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Deuteronomy 31:14-32
Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 31:14-32
Christian Standard Bible
14 The Lord said to Moses, “The time of your death is now approaching. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting so that I may commission him.” When Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting, 15 the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud,(A) and the cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.(B)
16 The Lord said to Moses, “You are about to rest with your ancestors,(C) and these people will soon prostitute themselves with the foreign gods(D) of the land they are entering. They will abandon me(E) and break the covenant(F) I have made with them. 17 My anger will burn against them on that day;(G) I will abandon them and hide my face from them so that they will become easy prey.(H) Many troubles and afflictions will come to them. On that day they will say, ‘Haven’t these troubles come to us because our God is no longer with us?’ 18 I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. 19 Therefore write down this song(I) for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; have them sing it,[a] so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites. 20 When I bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey,(J) they will eat their fill(K) and prosper.[b] They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising me(L) and breaking my covenant.(M) 21 And when many troubles and afflictions come to them, this song will testify against them, because[c] their descendants will not have forgotten it. For I know what they are prone to do,[d] even before I bring them into the land I swore to give them.” 22 So Moses wrote down this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites.
23 The Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I swore to them, and I will be with you.”(N)
Moses Warns the People
24 When Moses had finished writing down on a scroll every single word of this law, 25 he commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, 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 remain there as a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are rebelling against the Lord now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead! 28 Assemble all your tribal elders and officers before me so that I may speak these words directly to them and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them.(O) 29 For I know that after my death you will become completely corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. Disaster will come to you in the future, because you will do what is evil in the Lord’s sight, angering him with what your hands have made.”(P) 30 Then Moses recited aloud every single word of this song to the entire assembly of Israel:
Song of Moses
32 Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak;
listen, earth, to the words from my mouth.(Q)
2 Let my teaching fall like rain
and my word settle like dew,
like gentle rain on new grass
and showers on tender plants.
3 For I will proclaim the Lord’s name.(R)
Declare the greatness of our God!
4 The Rock(S)—his work is perfect;
all his ways are just.(T)
A faithful God,(U) without bias,
he is righteous and true.
5 His people have acted corruptly toward him;(V)
this is their defect[e]—they are not his children
but a devious and crooked generation.(W)
6 Is this how you repay the Lord,
you foolish and senseless people?(X)
Isn’t he your Father and Creator?[f](Y)
Didn’t he make you and sustain you?
7 Remember the days of old;
consider the years of past generations.
Ask your father, and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will teach you.
8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance[g]
and divided the human race,(Z)
he set the boundaries of the peoples(AA)
according to the number of the people of Israel.[h]
9 But the Lord’s portion is his people,
Jacob, his own inheritance.(AB)
10 He found him in a desolate land,
in a barren, howling wilderness;
he surrounded him, cared for him,(AC)
and protected him as the pupil of his eye.(AD)
11 He watches over[i] his nest like an eagle
and hovers over his young;
he spreads his wings, catches him,
and carries him on his feathers.(AE)
12 The Lord alone led him,
with no help from a foreign god.
13 He made him ride on the heights of the land(AF)
and eat the produce of the field.
He nourished him with honey from the rock
and oil from flinty rock,
14 curds from the herd and milk from the flock,
with the fat of lambs,
rams from Bashan,(AG) and goats,
with the choicest grains of wheat;
you drank wine from the finest grapes.[j]
Footnotes
- 31:19 Lit Israelites; put it in their mouths
- 31:20 Lit be fat
- 31:21 Lit because the mouths of
- 31:21 Or know the plans they are devising
- 32:5 Or him; through their fault; Hb obscure
- 32:6 Or Possessor
- 32:8 Or Most High divided the nations
- 32:8 One DSS reads number of the sons of God; LXX reads number of the angels of God
- 32:11 Or He stirs up
- 32:14 Lit drank the blood of grapes, fermenting wine
Deuteronomy 31:14-32
New International Version
Deuteronomy 31:14-32
New International Version
Israel’s Rebellion Predicted
14 The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your death(A) is near. Call Joshua(B) and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.(C)” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.(D)
15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.(E) 16 And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,(F) and these people will soon prostitute(G) themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake(H) me and break the covenant I made with them. 17 And in that day I will become angry(I) with them and forsake(J) them; I will hide(K) my face(L) from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters(M) 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?’(N) 18 And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.
19 “Now write(O) down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness(P) 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,(Q) and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods(R) and worship them,(S) rejecting me and breaking my covenant.(T) 21 And when many disasters and calamities come on them,(U) this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do,(V) even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” 22 So Moses wrote(W) down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.
23 The Lord gave this command(X) to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous,(Y) 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(Z) in a book the words of this law(AA) from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried(AB) 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.(AC) 27 For I know how rebellious(AD) and stiff-necked(AE) 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.(AF) 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt(AG) and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster(AH) 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,(AI) you heavens,(AJ) and I will speak;
hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.(AK)
2 Let my teaching fall like rain(AL)
and my words descend like dew,(AM)
like showers(AN) on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.
3 I will proclaim(AO) the name of the Lord.(AP)
Oh, praise the greatness(AQ) of our God!
4 He is the Rock,(AR) his works are perfect,(AS)
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God(AT) who does no wrong,
upright(AU) and just is he.(AV)
5 They are corrupt and not his children;
to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.(AW)
6 Is this the way you repay(AX) the Lord,
you foolish(AY) and unwise people?(AZ)
Is he not your Father,(BA) your Creator,[a]
who made you and formed you?(BB)
7 Remember the days of old;(BC)
consider the generations long past.(BD)
Ask your father and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will explain to you.(BE)
8 When the Most High(BF) gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,(BG)
he set up boundaries(BH) for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of Israel.[b](BI)
9 For the Lord’s portion(BJ) is his people,
Jacob his allotted inheritance.(BK)
10 In a desert(BL) land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.(BM)
He shielded(BN) him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,(BO)
11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,(BP)
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them aloft.(BQ)
12 The Lord alone led(BR) him;(BS)
no foreign god was with him.(BT)
13 He made him ride on the heights(BU) of the land
and fed him with the fruit of the fields.
He nourished him with honey from the rock,(BV)
and with oil(BW) from the flinty crag,
14 with curds and milk from herd and flock
and with fattened lambs and goats,
with choice rams of Bashan(BX)
and the finest kernels of wheat.(BY)
You drank the foaming blood of the grape.(BZ)
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 32:6 Or Father, who bought you
- Deuteronomy 32:8 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint) sons of God
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