Deuteronomy 31-33
New American Standard Bible 1995
Moses’ Last Counsel
31 So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am (A)a hundred and twenty years old today; (B)I am no longer able to come and go, and the Lord has said to me, ‘(C)You shall not cross this Jordan.’ 3 (D)It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. (E)Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the Lord has spoken. 4 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. 5 (F)The Lord will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. 6 (G)Be strong and courageous, (H)do not be afraid or tremble at them, for (I)the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. (J)He will not fail you or forsake you.”
7 Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “(K)Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. 8 (L)The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. (M)He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
9 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 remission 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 in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and [a]the alien who is in your [b]town, so that they may hear and (T)learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land [c]which you are about to cross the Jordan to [d]possess.”
Israel Will Fall Away
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, [e](U)the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” (V)So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 (W)The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent. 16 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, (X)you are about to lie down with your fathers; and (Y)this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and (Z)will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 (AA)Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and (AB)I will forsake them and (AC)hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘(AD)Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ 18 But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.
19 “Now therefore, (AE)write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it [f]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 have eaten and are satisfied and (AG)become [g]prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall come about, (AH)when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the [h]lips of their descendants); for (AI)I know their intent which they are [i]developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” 22 (AJ)So Moses wrote this song 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 shall 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, that it may [j]remain there as a witness against you. 27 For I know (AO)your rebellion and (AP)your [k]stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you 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 to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will (AR)act corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, for 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:
The Song of Moses
32 “(AS)Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak;
And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
2 “(AT)Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
(AU)As the droplets on the fresh grass
And as the showers on the herb.
3 “(AV)For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
(AW)Ascribe greatness to our God!
4 “(AX)The Rock! His work is perfect,
(AY)For all His ways are [l]just;
(AZ)A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.
5 “[m](BA)They have acted corruptly toward Him,
They are not His children, because of their defect;
(BB)But are a perverse and crooked generation.
6 “Do you thus (BC)repay the Lord,
(BD)O foolish and unwise people?
(BE)Is not He your Father who has bought you?
(BF)He has made you and established you.
7 “Remember the days of old,
Consider the years of all generations.
(BG)Ask your father, and he will inform you,
Your elders, and they will tell you.
8 “(BH)When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
When He separated the sons of [n]man,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
(BI)According to the number of the sons of Israel.
9 “(BJ)For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
10 “(BK)He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as (BL)the pupil of His eye.
11 “(BM)Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
(BN)He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
12 “(BO)The Lord alone guided him,
(BP)And there was no foreign god with him.
13 “(BQ)He made him ride on the high places of the earth,
And he ate the produce of the field;
(BR)And He made him suck honey from the rock,
And (BS)oil from the flinty rock,
14 Curds of cows, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs,
And rams, the breed of Bashan, and goats,
(BT)With the finest of the wheat—
And of the (BU)blood of grapes you drank wine.
15 “(BV)But [o]Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—
You are grown fat, thick, and sleek—
(BW)Then he forsook God (BX)who made him,
And scorned (BY)the Rock of his salvation.
16 “(BZ)They made Him jealous with strange gods;
(CA)With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
17 “(CB)They sacrificed to demons who were not God,
(CC)To gods whom they have not known,
(CD)New gods who came lately,
Whom your fathers did not dread.
18 “You neglected (CE)the Rock who begot you,
(CF)And forgot the God who gave you birth.
19 “(CG)The Lord saw this, and spurned them
(CH)Because of the provocation of His sons and daughters.
20 “Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them,
(CI)I will see what their end shall be;
(CJ)For they are a perverse generation,
(CK)Sons in whom is no faithfulness.
21 ‘(CL)They have made Me jealous with what is not God;
They have provoked Me to anger with their [p](CM)idols.
(CN)So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,
22 (CO)For a fire is kindled in My anger,
And burns to the lowest part of [q]Sheol,
(CP)And consumes the earth with its yield,
And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23 ‘(CQ)I will heap misfortunes on them;
(CR)I will use My arrows on them.
24 ‘(CS)They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by [r]plague
(CT)And bitter destruction;
(CU)And the teeth of beasts I will send upon them,
(CV)With the venom of crawling things of the dust.
25 ‘(CW)Outside the sword will bereave,
And inside terror—
(CX)Both young man and virgin,
The nursling with the man of gray hair.
26 ‘I would have said, “(CY)I will cut them to pieces,
(CZ)I will remove the memory of them from men,”
27 Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy,
That their adversaries would misjudge,
That they would say, “(DA)Our hand is [s]triumphant,
And the Lord has not done all this.”’
28 “(DB)For they are a nation [t]lacking in counsel,
And there is no understanding in them.
29 “(DC)Would that they were wise, that they understood this,
(DD)That they would discern their [u]future!
30 “(DE)How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their (DF)Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had given them up?
31 “Indeed their rock is not like our Rock,
(DG)Even our enemies [v]themselves judge this.
32 “For their vine is from the vine of Sodom,
And from the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of (DH)poison,
Their clusters, bitter.
33 “Their wine is the venom of [w]serpents,
And the [x]deadly poison of cobras.
34 ‘(DI)Is it not laid up in store with Me,
Sealed up in My treasuries?
35 ‘(DJ)Vengeance is Mine, and retribution,
(DK)In due time their foot will slip;
(DL)For the day of their calamity is near,
And the impending things are hastening upon them.’
36 “(DM)For the Lord will vindicate His people,
(DN)And will have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their [y]strength is gone,
And there is none remaining, bond or free.
37 “And He will say, ‘(DO)Where are their gods,
The rock in which they sought refuge?
38 ‘(DP)Who ate the fat of their sacrifices,
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
(DQ)Let them rise up and help you,
Let them be your hiding place!
39 ‘(DR)See now that I, I am He,
(DS)And there is no god besides Me;
(DT)It is I who put to death and give life.
(DU)I have wounded and it is I who heal,
(DV)And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
40 ‘Indeed, (DW)I lift up My hand to heaven,
And say, as I live forever,
41 (DX)If I sharpen My [z]flashing sword,
And My hand takes hold on justice,
(DY)I will render vengeance on My adversaries,
And I will repay those who hate Me.
42 ‘(DZ)I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
(EA)And My sword will devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the long-haired [aa]leaders of the enemy.’
43 “(EB)Rejoice, O nations, with His people;
(EC)For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
(ED)And will render vengeance on His adversaries,
(EE)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 [ab](EF)Joshua the son of Nun. 45 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “(EG)Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command (EH)your sons to observe [ac]carefully, even all the words of this law. 47 For it is not an idle word for you; indeed (EI)it is your life. And (EJ)by this word you will prolong your days in the land, [ad]which you are about to cross the Jordan to [ae]possess.”
48 (EK)The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, 49 “(EL)Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab [af]opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. 50 Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be (EM)gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 (EN)because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the (EO)wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. 52 (EP)For you shall see the land at a distance, but (EQ)you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.”
The Blessing of Moses
33 Now this is the blessing with which Moses (ER)the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death. 2 He said,
“(ES)The Lord came from Sinai,
(ET)And [ag]dawned on them from Seir;
(EU)He shone forth from Mount Paran,
And He came from (EV)the [ah]midst of ten thousand holy ones;
(EW)At His right hand there was [ai]flashing lightning for them.
3 “(EX)Indeed, He loves [aj]the people;
(EY)All [ak]Your holy ones are in Your hand,
(EZ)And they [al]followed in Your steps;
Everyone receives of Your words.
4 “(FA)Moses charged us with a law,
(FB)A possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 “(FC)And He was king in Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people were gathered,
The tribes of Israel together.
6 “(FD)May Reuben live and not die,
Nor his men be few.”
7 (FE)And this regarding Judah; so he said,
“Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people.
With his hands he contended for [am]them,
And may You be a help against his adversaries.”
8 Of Levi he said,
“Let Your (FF)Thummim and Your Urim belong to [an]Your (FG)godly man,
(FH)Whom You proved at Massah,
With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;
9 (FI)Who said of his father and his mother,
‘I did not consider them’;
And he did not acknowledge his brothers,
Nor did he regard his own sons,
For (FJ)they observed Your word,
And kept Your covenant.
10 “(FK)They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob,
And Your law to Israel.
(FL)They shall put incense [ao]before You,
And (FM)whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 “O Lord, bless his substance,
And accept the work of his hands;
Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him,
And those who hate him, so that they will not rise again.”
12 Of Benjamin he said,
“(FN)May the beloved of the Lord dwell in security by Him,
(FO)Who shields him all the day,
(FP)And he dwells between His shoulders.”
13 Of Joseph he said,
“(FQ)Blessed of the Lord be his land,
With the choice things of heaven, with the dew,
And from the deep lying beneath,
14 And with the choice yield of the sun,
And with the choice produce of the months.
15 “And with the [ap]best things of (FR)the ancient mountains,
And with the choice things of the everlasting hills,
16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor (FS)of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let it come to the head of Joseph,
And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.
17 “As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his,
And his horns are the horns of (FT)the wild ox;
With them he will (FU)push the peoples,
All [aq]at once, to the ends of the earth.
And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And those are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 (FV)Of Zebulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth,
And, Issachar, in your tents.
19 “(FW)They will call peoples to the mountain;
There they will offer (FX)righteous sacrifices;
For they will [ar]draw out (FY)the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of the sand.”
20 (FZ)Of Gad he said,
“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad;
He lies down (GA)as a [as]lion,
And tears the arm, also the crown of the head.
21 “(GB)Then he [at]provided the first part for himself,
(GC)For there the ruler’s portion was [au]reserved;
(GD)And he came with the leaders of the people;
(GE)He executed the justice of the Lord,
And His ordinances with Israel.”
22 (GF)Of Dan he said,
“Dan is (GG)a lion’s whelp,
That leaps forth from Bashan.”
23 Of Naphtali he said,
“(GH)O Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
Take possession of the sea and the south.”
24 (GI)Of Asher he said,
“More blessed than sons is Asher;
May he be favored by his brothers,
(GJ)And may he dip his foot in oil.
25 “(GK)Your locks will be iron and bronze,
(GL)And according to your days, so will your leisurely walk be.
26 “(GM)There is none like the God of [av]Jeshurun,
(GN)Who rides the heavens [aw]to your help,
And through the skies in His majesty.
27 “(GO)The eternal God is a [ax]dwelling place,
(GP)And underneath are the everlasting arms;
(GQ)And He drove out the enemy from before you,
(GR)And said, ‘Destroy!’
28 “(GS)So Israel dwells in security,
(GT)The fountain of Jacob secluded,
(GU)In a land of grain and new wine;
(GV)His heavens also drop down dew.
29 “(GW)Blessed are you, O Israel;
(GX)Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
(GY)Who is the shield of your help
(GZ)And the sword of your majesty!
(HA)So your enemies will cringe before you,
(HB)And you will tread upon their high places.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit your alien
- Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit where
- Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit possess it
- Deuteronomy 31:14 Lit your days to die are
- Deuteronomy 31:19 Lit in their mouths
- Deuteronomy 31:20 Lit fat
- Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit mouth of its seed
- Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit making
- Deuteronomy 31:26 Lit be
- Deuteronomy 31:27 Lit stiff neck
- Deuteronomy 32:4 Or judgment
- Deuteronomy 32:5 Lit It has
- Deuteronomy 32:8 Or Adam
- Deuteronomy 32:15 I.e. Israel
- Deuteronomy 32:21 Lit vanities
- Deuteronomy 32:22 I.e. the nether world
- Deuteronomy 32:24 Lit burning heat
- Deuteronomy 32:27 Lit high
- Deuteronomy 32:28 Lit perishing
- 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 Or lightning
- Deuteronomy 32:42 Lit head
- Deuteronomy 32:44 Lit Hoshea
- Deuteronomy 32:46 Lit to do
- Deuteronomy 32:47 Lit where
- Deuteronomy 32:47 Lit possess it
- Deuteronomy 32:49 Lit which is opposite
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit rose to
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit myriads of holiness
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or a fiery law
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit peoples
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit His
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Or lie down at Your feet
- Deuteronomy 33:7 Lit him
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit him
- Deuteronomy 33:10 Lit in Your nostrils
- Deuteronomy 33:15 Or chief
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Or together
- Deuteronomy 33:19 Lit suck
- Deuteronomy 33:20 Or lioness
- Deuteronomy 33:21 Lit saw
- Deuteronomy 33:21 Or covered up
- Deuteronomy 33:26 I.e. Israel
- Deuteronomy 33:26 Lit in
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Or refuge
Luke 18
New American Standard Bible 1995
Parables on Prayer
18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they (A)ought to pray and not to (B)lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not (C)respect man. 3 There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘[a]Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor (D)respect man, 5 yet (E)because this widow bothers me, I will [b]give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will [c](F)wear me out.’” 6 And (G)the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God (H)bring about justice for His (I)elect who cry to Him day and night, [d]and will He (J)delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, (K)will He find [e]faith on the earth?”
The Pharisee and the Publican
9 And He also told this parable to some people who (L)trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and (M)viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men (N)went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee (O)stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I (P)fast twice a week; I (Q)pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, (R)standing some distance away, (S)was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but (T)was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be [f]merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; (U)for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
15 (V)And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 16 But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I say to you, (W)whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
The Rich Young Ruler
18 (X)A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments, ‘(Y)Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; (Z)sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have (AA)treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 And Jesus looked at him and said, “(AB)How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For (AC)it is easier for a camel to [g]go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But He said, “(AD)The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
28 Peter said, “Behold, (AE)we have left [h]our own homes and followed You.” 29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, (AF)there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in (AG)the age to come, eternal life.”
31 (AH)Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, (AI)we are going up to Jerusalem, and (AJ)all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 (AK)For He will be [i]handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” 34 But (AL)the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
Bartimaeus Receives Sight
35 (AM)As [j](AN)Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, (AO)Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “(AP)Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41 “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” 42 And Jesus said to him, “[k]Receive your sight; (AQ)your faith has [l]made you well.” 43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, (AR)glorifying God; and when (AS)all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.
Footnotes
- Luke 18:3 Lit Do me justice
- Luke 18:5 Lit do her justice
- Luke 18:5 Lit hit me under the eye
- Luke 18:7 Or and yet He is very patient toward them
- Luke 18:8 Lit the faith
- Luke 18:13 Or propitious
- Luke 18:25 Lit enter
- Luke 18:28 Lit our own things
- Luke 18:32 Or betrayed
- Luke 18:35 Lit He
- Luke 18:42 Lit Regain your sight
- Luke 18:42 Lit saved you
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
