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Deuteronomy 30-31
New King James Version
Deuteronomy 30-31
New King James Version
The Blessing of Returning to God
30 “Now (A)it shall come to pass, when (B)all these things come upon you, the blessing and the (C)curse which I have set before you, and (D)you [a]call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, 2 and you (E)return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 (F)that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and (G)gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 (H)If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 And (I)the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
7 “Also the Lord your God will put all these (J)curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you will (K)again obey the voice of the Lord and do all His commandments which I command you today. 9 (L)The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the [b]fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the Lord will again (M)rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Choice of Life or Death
11 “For this commandment which I command you today (N)is [c]not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 (O)It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, (P)in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
15 “See, (Q)I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 (R)I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 (S)I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that (T)I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your (U)life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Joshua the New Leader of Israel(V)
31 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them: “I (W)am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer (X)go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, (Y)‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God (Z)Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. (AA)Joshua himself crosses over before you, just (AB)as the Lord has said. 4 (AC)And the Lord will do to them (AD)as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. 5 (AE)The Lord will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. 6 (AF)Be strong and of good courage, (AG)do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, (AH)He is the One who goes with you. (AI)He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, (AJ)“Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the Lord, (AK)He is the One who goes before you. (AL)He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
The Law to Be Read Every Seven Years
9 So Moses wrote this law (AM)and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, (AN)who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the (AO)year of release, (AP)at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to (AQ)appear before the Lord your God in the (AR)place which He chooses, (AS)you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 (AT)Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, (AU)who have not known it, (AV)may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
Prediction of Israel’s Rebellion
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, (AW)“Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that (AX)I may [d]inaugurate him.”
So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting. 15 Now (AY)the Lord appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle.
16 And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, you will [e]rest with your fathers; and this people will (AZ)rise and (BA)play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will (BB)forsake Me and (BC)break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger shall be (BD)aroused against them in that day, and (BE)I will forsake them, and I will (BF)hide My face from them, and they shall be [f]devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, (BG)‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is (BH)not among us?’ 18 And (BI)I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.
19 “Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be (BJ)a witness for Me against the children of Israel. 20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves (BK)and grown fat, (BL)then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall be, (BM)when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for (BN)I know the inclination (BO)of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”
22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. 23 (BP)Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, (BQ)“Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”
24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, (BR)and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there (BS)as a witness against you; 27 (BT)for I know your rebellion and your (BU)stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord, then how much more after my death? 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing (BV)and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will (BW)become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And (BX)evil will befall you (BY)in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through 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 ended:
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 30:1 Lit. cause them to return to your heart
- Deuteronomy 30:9 offspring
- Deuteronomy 30:11 not hidden from
- Deuteronomy 31:14 commission
- Deuteronomy 31:16 Die and join your ancestors
- Deuteronomy 31:17 consumed
Deuteronomy 30-31
New International Version
Deuteronomy 30-31
New International Version
Prosperity After Turning to the Lord
30 When all these blessings and curses(A) I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations,(B) 2 and when you and your children return(C) to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart(D) and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes[a](E) and have compassion(F) on you and gather(G) you again from all the nations where he scattered(H) you.(I) 4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens,(J) from there the Lord your God will gather(K) you and bring you back.(L) 5 He will bring(M) you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous(N) than your ancestors. 6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants,(O) so that you may love(P) him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 7 The Lord your God will put all these curses(Q) on your enemies who hate and persecute you.(R) 8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.(S) The Lord will again delight(T) in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, 10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law(U) and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.(V)
The Offer of Life or Death
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.(W) 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven(X) to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”(Y) 13 Nor is it beyond the sea,(Z) so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”(AA) 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.(AB)
15 See, I set before you today life(AC) and prosperity,(AD) death(AE) and destruction.(AF) 16 For I command you today to love(AG) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live(AH) and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.(AI) You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you(AJ) that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.(AK) Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love(AL) the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,(AM) and he will give(AN) you many years in the land(AO) he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
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(AP) and I am no longer able to lead you.(AQ) The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’(AR) 3 The Lord your God himself will cross(AS) over ahead of you.(AT) He will destroy these nations(AU) before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross(AV) over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og,(AW) the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The Lord will deliver(AX) them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous.(AY) Do not be afraid or terrified(AZ) because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;(BA) he will never leave you(BB) nor forsake(BC) you.”
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said(BD) 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,(BE) and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;(BF) he will never leave you nor forsake you.(BG) Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Public Reading of the Law
9 So Moses wrote(BH) down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried(BI) 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,(BJ) during the Festival of Tabernacles,(BK) 11 when all Israel comes to appear(BL) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,(BM) you shall read this law(BN) 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(BO) to fear(BP) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children,(BQ) 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(BR) is near. Call Joshua(BS) and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.(BT)” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.(BU)
15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.(BV) 16 And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,(BW) and these people will soon prostitute(BX) themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake(BY) me and break the covenant I made with them. 17 And in that day I will become angry(BZ) with them and forsake(CA) them; I will hide(CB) my face(CC) from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters(CD) 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?’(CE) 18 And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.
19 “Now write(CF) down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness(CG) 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,(CH) and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods(CI) and worship them,(CJ) rejecting me and breaking my covenant.(CK) 21 And when many disasters and calamities come on them,(CL) this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do,(CM) even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” 22 So Moses wrote(CN) down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.
23 The Lord gave this command(CO) to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous,(CP) 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(CQ) in a book the words of this law(CR) from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried(CS) 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.(CT) 27 For I know how rebellious(CU) and stiff-necked(CV) 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.(CW) 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt(CX) and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster(CY) 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:
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 30:3 Or will bring you back from captivity
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. 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.