) and view Canaan,^(GM) the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. ⁵⁰ There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die^(GN) and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died^(GO) on Mount Hor^(GP) and was gathered to his people. ⁵¹ This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh^(GQ) in the Desert of Zin^(GR) and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.^{(GS) 52} Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance;^(GT) you will not enter^(GU) the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(A) and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^{(B) 35} But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman^(C)(D)

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,^(E) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[a] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(F) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss,^(G) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head,^(H) but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”^(I)

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;^(J) go in peace.”^(K)