Deuteronomy 31
Contemporary English Version
Final Speeches and the Death of Moses
Joshua Is Appointed the Leader of Israel
31 Moses again spoke to the whole nation of Israel:
2 (A) I am 120 years old, and I am no longer able to be your leader. And besides that, the Lord your God has told me that he won't let me cross the Jordan River. 3-5 (B) But he has promised that he and Joshua will lead you across the Jordan to attack the nations that live on the other side. The Lord will destroy those nations just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings. Just remember—whenever you capture a place, kill everyone who lives there.
6 Be brave and strong! Don't be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.
7 Then Moses called Joshua up in front of the crowd and said:
Joshua, be brave and strong as you lead these people into their land. The Lord made a promise long ago to Israel's ancestors that this land would someday belong to Israel. That time has now come, and you must divide up the land among the people. 8 (C) The Lord will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don't ever be afraid of your enemies.
Read These Laws
9 Moses wrote down all of these laws and teachings and gave them to the priests and the leaders of Israel. The priests were from the Levi tribe, and they carried the sacred chest that belonged to the Lord. 10-11 (D) Moses told these priests and leaders:
Each year the Israelites must come together to celebrate the Festival of Shelters at the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped. You must read these laws and teachings to the people at the festival every seventh year, the year when loans do not need to be repaid.[a] 12-13 Everyone must come—men, women, children, and even the foreigners who live in your towns. And each new generation will listen and learn to worship the Lord their God with fear and trembling and to do exactly what is said in God's Law.
Israel Will Reject the Lord
14 The Lord told Moses, “You will soon die, so bring Joshua to the sacred tent, and I will appoint him the leader of Israel.”
Moses and Joshua went to the sacred tent, 15 and the Lord appeared in a thick cloud right over the entrance to the tent. 16 The Lord said:
Moses, you will soon die. But Israel is going into a land where other gods are worshiped, and Israel will reject me and start worshiping these gods. The people will break the agreement I made with them, 17 and I will be so furious that I will abandon them and ignore their prayers. I will send disasters and suffering that will nearly wipe them out. Finally, they will realize that the disasters happened because I abandoned them. 18 They will pray to me, but I will ignore them because they were evil and started worshiping other gods.
19 Moses and Joshua, I am going to give you the words to a new song. Write them down and teach the song to the Israelites. If they learn it, they will know what I want them to do, and so they will have no excuse for not obeying me. 20 I am bringing them into the land that I promised their ancestors. It is a land rich with milk and honey, and the Israelites will have more than enough food to eat. But they will get fat and turn their backs on me and start worshiping other gods. The Israelites will reject me and break the agreement that I made with them.
21 When I punish the Israelites and their descendants with suffering and disasters, I will remind them that they know the words to this song, so they have no excuse for not obeying me.
I will give them the land that I promised, but I know the way they are going to live later on.
22 Moses at once wrote down the words to the song,[b] and he taught it to the Israelites.
23 (E) The Lord told Joshua, “Be brave and strong! I will help you lead the people of Israel into the land that I have promised them.”
24 Moses wrote down all these laws and teachings in a book, 25 then he went to the Levites who carried the sacred chest and said:
26 This is The Book of God's Law. Keep it beside the sacred chest that holds the agreement the Lord your God made with Israel. This book is proof that you know what the Lord wants you to do. 27 I know how stubborn and rebellious you and the rest of the Israelites are. You have rebelled against the Lord while I have been alive, and it will only get worse after I am gone. 28 So call together the leaders and officials of the tribes of Israel. I will bring this book and read every word of it to you, and I will call the sky and the earth as witnesses that all of you know what you are supposed to do.
29 I am going to die soon, and I know that in the future you will stop caring about what is right and what is wrong, and so you will disobey the Lord and stop living the way I told you to live. The Lord will be angry, and terrible things will happen to you.
The Song of Moses
30 Moses called a meeting of all the people of Israel, so he could teach them the words to the song that the Lord had given him. And here are the words:
Deuteronomy 32
Contemporary English Version
32 Earth and Sky,
listen to what I say!
2 Israel, I will teach you.
My words will be like gentle rain
on tender young plants,
or like dew on the grass.
3 Join with me in praising
the wonderful name
of the Lord our God.
4 The Lord is a mighty rock,[a]
and he never does wrong.
God can always be trusted
to bring justice.
5 But you lie and cheat
and are unfaithful to him.
You have disgraced yourselves
and are no longer worthy
to be his children.[b]
6 Israel, the Lord is your Father,
the one who created you,
but you repaid him
by being foolish.
7 Think about past generations.
Ask your parents
or any of your elders.
They will tell you
8 (A) that God Most High
gave land to every nation.
He assigned a guardian angel
to each of them,[c]
9 but the Lord himself
takes care of Israel.[d]
10 Israel, the Lord discovered you
in a barren desert
filled with howling winds.
God became your fortress,
protecting you as though
you were his own eyes.
11 The Lord was like an eagle
teaching its young to fly,
always ready to swoop down
and catch them on its back.
12 Israel, the Lord led you,
and without the aid
of a foreign god,
13 he helped you
capture the land.
Your fields were rich
with grain.
Olive trees grew
in your stony soil,
and honey was found
among the rocks.
14 Your flocks and herds
produced milk and yogurt,
and you got choice meat
from your sheep and goats
that grazed in Bashan.
Your wheat was the finest,
and you drank the best wine.
15 Israel,[e] you grew fat and rebelled
against God, your Creator
you rejected the Mighty Rock,[f]
your only place of safety.
16 You made God jealous and angry
by worshiping disgusting idols
and foreign gods.
17 (B) You offered sacrifices
to demons, those useless gods[g]
that never helped you,
new gods that your ancestors
never worshiped.
18 You turned away
from God, your Creator;
you forgot the Mighty Rock,[h]
the source of your life.
19 You were the Lord's children,
but you made him angry.
Then he rejected you 20 and said,
“You are unfaithful
and can't be trusted.
So I won't answer your prayers;
I'll just watch and see
what happens to you.
21 (C) You worshiped worthless idols,
and made me jealous
and angry!
Now I will send a cruel[i]
and worthless nation
to make you jealous and angry.
22 “My people, I will breathe out fire
that sends you down
to the world of the dead.
It will scorch your farmlands
and burn deep down
under the mountains.
23 I'll send disaster after disaster
to strike you like arrows.
24 You'll be struck by starvation
and deadly diseases,
by the fangs of wild animals
and poisonous snakes.
25 Young and old alike
will be killed in the streets
and terrified at home.
26 “I wanted to scatter you,
so no one would remember
that you had ever lived.
27 But I dreaded the sound
of your enemies saying,
‘We defeated Israel with no help
from the Lord.’ ”
28 People of Israel,
that's what the Lord
has said to you.
But you don't have good sense,
and you never listen
to advice.
29 If you did, you could see
where you are headed.
30 How could one enemy soldier
chase a thousand
of Israel's troops?
Or how could two of theirs
pursue ten thousand of ours?
It can only happen if the Lord
stops protecting Israel
and lets the enemy win.
31 Even our enemies know
that only our God
is a Mighty Rock.[j]
32 Our enemies are grapevines
rooted in the fields
of Sodom and Gomorrah.[k]
The grapes they produce
are full of bitter poison;
33 their wine is more deadly
than cobra venom.
34 But the Lord has written
a list of their sins
and locked it in his vault.
35 (D) Soon our enemies will get
what they deserve[l]—
suddenly they will slip,
and total disaster
will quickly follow.
36 (E) When only a few
of the Lord's people remain,
when their strength is gone,
and some of them are slaves,
the Lord will feel sorry for them
and give them justice.
37 But first the Lord will say,
“You ran for safety to other gods—
couldn't they help you?
38 You offered them wine
and your best sacrifices.
Can't those gods help you now
or give you protection?
39 Don't you understand?
I am the only God;
there are no others.
I am the one who takes life
and gives it again.
I punished you with suffering.
But now I will heal you,
and nothing can stop me!
40 “I make this solemn promise:
Just as I live forever,
41 I will take revenge
on my hateful enemies.
I will sharpen my sword
and let it flash
like lightning.
42 My arrows will get drunk
on enemy blood;
my sword will taste the flesh
and the blood of the enemy.
It will kill prisoners,
and cut off the heads
of their leaders.”[m]
43 (F) Tell the heavens to celebrate
and all gods to bow down
to the Lord,[n]
because he will take revenge
on those hateful enemies
who killed his people.
He will forgive the sins of Israel
and purify their land.[o]
44-45 Moses spoke the words of the song so that all the Israelites could hear, and Joshua[p] helped him. When Moses had finished, 46 he said, “Always remember this song I have taught you today. And let it be a warning that you must teach your children to obey everything written in The Book of God's Law. 47 The Law isn't empty words. It can give you a long life in the land that you are going to take.”
Moses Will See the Land
48 (G) Later that day the Lord said to Moses:
49 Go up into the Abarim Mountain range here in Moab across the Jordan River valley from Jericho. And when you reach the top of Mount Nebo, you will be able to see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Israel. 50 Then you will die and be buried on the mountaintop, just as your brother Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor. 51 Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert.[q] I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect I deserve. 52 So I will give the land to the people of Israel, but you will only get to see it from a distance.
Footnotes
- 32.4 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the Lord to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
- 32.5 and are unfaithful … children: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 32.8 He assigned … them: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “So there were as many nations as Israel (that is, Jacob) had children.”
- 32.9 Israel: The Hebrew text has “Jacob,” another name for Israel's ancestor.
- 32.15 Israel: The Standard Hebrew Text has “Jeshurun,” a rare name for Israel related to a word meaning “honest.” The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation also use “Jacob,” another name for the ancestor of the nation of Israel.
- 32.15 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
- 32.16,17 disgusting idols … foreign gods … demons … those useless gods: Different ways of referring to gods of other nations.
- 32.18 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
- 32.21 cruel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 32.31 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
- 32.32 Sodom and Gomorrah: Two cities that the Lord destroyed because their people were so evil (see Genesis 18.16—19.28).
- 32.35 our enemies … deserve: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “I will pay them back.”
- 32.42 leaders: Or “long-haired warriors,” who let their hair grow to show that they had made sacred promises to their gods.
- 32.43 Tell … Lord: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “Let the nations, his people, celebrate.”
- 32.43 because he will … land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 32.44,45 Joshua: The Hebrew text has “Hoshea,” another form of Joshua's name.
- 32.51 Both of you were unfaithful … the Zin Desert: See Numbers 20.1-13.
Deuteronomy 33
Contemporary English Version
Moses Blesses the Tribes of Israel
33 Moses was a prophet, and before he died, he blessed the tribes of Israel by saying:
2 The Lord came from Mount Sinai.
From Edom, he gave light
to his people,
and his glory was shining
from Mount Paran.
Thousands of his warriors
were with him, and fire
was at his right hand.[a]
3 (A) The Lord loves the tribes
of Israel,[b]
and he protects his people.
They listen to his words
and worship at his feet.
* 4 I called a meeting
of the tribes of Israel[c]
and gave you God's Law.
5 Then you and your leaders
made the Lord your king.
6 Tribe of Reuben, you will live,
even though your tribe
will always be small.[d]
7 The Lord will listen to you,
tribe of Judah, as you beg
to come safely home.
You fought your enemies alone;[e]
now the Lord will help you.
8 (B) At Massah and Meribah Spring,[f]
the Lord tested you,
tribe of Levi.
You were faithful,[g]
and so the priesthood[h] belongs
to the Levi tribe.
9 Protecting Israel's agreement
with the Lord
was more important to you
than the life of your father
or mother,
or brothers or sisters,
or your own children.[i]
10 You teach God's laws to Israel,[j]
and at the place of worship
you offer sacrifices
and burn incense.
11 I pray that the Lord will bless
everything you do,
and make you strong enough
to crush your enemies.
12 The Lord Most High[k] loves you,
tribe of Benjamin.
He will live among your hills
and protect you.
13 Descendants of Joseph,
the Lord will bless you
with precious water
from deep wells
and with dew from the sky.
14 Month by month, your fruit
will ripen in the sunshine.
15 You will have a rich harvest
from the slopes
of the ancient hills.
16 The Lord who appeared
in the burning bush
wants to give you the best
the land can produce,
and it will be a princely crown
on Joseph's head.
17 The armies of Ephraim
and Manasseh
are majestic and fierce
like a bull or a wild ox.
They will run their spears
through faraway nations.
18 Be happy, Zebulun,
as your boats set sail;
be happy, Issachar,
in your tents.
19 The sea will make you wealthy,
and from the sandy beach
you will get treasure.[l]
So invite the other tribes[m]
to celebrate with you
and offer sacrifices to God.
20 Tribe of Gad,
the Lord will bless you
with more land.
So shout his praises!
Your tribe is like a lion
ripping up its victim.
21 Your leaders met together
and chose the best land
for your tribe,
but you obeyed the Lord
and helped the other tribes.[n]
22 Tribe of Dan,
you are like a lion cub,
startled by a snake.[o]
23 The Lord is pleased with you,
people of Naphtali.
He will bless you
and give you the land
to the west and the south.[p]
24 The Lord's greatest blessing
is for you, tribe of Asher.
You will be the favorite
of all the other tribes.
You will be rich with olive oil
25 and have strong town gates
with bronze and iron bolts.
Your people will be powerful
for as long as they live.
26 Israel,[q] no other god
is like ours—
the clouds are his chariot
as he rides across the skies
to come and help us.
27 The eternal God
is our hiding place;
he carries us in his arms.
When God tells you
to destroy your enemies,
he will make them run.
28 Israel, you will live in safety;
your enemies will be gone.[r]
The dew will fall from the sky,
and you will have plenty
of grain and wine.
29 The Lord has rescued you
and given you more blessings
than any other nation.
He protects you like a shield
and is your majestic sword.
Your enemies will bow in fear,
and you will trample
on their backs.
Footnotes
- 33.2 Thousands … right hand: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 33.3 the tribes of Israel: Or “the nations.”
- 33.4 Israel: The Hebrew text also uses the name “Jeshurun,” a rare name for “Israel.”
- 33.6 even though … small: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 33.7 beg … alone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 33.8 Massah and Meribah Spring: See Exodus 17.1-7; Numbers 20.1-13.
- 33.8 the Lord tested you, tribe of Levi. You were faithful: Or “the Lord tested me. I was faithful” or “the Lord tested Aaron and me. We were faithful.”
- 33.8 priesthood: The Hebrew text has “your thummim and your urim,” objects that were used by priests to get answers from God.
- 33.9 Protecting Israel's agreement … your own children: See Exodus 32.25-29.
- 33.10 Israel: See the note at 32.9.
- 33.12 Most High: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 33.19 sandy beach … treasure: Possibly a reference to glass made from sand; glass was rare and very valuable.
- 33.19 other tribes: Or “nations.”
- 33.21 tribes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 21. The Gad tribe asked for some of the land east of the Jordan River, but promised that their warriors would cross the Jordan and help the other tribes take over the land west of the Jordan (see Numbers 32.1-33; Joshua 4.10-13).
- 33.22 startled by a snake: Or “jumping out from the forest of Bashan.”
- 33.23 land to the west and the south: Or “land south as far as Lake Galilee.”
- 33.26 Israel: See the note at 33.4.
- 33.28 your enemies will be gone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Deuteronomy 34
Contemporary English Version
The Death of Moses
34 Sometime later, Moses left the lowlands of Moab. He went up Mount Pisgah to the peak of Mount Nebo,[a] which is across the Jordan River from Jericho. The Lord showed him all the land as far north as Gilead and the town of Dan. 2 He let Moses see the territories that would soon belong to the tribes of Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Judah, as far west as the Mediterranean Sea. 3 The Lord also showed him the land in the south, from the valley near the town of Jericho, known as The City of Palm Trees, down to the town of Zoar.
4 (A) The Lord said, “Moses, this is the land I was talking about when I solemnly promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give land to their descendants. I have let you see it, but you will not cross the Jordan and go in.”
5 And so, Moses the Lord's servant died there in Moab, just as the Lord had said. 6 The Lord buried him in a valley near the town of Beth-Peor, but even today no one knows exactly where. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was still good, and his body was strong.
8 The people of Israel stayed in the lowlands of Moab, where they mourned and grieved 30 days for Moses, as was their custom.
Joshua Becomes the Leader of Israel
9 Before Moses died, he had placed his hands on Joshua, and the Lord had given Joshua wisdom. The Israelites paid attention to what Joshua said and obeyed the commands that the Lord had given Moses.
Moses Was a Great Prophet
10 (B) There has never again been a prophet in Israel like Moses. The Lord spoke face to face with him 11 and sent him to perform powerful miracles in the presence of the king of Egypt and his entire nation. 12 No one else has ever had the power to do such great things as Moses did for everyone to see.
Footnotes
- 34.1 Mount Pisgah … Mount Nebo: Mount Nebo was probably one peak of the ridge known as Mount Pisgah.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Bible Gateway Recommends
