Font Size
Deuteronomy 31-33
New American Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 31-33
New American Standard Bible
Moses’ Last Counsel
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 [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. 4 And 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.”
7 Then 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. 8 And (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.”
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 the Lord, 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 release of debts, at the (P)Feast of Booths, 11 when 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. 12 Assemble 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. 13 And 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
14 Then 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. 16 The 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?’ 18 But 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. 21 Then 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.”
24 It came about, 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 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. 27 For 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? 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 as witnesses against them. 29 For 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.”
30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete:
The Song of Moses
32 “(AS)Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
And let the earth hear the words of my mouth!
2 (AT)May my teaching drip as the rain,
My speech trickle as the dew,
(AU)As droplets on the fresh grass,
And as the showers on the vegetation.
3 (AV)For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
(AW)Ascribe greatness to our God!
4 (AX)The Rock! His work is perfect,
(AY)For all His ways are [o]just;
(AZ)A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and just is He.
5 [p](BA)They have acted corruptly against Him,
They are not His children, because of their defect;
(BB)But are a perverse and crooked generation.
6 Is this what you (BC)do to the Lord,
(BD)You foolish and unwise people?
(BE)Is He not your Father who has purchased you?
(BF)He has made you and established you.
7 Remember the days of old,
Consider the years of all generations.
(BG)Ask your father and he will inform you,
Your elders, and they will tell you.
8 (BH)When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
When He separated the sons of [q]mankind,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
(BI)According to the number of the [r]sons of Israel.
9 (BJ)For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
10 (BK)He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling wasteland of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as (BL)the [s]apple of His eye.
11 (BM)As an eagle stirs up its nest,
And hovers over its young,
(BN)He spread His wings, He caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
12 (BO)The Lord alone guided him,
(BP)And there was no foreign god with him.
13 (BQ)He had him ride on the high places of the earth,
And he ate the produce of the field;
(BR)And He had him suck honey from the rock,
And [t](BS)oil from the flinty rock,
14 Curds of the herd, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs
And rams, the breed of Bashan, and of goats,
(BT)With the best of the wheat;
And you drank wine of the (BU)blood of grapes.
15 “(BV)But [u]Jeshurun became fat and kicked—
You have become fat, thick, and obstinate—
(BW)Then he abandoned God (BX)who made him,
And [v]rejected (BY)the Rock of his salvation.
16 (BZ)They made Him jealous with strange gods;
(CA)With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
17 (CB)They sacrificed to demons, who were not God,
(CC)To gods whom they have not known,
(CD)New gods who came lately,
Whom your fathers did not know.
18 You forgot (CE)the Rock who fathered you,
(CF)And forgot the God who gave you birth.
19 “(CG)The Lord saw this, and spurned them
(CH)Because of the provocation by His sons and daughters.
20 Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them,
(CI)I will see what their end will be;
(CJ)For they are a perverse generation,
(CK)Sons in whom there is no faithfulness.
21 (CL)They have made Me jealous with what is not God;
They have provoked Me to anger with their [w](CM)idols.
(CN)So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,
22 (CO)For a fire has flared in My anger,
And it burns to the lowest part of [x]Sheol,
(CP)And devours the earth with its yield,
And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23 ‘(CQ)I will add misfortunes to them;
(CR)I will use up My arrows on them.
24 (CS)They will be wasted by famine, and emaciated by [y]plague
(CT)And a bitter epidemic;
(CU)And the teeth of beasts I will send against them,
(CV)With the venom of crawling things of the dust.
25 (CW)Outside the sword will make them childless,
And inside, terror—
(CX)Both young man and virgin,
The nursing child with the man of gray hair.
26 I would have said, “(CY)I will wipe them out,
(CZ)I will remove the mention of [z]their name from humanity,”
27 Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy,
That their adversaries would misjudge,
That they would say, “(DA)Our hand is [aa]triumphant,
And the Lord has not performed all this.”’
28 “(DB)For they are a nation [ab]destitute of counsel,
And there is no understanding in them.
29 (DC)If only they were wise and they understood this;
(DD)If only they would discern their [ac]future!
30 (DE)How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their (DF)Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had given them up?
31 Indeed, their rock is not like our Rock;
(DG)Even our enemies [ad]themselves judge this.
32 For their vine is from the vine of Sodom,
And from the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of (DH)poison,
Their clusters, bitter.
33 Their wine is the venom of [ae]serpents,
And the [af]deadly poison of vipers.
34 ‘(DI)Is it not stored up with Me,
Sealed up in My treasuries?
35 (DJ)Vengeance is Mine, and retribution;
(DK)In due time their foot will slip.
(DL)For the day of their disaster is near,
And the impending things are hurrying to them.’
36 (DM)For the Lord will vindicate His people,
(DN)And will have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their [ag]strength is gone,
And there is none remaining, bond or free.
37 And He will say, ‘(DO)Where are their gods,
The rock in which they took refuge?
38 (DP)Those who ate the fat of their sacrifices,
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
(DQ)Let them rise up and help you,
Let them be your protection!
39 (DR)See now that I, I am He,
(DS)And there is no god besides Me;
(DT)It is I who put to death and give life.
(DU)I have wounded and it is I who heal,
(DV)And there is no one who can save anyone from My hand.
40 Indeed, (DW)I raise My hand to heaven,
And say, as I live forever,
41 (DX)If I have sharpened [ah]My flashing sword,
And My hand has taken hold of justice,
(DY)I will return vengeance on My adversaries,
And I will repay those who hate Me.
42 (DZ)I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
(EA)And My sword will devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the long-haired [ai]leaders of the enemy.’
43 (EB)Rejoice, you nations, with His people;
(EC)For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
(ED)And will return vengeance on His adversaries,
(EE)And will atone for His land and His people.”
44 Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, with [aj](EF)Joshua the son of Nun. 45 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “(EG)Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you will command (EH)your sons to [ak]follow carefully, all the words of this Law. 47 For it is not a [al]trivial matter for you; indeed (EI)it is your life. And (EJ)by this word you will prolong your days in the land, [am]which you are about to cross the Jordan to [an]possess.”
48 Now (EK)the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, 49 “(EL)Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab [ao]opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel as a possession. 50 Then you are to die on the mountain where you ascend, and be (EM)gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 (EN)because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the (EO)wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. 52 (EP)For you will see the land at a distance but (EQ)you will not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.”
The Blessing by Moses
33 Now this is the blessing with which Moses (ER)the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death. 2 He said,
“(ES)The Lord came from Sinai,
(ET)And [ap]dawned on them from Seir;
(EU)He shone from Mount Paran,
And He came from (EV)the midst of myriads of [aq]holy ones;
(EW)At His right hand there was [ar]flashing lightning for them.
3 (EX)Indeed, He loves [as]the people;
(EY)All [at]Your holy ones are in Your hand,
(EZ)And they [au]followed in Your steps;
Everyone takes of Your words.
4 (FA)Moses issued to us the Law,
(FB)A possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 (FC)And He was king in [av]Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people gathered,
The tribes of Israel together.
6 “(FD)May Reuben live and not die,
Nor may his people be few.”
7 (FE)And this was regarding Judah; so he said:
“Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people.
With his hands he contended for [aw]them,
And may You be a help against his adversaries.”
8 Of Levi he said,
“Let Your (FF)Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your (FG)godly man,
(FH)Whom You tested at Massah,
With [ax]whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;
9 (FI)Who said of his father and his mother,
‘I did not consider them’;
And he did not acknowledge his brothers,
Nor did he regard his own sons,
For (FJ)they kept Your word,
And complied with Your covenant.
10 (FK)They will teach Your ordinances to Jacob,
And Your Law to Israel.
(FL)They shall put [ay]incense before You,
And (FM)whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 Lord, bless his strength,
And accept the work of his hands;
Smash the [az]hips of those who rise up against him,
And those who hate him, so that they do not rise again.”
12 Of Benjamin he said,
“(FN)May the beloved of the Lord live in security beside Him
(FO)Who shields him all the day long,
(FP)And he lives between His shoulders.”
13 Of Joseph he said,
“(FQ)Blessed of the Lord be his land,
With the choice things of heaven, with the dew,
And from the deep waters lying beneath,
14 And with the choice yield of the sun,
And the choice produce of the months;
15 And with the [ba]best things of (FR)the ancient mountains,
With the choice things of the everlasting hills,
16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor (FS)of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let it come to the head of Joseph,
And to the top of the head of the one who was prince among his brothers.
17 As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his,
And his horns are the horns of (FT)the wild ox;
With them he will (FU)gore the peoples
All [bb]at once, to the ends of the earth.
And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And those are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 (FV)Of Zebulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
And, Issachar, in your tents.
19 (FW)They will call peoples to the mountain;
There they will offer (FX)righteous sacrifices;
For they will [bc]draw out (FY)the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of the sand.”
20 (FZ)Of Gad he said,
“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad;
He lies down (GA)as a [bd]lion,
And tears the arm, also the crown of the head.
21 (GB)Then he [be]selected the choicest part for himself,
(GC)For there the ruler’s portion was [bf]reserved;
(GD)And he came with the leaders of the people;
(GE)He executed the justice of the Lord,
And His ordinances with Israel.”
22 (GF)Of Dan he said,
“Dan is (GG)a lion’s cub;
He leaps out from Bashan.”
23 Of Naphtali he said,
“(GH)Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
Take possession of the sea and the south.”
24 (GI)Of Asher he said,
“More blessed than sons is Asher;
May he be favored by his brothers,
(GJ)And may he dip his foot in olive oil.
25 (GK)Your [bg]bars will be iron and bronze,
(GL)And as your days, so will your strength be.
26 “(GM)There is no one like the God of [bh]Jeshurun,
(GN)Who rides the heavens [bi]to your help,
And the clouds in His majesty.
27 (GO)The eternal God is a [bj]hiding place,
(GP)And underneath are the everlasting arms;
(GQ)And He drove out the enemy from you,
(GR)And said, ‘Destroy!’
28 (GS)So Israel lives in security,
(GT)The fountain of Jacob secluded,
(GU)In a land of grain and new wine;
(GV)His heavens also drip down dew.
29 (GW)Blessed are you, Israel;
(GX)Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
(GY)The shield of your help,
(GZ)And He who is the sword of your majesty!
(HA)So your enemies will cringe before you,
(HB)And you will trample on their high places.”
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
- Deuteronomy 32:4 Or judgment
- Deuteronomy 32:5 Lit It has
- Deuteronomy 32:8 Or Adam
- Deuteronomy 32:8 As in MT; DSS sons of God; LXX angels of God
- Deuteronomy 32:10 Lit pupil
- Deuteronomy 32:13 I.e., olive oil
- Deuteronomy 32:15 I.e., Israel
- Deuteronomy 32:15 Lit declared void
- Deuteronomy 32:21 Lit nonexistent things
- Deuteronomy 32:22 I.e., the netherworld
- Deuteronomy 32:24 Lit burning heat
- Deuteronomy 32:26 Lit them
- Deuteronomy 32:27 Lit high
- Deuteronomy 32:28 Lit perishing of
- Deuteronomy 32:29 Or latter end
- Deuteronomy 32:31 Lit are judges
- Deuteronomy 32:33 Lit dragons
- Deuteronomy 32:33 Lit cruel
- Deuteronomy 32:36 Lit hand
- Deuteronomy 32:41 Lit the lightning of My sword
- Deuteronomy 32:42 Lit head
- Deuteronomy 32:44 Lit Hoshea
- Deuteronomy 32:46 Lit be careful to perform
- Deuteronomy 32:47 Lit empty word
- Deuteronomy 32:47 Lit where
- Deuteronomy 32:47 Lit possess it
- Deuteronomy 32:49 Lit which is opposite
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit rose to
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit holiness
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or a fiery law
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit peoples
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit His
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Or lie down at Your feet
- Deuteronomy 33:5 A symbolic name for Israel
- Deuteronomy 33:7 Lit him
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit him
- Deuteronomy 33:10 Lit smoke in Your nostrils
- Deuteronomy 33:11 Lit loins
- Deuteronomy 33:15 Or chief
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Or together
- Deuteronomy 33:19 Lit suck
- Deuteronomy 33:20 Or lioness
- Deuteronomy 33:21 Lit saw
- Deuteronomy 33:21 Lit covered
- Deuteronomy 33:25 I.e., to secure gates
- Deuteronomy 33:26 I.e., Israel
- Deuteronomy 33:26 Lit in
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Or refuge
Deuteronomy 31-33
New International Version
Deuteronomy 31-33
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:
32 Listen,(BK) you heavens,(BL) and I will speak;
hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.(BM)
2 Let my teaching fall like rain(BN)
and my words descend like dew,(BO)
like showers(BP) on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.
3 I will proclaim(BQ) the name of the Lord.(BR)
Oh, praise the greatness(BS) of our God!
4 He is the Rock,(BT) his works are perfect,(BU)
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God(BV) who does no wrong,
upright(BW) and just is he.(BX)
5 They are corrupt and not his children;
to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.(BY)
6 Is this the way you repay(BZ) the Lord,
you foolish(CA) and unwise people?(CB)
Is he not your Father,(CC) your Creator,[a]
who made you and formed you?(CD)
7 Remember the days of old;(CE)
consider the generations long past.(CF)
Ask your father and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will explain to you.(CG)
8 When the Most High(CH) gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,(CI)
he set up boundaries(CJ) for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of Israel.[b](CK)
9 For the Lord’s portion(CL) is his people,
Jacob his allotted inheritance.(CM)
10 In a desert(CN) land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.(CO)
He shielded(CP) him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,(CQ)
11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,(CR)
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them aloft.(CS)
12 The Lord alone led(CT) him;(CU)
no foreign god was with him.(CV)
13 He made him ride on the heights(CW) of the land
and fed him with the fruit of the fields.
He nourished him with honey from the rock,(CX)
and with oil(CY) from the flinty crag,
14 with curds and milk from herd and flock
and with fattened lambs and goats,
with choice rams of Bashan(CZ)
and the finest kernels of wheat.(DA)
You drank the foaming blood of the grape.(DB)
15 Jeshurun[c](DC) grew fat(DD) and kicked;
filled with food, they became heavy and sleek.
They abandoned(DE) the God who made them
and rejected the Rock(DF) their Savior.
16 They made him jealous(DG) with their foreign gods
and angered(DH) him with their detestable idols.
17 They sacrificed(DI) to false gods,(DJ) which are not God—
gods they had not known,(DK)
gods that recently appeared,(DL)
gods your ancestors did not fear.
18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
you forgot(DM) the God who gave you birth.
19 The Lord saw this and rejected them(DN)
because he was angered by his sons and daughters.(DO)
20 “I will hide my face(DP) from them,” he said,
“and see what their end will be;
for they are a perverse generation,(DQ)
children who are unfaithful.(DR)
21 They made me jealous(DS) by what is no god
and angered me with their worthless idols.(DT)
I will make them envious by those who are not a people;
I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.(DU)
22 For a fire will be kindled by my wrath,(DV)
one that burns down to the realm of the dead below.(DW)
It will devour(DX) the earth and its harvests(DY)
and set afire the foundations of the mountains.(DZ)
23 “I will heap calamities(EA) on them
and spend my arrows(EB) against them.
24 I will send wasting famine(EC) against them,
consuming pestilence(ED) and deadly plague;(EE)
I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,(EF)
the venom of vipers(EG) that glide in the dust.(EH)
25 In the street the sword will make them childless;
in their homes terror(EI) will reign.(EJ)
The young men and young women will perish,
the infants and those with gray hair.(EK)
26 I said I would scatter(EL) them
and erase their name from human memory,(EM)
27 but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
lest the adversary misunderstand(EN)
and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed;
the Lord has not done all this.’”(EO)
28 They are a nation without sense,
there is no discernment(EP) in them.
29 If only they were wise and would understand this(EQ)
and discern what their end will be!(ER)
30 How could one man chase a thousand,
or two put ten thousand to flight,(ES)
unless their Rock had sold them,(ET)
unless the Lord had given them up?(EU)
31 For their rock is not like our Rock,(EV)
as even our enemies concede.(EW)
32 Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom(EX)
and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison,(EY)
and their clusters with bitterness.(EZ)
33 Their wine is the venom of serpents,
the deadly poison of cobras.(FA)
34 “Have I not kept this in reserve
and sealed it in my vaults?(FB)
35 It is mine to avenge;(FC) I will repay.(FD)
In due time their foot will slip;(FE)
their day of disaster is near
and their doom rushes upon them.(FF)”
36 The Lord will vindicate his people(FG)
and relent(FH) concerning his servants(FI)
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave(FJ) or free.[d]
37 He will say: “Now where are their gods,
the rock they took refuge in,(FK)
38 the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offerings?(FL)
Let them rise up to help you!
Let them give you shelter!
39 “See now that I myself am he!(FM)
There is no god besides me.(FN)
I put to death(FO) and I bring to life,(FP)
I have wounded and I will heal,(FQ)
and no one can deliver out of my hand.(FR)
40 I lift my hand(FS) to heaven and solemnly swear:
As surely as I live forever,(FT)
41 when I sharpen my flashing sword(FU)
and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance(FV) on my adversaries
and repay those who hate me.(FW)
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,(FX)
while my sword devours flesh:(FY)
the blood of the slain and the captives,
the heads of the enemy leaders.”
43 Rejoice,(FZ) you nations, with his people,[e][f]
for he will avenge the blood of his servants;(GA)
he will take vengeance on his enemies(GB)
and make atonement for his land and people.(GC)
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.”
Moses Blesses the Tribes(GV)
33 This is the blessing(GW) that Moses the man of God(GX) pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:
“The Lord came from Sinai(GY)
and dawned over them from Seir;(GZ)
he shone forth(HA) from Mount Paran.(HB)
He came with[h] myriads of holy ones(HC)
from the south, from his mountain slopes.[i]
3 Surely it is you who love(HD) the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.(HE)
At your feet they all bow down,(HF)
and from you receive instruction,
4 the law that Moses gave us,(HG)
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.(HH)
5 He was king(HI) over Jeshurun[j](HJ)
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
7 And this he said about Judah:(HL)
“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!”
8 About Levi(HM) he said:
“Your Thummim and Urim(HN) belong
to your faithful servant.(HO)
You tested(HP) him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.(HQ)
9 He said of his father and mother,(HR)
‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.(HS)
10 He teaches(HT) your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.(HU)
He offers incense before you(HV)
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.(HW)
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.(HX)
Strike down those who rise against him,
his foes till they rise no more.”
12 About Benjamin(HY) he said:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,(HZ)
for he shields him all day long,(IA)
and the one the Lord loves(IB) rests between his shoulders.(IC)”
13 About Joseph(ID) he said:
“May the Lord bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;(IE)
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains(IF)
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.(IG)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among[l] his brothers.(IH)
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his horns(II) are the horns of a wild ox.(IJ)
With them he will gore(IK) the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;(IL)
such are the thousands of Manasseh.(IM)”
18 About Zebulun(IN) he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar,(IO) in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain(IP)
and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;(IQ)
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,(IR)
on the treasures hidden in the sand.”
20 About Gad(IS) he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!(IT)
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;(IU)
the leader’s portion was kept for him.(IV)
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,(IW)
and his judgments concerning Israel.”
22 About Dan(IX) he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
springing out of Bashan.”
23 About Naphtali(IY) he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake.”
24 About Asher(IZ) he said:
“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil.(JA)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,(JB)
and your strength will equal your days.(JC)
26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,(JD)
who rides(JE) across the heavens to help you(JF)
and on the clouds(JG) in his majesty.(JH)
27 The eternal(JI) God is your refuge,(JJ)
and underneath are the everlasting(JK) arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,(JL)
saying, ‘Destroy them!’(JM)
28 So Israel will live in safety;(JN)
Jacob will dwell[m] secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.(JO)
29 Blessed are you, Israel!(JP)
Who is like you,(JQ)
a people saved by the Lord?(JR)
He is your shield and helper(JS)
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will tread on their heights.(JT)”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 32:6 Or Father, who bought you
- Deuteronomy 32:8 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint) sons of God
- Deuteronomy 32:15 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
- Deuteronomy 32:36 Or and they are without a ruler or leader
- Deuteronomy 32:43 Or Make his people rejoice, you nations
- Deuteronomy 32:43 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint) people, / and let all the angels worship him, /
- Deuteronomy 32:44 Hebrew Hoshea, a variant of Joshua
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel; also in verse 26.
- Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Jacob’s spring is
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.