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Deuteronomy 31
English Standard Version

Joshua to Succeed Moses

31 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am (A)120 years old today. I am no longer able to (B)go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, (C)‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God (D)himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, (E)as the Lord has spoken. 4 And the Lord will do to them (F)as he did to Sihon (G)and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them (H)according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. 6 (I)Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, (J)for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. (K)He will not leave you or forsake you.”

7 Then (L)Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, (M)“Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord (N)who goes before you. He will be with you; (O)he will not leave you or forsake you. (P)Do not fear or be dismayed.”

The Reading of the Law

9 Then Moses (Q)wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, (R)who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, (S)“At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at (T)the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes (U)to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, (V)you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 (W)Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, (X)who have not known it, (Y)may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, (Z)as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel

14 And the Lord said to Moses, (AA)“Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that (AB)I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And (AC)the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

16 And the Lord said to Moses, (AD)“Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and (AE)whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will (AF)forsake me and (AG)break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and (AH)I will forsake them and (AI)hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, (AJ)‘Have not these evils come upon us because (AK)our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because (AL)they have turned to other gods.

19 “Now therefore write (AM)this song and (AN)teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be (AO)a witness for me against the people of Israel. 20 For when I have brought them into the land (AP)flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and (AQ)grown fat, (AR)they will turn to other gods and serve them, and (AS)despise me and (AT)break my covenant. 21 And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as (AU)a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For (AV)I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” 22 So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.

23 (AW)And the Lord[a] commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, (AX)“Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. (AY)I will be with you.”

24 When Moses had finished (AZ)writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, 25 Moses commanded (BA)the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, 26 “Take this Book of the Law (BB)and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for (BC)a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and (BD)stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, (BE)you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death! 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak (BF)these words in their ears and (BG)call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death (BH)you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And (BI)in the days to come (BJ)evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, (BK)provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

The Song of Moses

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

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:23 Hebrew he
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Deuteronomy 31
Lexham English Bible

Succession, Deposition, and Recitation of Text

31 And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am a hundred and twenty years old today;[a] I am not able to go out and to come in any longer, and Yahweh said to me, ‘You may not cross this Jordan.’ 3 Yahweh your God is about to cross before you;[b] he will destroy these nations before you,[c] and you shall dispossess them. Joshua will be crossing before you,[d] just as Yahweh promised.[e] 4 And Yahweh will do to them just as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and to their land, which he destroyed with them. 5 And Yahweh will deliver them to you before you,[f] and you shall do to them according to every commandment that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and be courageous; you should not be afraid, and you should not be in dread from their presence,[g] for Yahweh your God is the one going with you; he will not leave you alone and he will not forsake you.”

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua, and he said to him in the presence of all Israel,[h] “Be strong and be courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that Yahweh swore to their ancestors[i] to give to them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance. 8 Yahweh is the one going before you;[j] he will be with you, and he will not leave you alone, and he will not forsake you; you shall not be afraid, and you shall not be discouraged.” 9 So Moses wrote this law, and he gave it to the priests, the descendants[k] of Levi, the ones carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and to all the elders of Israel.

10 Then Moses commanded them, saying,[l] “At the end of seven years, in the time of the year for canceling debts during the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before[m] Yahweh their God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.[n] 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little children and your aliens that are in your towns,[o] so that they may hear and so that they may learn and they may revere Yahweh your God, and they shall diligently observe[p] all the words of this law. 13 And then their children,[q] who have not known, they too may hear, and they may learn to revere Yahweh their God all the days that you live[r] on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to get there[s] to take possession of it.”

14 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Look, you are about to die;[t] call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of assembly,[u] so that I may instruct him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in[v] the tent of assembly.[w] 15 And Yahweh appeared in the tent in a column of cloud, and the column of the cloud stood at the entrance of the tent. 16 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Look, you are about to lie down with your ancestors,[x] and this people will arise and they[y] will play the prostitute after the foreign gods[z] of the land to which they are going.[aa] 17 And my anger shall flare up against them[ab] on that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they[ac] shall become as prey, and disasters and troubles shall find[ad] them,[ae] and they[af] shall say on that day, ‘Is it not because our[ag] God is not in our[ah] midst that these disasters have found[ai] us?’[aj] 18 But I will certainly hide my face on that day, because of all of the evil that they[ak] did because they[al] turned to other gods.

19 “And so then write this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites;[am] put it in their mouth, so that this song may be for me as a witness against the Israelites.[an] 20 For when I bring them[ao] into the land that I swore to their[ap] ancestors,[aq] a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill,[ar] and they[as] will become fat, and then they[at] will turn to other gods, and they will serve them, and they will spurn me, and they[au] will break my covenant. 21 And then[av] many disasters and troubles will come upon them,[aw] and this song will give evidence before them[ax] as a witness, because it will not be forgotten from out of the mouth of their descendants,[ay] for I know their[az] inclination that they[ba] are having today[bb] before I have brought them[bc] into the land that I swore.” 22 And Moses wrote this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites.[bd]

23 Then he[be] told Joshua the son of Nun, and said to him, “Be strong and be courageous, for you shall bring the Israelites[bf] into the land that I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

24 And then when Moses finished writing[bg] the words of this law on the scroll until they were complete,[bh] 25 then Moses commanded the Levites carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, saying,[bi] 26 “Take the scroll of this law and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, and it will be there as a witness against you. 27 For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck even now while I am still alive with you today,[bj] rebelling against Yahweh, and how much more[bk] after my death. 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may speak in their ears these words, and that I may call as witness against them heaven and earth. 29 For I know that after my death you will certainly act corruptly, and you will turn aside from the way that I have commanded you, and the disaster in the future days will befall you, because you will do evil[bl] in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him with the work of your hands.”[bm] 30 So Moses spoke into the ears of the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were complete.[bn]

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:2 Literally “the day”
  2. Deuteronomy 31:3 Literally “to the face of you”
  3. Deuteronomy 31:3 Literally “to the face of you”
  4. Deuteronomy 31:3 Literally “to the face of you”
  5. Deuteronomy 31:3 Literally “spoke”
  6. Deuteronomy 31:5 Literally “will give them Yahweh to the face of you”
  7. Deuteronomy 31:6 Literally “not you should dread from their face”
  8. Deuteronomy 31:7 Literally “before the eyes of all Israel”
  9. Deuteronomy 31:7 Or “their fathers”
  10. Deuteronomy 31:8 Literally “to the face of you”
  11. Deuteronomy 31:9 Or “sons”
  12. Deuteronomy 31:10 Literally “to say”
  13. Deuteronomy 31:11 Literally “at/in the coming of all of Israel to see”
  14. Deuteronomy 31:11 Literally “in their ears”
  15. Deuteronomy 31:12 Literally “gates”
  16. Deuteronomy 31:12 Literally “they shall keep to do”
  17. Deuteronomy 31:13 Hebrew “child”
  18. Deuteronomy 31:13 Literally “that you are alive”
  19. Deuteronomy 31:13 Literally “there”
  20. Deuteronomy 31:14 Literally “are near your days to die”
  21. Deuteronomy 31:14 Or “meeting”
  22. Deuteronomy 31:14 Or “at”
  23. Deuteronomy 31:14 Or “meeting”
  24. Deuteronomy 31:16 Or “fathers”
  25. Deuteronomy 31:16 Hebrew “he”
  26. Deuteronomy 31:16 Literally “the gods of the foreigner/foreign person of the land”
  27. Deuteronomy 31:16 Literally “which he is going to”
  28. Deuteronomy 31:17 Literally “shall become my nose against it/him”
  29. Deuteronomy 31:17 Hebrew “he”
  30. Deuteronomy 31:17 Or “encounter”
  31. Deuteronomy 31:17 Hebrew “him”
  32. Deuteronomy 31:17 Hebrew “he”
  33. Deuteronomy 31:17 Hebrew “my” but represents all the people
  34. Deuteronomy 31:17 Hebrew “my”
  35. Deuteronomy 31:17 Or “encountered”
  36. Deuteronomy 31:17 Hebrew “me”
  37. Deuteronomy 31:18 Hebrew “he”
  38. Deuteronomy 31:18 Hebrew “he”
  39. Deuteronomy 31:19 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  40. Deuteronomy 31:19 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  41. Deuteronomy 31:20 Hebrew “him,” referring to the people
  42. Deuteronomy 31:20 Hebrew “his”
  43. Deuteronomy 31:20 Or “fathers”
  44. Deuteronomy 31:20 Literally “he will eat and he will be satisfied”
  45. Deuteronomy 31:20 Hebrew “he”
  46. Deuteronomy 31:20 Hebrew “he”
  47. Deuteronomy 31:20 Hebrew “he”
  48. Deuteronomy 31:21 Literally “And it shall happen”
  49. Deuteronomy 31:21 Hebrew “him”
  50. Deuteronomy 31:21 Hebrew “him”
  51. Deuteronomy 31:21 Hebrew “his offspring/descendant”
  52. Deuteronomy 31:21 Hebrew “his”
  53. Deuteronomy 31:21 Hebrew “he”
  54. Deuteronomy 31:21 Literally “the day”
  55. Deuteronomy 31:21 Hebrew “him”
  56. Deuteronomy 31:22 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  57. Deuteronomy 31:23 That is, Yahweh
  58. Deuteronomy 31:23 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  59. Deuteronomy 31:24 Literally “And it happened as/when to finish Moses to write”
  60. Deuteronomy 31:24 Literally “until their to be complete/”
  61. Deuteronomy 31:25 Literally “to say”
  62. Deuteronomy 31:27 Literally “the day”
  63. Deuteronomy 31:27 Literally “and also for/indeed”
  64. Deuteronomy 31:29 Hebrew “the evil”; the definite article indicates the general concept of evil
  65. Deuteronomy 31:29 Literally “to provoke him with/by the work of your hands”
  66. Deuteronomy 31:30 Literally “until their to be complete”
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Deuteronomy 30
Deuteronomy 32
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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