Deuteronomy 31:14-23

Modern English Version

Prediction of Israel’s Rebellion

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “Indeed, your days draw near when you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.

¹⁵ The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the tent. ¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, “You are about to lie down with your fathers, and this people will rise up and begin to prostitute themselves after the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they are going to be among them, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. ¹⁷ Then My anger will burn against them on that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they will be devoured, and many disasters and troubles will befall them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not among us?’ ¹⁸ And I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evil things which they shall have done, in that they turned to other gods.

¹⁹ “Now therefore write yourself this song and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it on their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. ²⁰ For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten, and filled themselves, and become fat, then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and provoke Me, and break My covenant. ²¹ Then when many disasters and troubles have fallen on them, this song will testify against them as a witness, for it must not be forgotten from the mouths of their descendants. For I know their intention which they are developing even now, before I have brought them into the land which I promised.” ²² Therefore, Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.

²³ He gave Joshua, the son of Nun, an exhortation, and said, “Be strong and of a good courage, for you will bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”