Deuteronomy 32:28-52
New American Standard Bible
28 “(A)For they are a nation [a]destitute of counsel,
And there is no understanding in them.
29 (B)If only they were wise and they understood this;
(C)If only they would discern their [b]future!
30 (D)How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their (E)Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had given them up?
31 Indeed, their rock is not like our Rock;
(F)Even our enemies [c]themselves judge this.
32 For their vine is from the vine of Sodom,
And from the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of (G)poison,
Their clusters, bitter.
33 Their wine is the venom of [d]serpents,
And the [e]deadly poison of vipers.
34 ‘(H)Is it not stored up with Me,
Sealed up in My treasuries?
35 (I)Vengeance is Mine, and retribution;
(J)In due time their foot will slip.
(K)For the day of their disaster is near,
And the impending things are hurrying to them.’
36 (L)For the Lord will vindicate His people,
(M)And will have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their [f]strength is gone,
And there is none remaining, bond or free.
37 And He will say, ‘(N)Where are their gods,
The rock in which they took refuge?
38 (O)Those who ate the fat of their sacrifices,
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
(P)Let them rise up and help you,
Let them be your protection!
39 (Q)See now that I, I am He,
(R)And there is no god besides Me;
(S)It is I who put to death and give life.
(T)I have wounded and it is I who heal,
(U)And there is no one who can save anyone from My hand.
40 Indeed, (V)I raise My hand to heaven,
And say, as I live forever,
41 (W)If I have sharpened [g]My flashing sword,
And My hand has taken hold of justice,
(X)I will return vengeance on My adversaries,
And I will repay those who hate Me.
42 (Y)I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
(Z)And My sword will devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the long-haired [h]leaders of the enemy.’
43 (AA)Rejoice, you nations, with His people;
(AB)For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
(AC)And will return vengeance on His adversaries,
(AD)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 [i](AE)Joshua the son of Nun. 45 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “(AF)Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you will command (AG)your sons to [j]follow carefully, all the words of this Law. 47 For it is not a [k]trivial matter for you; indeed (AH)it is your life. And (AI)by this word you will prolong your days in the land, [l]which you are about to cross the Jordan to [m]possess.”
48 Now (AJ)the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, 49 “(AK)Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab [n]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 (AL)gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 (AM)because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the (AN)wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. 52 (AO)For you will see the land at a distance but (AP)you will not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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 32:28-52
New Living Translation
28 “But Israel is a senseless nation;
the people are foolish, without understanding.
29 Oh, that they were wise and could understand this!
Oh, that they might know their fate!
30 How could one person chase a thousand of them,
and two people put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
unless the Lord had given them up?
31 But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock,
as even they recognize.[a]
32 Their vine grows from the vine of Sodom,
from the vineyards of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are poison,
and their clusters are bitter.
33 Their wine is the venom of serpents,
the deadly poison of cobras.
34 “The Lord says, ‘Am I not storing up these things,
sealing them away in my treasury?
35 I will take revenge; I will pay them back.
In due time their feet will slip.
Their day of disaster will arrive,
and their destiny will overtake them.’
36 “Indeed, the Lord will give justice to his people,
and he will change his mind about[b] his servants,
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free.
37 Then he will ask, ‘Where are their gods,
the rocks they fled to for refuge?
38 Where now are those gods,
who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their offerings?
Let those gods arise and help you!
Let them provide you with shelter!
39 Look now; I myself am he!
There is no other god but me!
I am the one who kills and gives life;
I am the one who wounds and heals;
no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!
40 Now I raise my hand to heaven
and declare, “As surely as I live,
41 when I sharpen my flashing sword
and begin to carry out justice,
I will take revenge on my enemies
and repay those who reject me.
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
and my sword will devour flesh—
the blood of the slaughtered and the captives,
and the heads of the enemy leaders.”’
43 “Rejoice with him, you heavens,
and let all of God’s angels worship him.[c]
Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles,
and let all the angels be strengthened in him.[d]
For he will avenge the blood of his children[e];
he will take revenge against his enemies.
He will repay those who hate him[f]
and cleanse his people’s land.”
44 So Moses came with Joshua[g] son of Nun and recited all the words of this song to the people.
45 When Moses had finished reciting all these words to the people of Israel, 46 he added: “Take to heart all the words of warning I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of these instructions. 47 These instructions are not empty words—they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordan River.”
Moses’ Death Foretold
48 That same day the Lord said to Moses, 49 “Go to Moab, to the mountains east of the river,[h] and climb Mount Nebo, which is across from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own special possession. 50 Then you will die there on the mountain. You will join your ancestors, just as Aaron, your brother, died on Mount Hor and joined his ancestors. 51 For both of you betrayed me with the Israelites at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh[i] in the wilderness of Zin. You failed to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel there. 52 So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 32:31 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Greek version reads our enemies are fools.
- 32:36 Or will take revenge for.
- 32:43a As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version; Masoretic Text lacks the first two lines. Compare Heb 1:6.
- 32:43b As in Greek version; Hebrew text lacks this sentence. Compare Rom 15:10.
- 32:43c As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version; Masoretic Text reads his servants.
- 32:43d As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version; Masoretic Text lacks this line.
- 32:44 Hebrew Hoshea, a variant name for Joshua.
- 32:49 Hebrew the mountains of Abarim.
- 32:51 Hebrew waters of Meribath-kadesh.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
