Israel Will Fall Away

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, [a](A)the time for you to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, and I will commission him.” (B)So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 (C)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, (D)you are about to [b]lie down with your fathers; and (E)this people will arise and play the prostitute with the foreign gods of the land into the midst of which they are going, and (F)they will abandon Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 (G)Then My anger will be kindled against them on that day, and (H)I will abandon them and (I)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, ‘(J)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, (K)write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it [c]on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 (L)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 (M)become [d]prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it will come about, (N)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 [e]descendants); for (O)I know their inclination which they are [f]developing today, before I bring them into the land which I swore.” 22 (P)So Moses wrote down this song on the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

Joshua Is Commissioned

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

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:14 Lit your days to die are
  2. Deuteronomy 31:16 I.e., die
  3. Deuteronomy 31:19 Lit in their mouths
  4. Deuteronomy 31:20 Lit fat
  5. Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit seed
  6. Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit making

14 The Lord said to Moses, “The time of your death is now approaching. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting so that I may commission him.” When Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting, 15 the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud,(A) and the cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.(B)

16 The Lord said to Moses, “You are about to rest with your ancestors,(C) and these people will soon prostitute themselves with the foreign gods(D) of the land they are entering. They will abandon me(E) and break the covenant(F) I have made with them. 17 My anger will burn against them on that day;(G) I will abandon them and hide my face from them so that they will become easy prey.(H) Many troubles and afflictions will come to them. On that day they will say, ‘Haven’t these troubles come to us because our God is no longer with us?’ 18 I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. 19 Therefore write down this song(I) for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; have them sing it,[a] so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites. 20 When I bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey,(J) they will eat their fill(K) and prosper.[b] They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising me(L) and breaking my covenant.(M) 21 And when many troubles and afflictions come to them, this song will testify against them, because[c] their descendants will not have forgotten it. For I know what they are prone to do,[d] even before I bring them into the land I swore to give them.” 22 So Moses wrote down this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites.

23 The Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I swore to them, and I will be with you.”(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 31:19 Lit Israelites; put it in their mouths
  2. 31:20 Lit be fat
  3. 31:21 Lit because the mouths of
  4. 31:21 Or know the plans they are devising