Joshua to Succeed Moses

31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: “I am now a hundred and twenty years old(A) and I am no longer able to lead you.(B) The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’(C) The Lord your God himself will cross(D) over ahead of you.(E) He will destroy these nations(F) before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross(G) over ahead of you, as the Lord said. And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og,(H) the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. The Lord will deliver(I) them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous.(J) Do not be afraid or terrified(K) because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;(L) he will never leave you(M) nor forsake(N) you.”

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said(O) 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,(P) and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;(Q) he will never leave you nor forsake you.(R) Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Public Reading of the Law

So Moses wrote(S) down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried(T) 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,(U) during the Festival of Tabernacles,(V) 11 when all Israel comes to appear(W) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,(X) you shall read this law(Y) 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(Z) to fear(AA) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children,(AB) 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(AC) is near. Call Joshua(AD) and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.(AE)” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.(AF)

15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.(AG) 16 And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,(AH) and these people will soon prostitute(AI) themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake(AJ) me and break the covenant I made with them. 17 And in that day I will become angry(AK) with them and forsake(AL) them; I will hide(AM) my face(AN) from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters(AO) 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?’(AP) 18 And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.

19 “Now write(AQ) down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness(AR) 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,(AS) and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods(AT) and worship them,(AU) rejecting me and breaking my covenant.(AV) 21 And when many disasters and calamities come on them,(AW) this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do,(AX) even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” 22 So Moses wrote(AY) down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

23 The Lord gave this command(AZ) to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous,(BA) 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(BB) in a book the words of this law(BC) from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried(BD) 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.(BE) 27 For I know how rebellious(BF) and stiff-necked(BG) 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.(BH) 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt(BI) and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster(BJ) 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:

Moses’ Last Counsel

31 So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. And he said to them, “I am (A)120 years old today; (B)I am no longer able to [a]go out and come in, and the Lord has told me, ‘(C)You shall not cross this Jordan.’ (D)It is the Lord your God who is going to cross ahead of you; He Himself will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. (E)Joshua is the one who is going to cross ahead of you, just as the Lord has spoken. And the Lord will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. (F)The Lord will turn them over to you, and you will do to them in accordance with all the commandments which I have commanded you. (G)Be strong and courageous, (H)do not be afraid or in dread of them, for (I)the Lord your God is the One who is going with you. (J)He will not desert you or abandon you.”

Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “(K)Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance. And (L)the Lord is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. (M)He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.”

So Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi (N)who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of (O)the year of the release of debts, at the (P)Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes (Q)to appear before the Lord your God at (R)the place which He will choose, (S)you shall read this Law before all Israel [b]so that they hear it. 12 Assemble the people, the men, the women, the children, and the stranger who is in your [c]town, so that they may hear and (T)learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to [d]follow all the words of this Law. 13 And their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land [e]which you are about to cross the Jordan to [f]possess.”

Israel Will Fall Away

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, [g](U)the time for you to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, and I will commission him.” (V)So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 (W)And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance of the tent. 16 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, (X)you are about to [h]lie down with your fathers; and (Y)this people will arise and play the prostitute with the foreign gods of the land into the midst of which they are going, and (Z)they will abandon Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 (AA)Then My anger will be kindled against them on that day, and (AB)I will abandon them and (AC)hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will find them; so they will say on that day, ‘(AD)Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have found us?’ 18 But I will assuredly hide My face on that day because of all the evil that they will have done, for they will have turned away to other gods.

19 “Now then, (AE)write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it [i]on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 (AF)For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and (AG)become [j]prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it will come about, (AH)when many evils and troubles find them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of their [k]descendants); for (AI)I know their inclination which they are [l]developing today, before I bring them into the land which I swore.” 22 (AJ)So Moses wrote down this song on the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

Joshua Is Commissioned

23 (AK)Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “(AL)Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and (AM)I will be with you.”

24 It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this Law in a book until they were complete, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites (AN)who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, 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 [m]remain there as a witness against you. 27 For I know (AO)your rebellion and (AP)your [n]stubbornness; behold, as long as I have been alive with you until today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; how much more, then, after my death? 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and (AQ)call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will (AR)behave very corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will confront you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.”

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

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:2 I.e., as Israel’s leader
  2. Deuteronomy 31:11 Lit in their ears
  3. Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit gates
  4. Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit perform
  5. Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit where
  6. Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit possess it
  7. Deuteronomy 31:14 Lit your days to die are
  8. Deuteronomy 31:16 I.e., die
  9. Deuteronomy 31:19 Lit in their mouths
  10. Deuteronomy 31:20 Lit fat
  11. Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit seed
  12. Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit making
  13. Deuteronomy 31:26 Lit be
  14. Deuteronomy 31:27 Lit stiff neck

31 After Moses had said all these things to the people of Israel, he told them, “I am now 120 years old! I am no longer able to lead you,[a] for the Lord has told me that I shall not cross the Jordan River. But the Lord himself will lead you and will destroy the nations living there, and you shall overcome them. Joshua is your new commander, as the Lord has instructed. The Lord will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites. The Lord will deliver over to you the people living there, and you shall destroy them as I have commanded you. Be strong! Be courageous! Do not be afraid of them! For the Lord your God will be with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.”

Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him, as all Israel watched, “Be strong! Be courageous! For you shall lead these people into the land promised by the Lord to their ancestors; see to it that they conquer it. Don’t be afraid, for the Lord will go before you and will be with you; he will not fail nor forsake you.”

Then Moses wrote out the laws he had already delivered to the people and gave them to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the Ark containing the Ten Commandments of the Lord. Moses also gave copies of the laws to the elders of Israel. 10-11 The Lord commanded that these laws be read to all the people at the end of every seventh year—the Year of Release—at the Festival of Tabernacles, when all Israel would assemble before the Lord at the sanctuary.

12 “Call them all together,” the Lord instructed, “—men, women, children, and foreigners living among you—to hear the laws of God and to learn his will, so that you will reverence the Lord your God and obey his laws. 13 Do this so that your little children who have not known these laws will hear them and learn how to revere the Lord your God as long as you live in the Promised Land.”

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The time has come when you must die. Summon Joshua and come into the Tabernacle where I can give him his instructions.” So Moses and Joshua came and stood before the Lord.

15 He appeared to them in a great cloud at the Tabernacle entrance, 16 and said to Moses, “You shall die and join your ancestors. After you are gone, these people will begin worshiping foreign gods in the Promised Land. They will forget about me and break the contract I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will flame out against them and I will abandon them, hiding my face from them, and they shall be destroyed. Terrible trouble will come upon them, so that they will say, ‘God is no longer among us!’ 18 I will turn away from them because of their sins in worshiping other gods.

19 “Now write down the words of this song, and teach it to the people of Israel as my warning to them. 20 When I have brought them into the land I promised their ancestors—a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’—and when they have become fat and prosperous, and worship other gods and despise me and break my contract, 21 and great disasters come upon them, then this song will remind them of the reason for their woes. (For this song will live from generation to generation.) I know now, even before they enter the land, what these people are like.”

22 So, on that very day, Moses wrote down the words of the song and taught it to the Israelites. 23 Then he charged Joshua (son of Nun) to be strong and courageous and said to him, “You must bring the people of Israel into the land the Lord promised them; for the Lord says, ‘I will be with you.’”

24 When Moses had finished writing down all the laws that are recorded in this book, 25 he instructed the Levites who carried the Ark containing the Ten Commandments 26 to put this book of the law beside the Ark, as a solemn warning to the people of Israel.

27 “For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are,” Moses told them. “If even today, while I am still here with you, you are defiant rebels against the Lord, how much more rebellious will you be after my death! 28 Now summon all the elders and officers of your tribes so that I can speak to them, and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 I know that after my death you will utterly defile yourselves and turn away from God and his commands; and in the days to come evil will crush you for you will do what the Lord says is evil, making him very angry.”

30 So Moses recited this entire song to the whole assembly of Israel:

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:2 I am no longer able to lead you, literally, “I am no longer able to go out and come in.”

Josué, sucesor de Moisés(A)

31 Moisés habló de nuevo a todo Israel, y dijo lo siguiente:

«Yo tengo ciento veinte años, y ya no tengo fuerzas para andar de un lado para otro. Además, el Señor me ha dicho que no cruzaré el Jordán. Pero el Señor su Dios marchará delante de ustedes, y al paso de ustedes destruirá estas naciones, para que ocupen su territorio. Josué irá al frente de ustedes, como jefe, tal como lo ha dicho el Señor. El Señor hará con estas naciones lo mismo que hizo con Sihón y con Og, reyes de los amorreos, y con sus países, a los cuales destruyó. Y cuando el Señor haga que estas naciones caigan en poder de ustedes, deben hacer con ellas todo lo que les he ordenado. Tengan valor y firmeza; no tengan miedo ni se asusten cuando se enfrenten con ellas, porque el Señor su Dios está con ustedes y no los dejará ni los abandonará.»

Después llamó Moisés a Josué, y le dijo en presencia de todo Israel:

«Ten valor y firmeza, porque tú tienes que llevar esta gente al país que el Señor juró a los antepasados de ustedes que les daría, y tú serás quien los haga tomar posesión. El Señor mismo irá delante de ti, y estará contigo; no te abandonará ni te desamparará; por lo tanto, no tengas miedo ni te acobardes.»

Lectura de la ley en el año del perdón de deudas

Moisés puso esta ley por escrito, y la entregó a los sacerdotes levitas encargados de llevar el arca de la alianza del Señor, y a todos los ancianos de Israel, 10 dándoles también esta orden:

«Cada siete años, al llegar el año del perdón de las deudas, durante la fiesta de las Enramadas, 11 cuando todos los israelitas se reúnan delante del Señor su Dios en el lugar que él haya escogido, se leerá esta ley en presencia de todos ellos. 12 Todo el pueblo deberá reunirse, tanto los hombres como las mujeres, y los niños y los extranjeros que vivan en sus ciudades, para que escuchen la lectura de la ley y aprendan a respetar al Señor su Dios, y pongan en práctica todo lo que se dice en ella. 13 Así los hijos de ustedes, que nada saben de ella, podrán también oírla y aprenderán a respetar al Señor su Dios durante toda su vida en el país que ustedes van a ocupar después de cruzar el Jordán.»

Últimas instrucciones del Señor a Moisés

14 Luego el Señor dijo a Moisés:

«Mira, ya se va acercando la hora de tu muerte; así que llama a Josué, y preséntense los dos en la tienda del encuentro, para que yo le dé mis órdenes.»

Moisés y Josué fueron a la tienda del encuentro, 15 y allí se les apareció el Señor en una columna de nube, la cual se colocó sobre la entrada de la tienda. 16 Entonces el Señor dijo a Moisés:

«Ya pronto vas a morir, y este pueblo se va a corromper con los dioses del país extranjero que va a ocupar; entonces me abandonará y romperá la alianza que he hecho con él. 17 Pero mi furor se encenderá contra ellos, y los abandonaré; no me preocuparé de ellos para nada, y serán tantos los males y aflicciones que les vendrán, que finalmente dirán: “¿No será que estamos sufriendo estos males porque nuestro Dios ya no está con nosotros?” 18 Pero cuando llegue ese momento, yo me apartaré de ellos aún más, por todo el mal que habrán hecho y por haber adorado a otros dioses.

19 »Ahora pues, escriban este cántico y enséñenselo a los israelitas, para que lo canten y me sirva de testimonio contra ellos. 20 Porque cuando yo los haya hecho entrar en la tierra que bajo juramento prometí a sus antepasados, tierra donde la leche y la miel corren como el agua, y cuando hayan comido hasta estar satisfechos y engordar, entonces se irán tras otros dioses y los adorarán, y a mí me despreciarán y romperán mi alianza. 21 Pero cuando les vengan muchos males y aflicciones, entonces este cántico será un testimonio contra ellos, pues sus descendientes lo recordarán y lo cantarán; porque ya desde antes de hacerlos entrar en el país que les he prometido, sé muy bien hacia dónde se inclinan sus pensamientos.»

22 Aquel mismo día escribió Moisés el cántico, e hizo que los israelitas lo aprendieran.

23 A Josué, hijo de Nun, el Señor le dio la siguiente orden:

«Ten valor y firmeza, porque tú eres quien hará entrar a los israelitas en el país que les he prometido, y yo estaré a tu lado.»

24 Cuando Moisés terminó de escribir estas leyes en un libro, 25 dijo a los levitas encargados de llevar el arca de la alianza del Señor:

26 «Tomen este libro de la ley y pónganlo al lado del arca de la alianza del Señor su Dios, para que esté allí como testimonio contra ustedes. 27 Porque yo sé que ustedes son un pueblo rebelde y testarudo; y si hoy, que todavía vivo entre ustedes, se han rebelado contra el Señor, ¿qué será después de mi muerte? 28 Traigan aquí a todos los ancianos y jefes de sus tribus, para que yo les hable de estas cosas y ponga al cielo y a la tierra como testigos contra ellos. 29 Porque yo sé que después de mi muerte se van a corromper y van a dejar el camino que les he ordenado seguir; y sé también que en el futuro les sobrevendrá la desgracia, por hacer lo malo a los ojos del Señor y provocar con ello su enojo.»

Cántico de Moisés

30 Entonces Moisés pronunció este cántico, de principio a fin, ante todos los israelitas reunidos: