Deuteronomy 31:14-23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Moses and Joshua Receive God’s Charge
14 The Lord said to Moses, “Your time to die is near; 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,(A) 15 and the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud; the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.(B)
16 The Lord said to Moses, “Soon you will lie down with your ancestors. Then this people will begin to prostitute themselves to the foreign gods in their midst, the gods of the land into which they are going; they will forsake me, breaking my covenant that I have made with them.(C) 17 My anger will be kindled against them on that day. I will forsake them and hide my face from them; they will become easy prey, and many terrible troubles will come upon them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these troubles come upon us because our God is not in our midst?’(D) 18 On that day I will surely hide my face on account of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. 19 Now, therefore, write this song, and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, in order that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites. 20 For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I promised on oath to their ancestors, and they have eaten their fill and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, despising me and breaking my covenant.(E) 21 And when many terrible troubles come upon them, this song will confront them as a witness because it will not be lost from the mouths of their descendants. For I know what they are inclined to do even now, before I have brought them into the land that I promised them on oath.”(F) 22 That very day Moses wrote this song and taught it to the Israelites.(G)
23 Then the Lord[a] commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and bold, for you shall bring the Israelites into the land that I promised them; I will be with you.”(H)
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- 31.23 Heb he
Deuteronomy 31:14-23
International Standard Version
Moses and Joshua Present Themselves to the Lord
14 Then the Lord told Moses: “Look! Because your time to die is approaching, call Joshua, present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, and then I will commission him.” Moses and Joshua complied[a] and presented[b] themselves at the Tent of Meeting. 15 So the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud that stood above the entrance.[c]
16 Then the Lord told Moses, “Look! You are about to join your ancestors.[d] Afterwards, this people will rebel[e] and commit prostitution with the foreign gods of the land that they are about to enter to possess. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I made with them.[f] 17 When that happens,[g] my anger will burn against them,[h] because they will have abandoned me. I’ll hide my face from them, they will be consumed, and many evils and distresses will find them. When this happens,[i] they[j] will say, ‘These troubles have happened to us because God isn’t among us.’ 18 I’ll surely hide my face in that day on account of the evil that they[k] will have done, because they[l] will have turned to other gods.”
Moses Instructed to Teach a Song
19 “Now write this song and teach it to the Israelis. Put this song in their very mouths, so that it will be a witness for me against the Israelis, 20 because after I’ve brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey that I promised to their ancestors by an oath, they’ll eat, grow fat, and then they’ll turn to other gods and serve them, while despising me and breaking my covenant. 21 Then, when many evils and troubles will have come upon them, this song will serve as a witness against them, since their descendants won’t fail to sing it. I know the plan that they are devising even before I bring them into the land that I promised them[m] by an oath.”
22 So Moses wrote the song that very day and taught it to the Israelis. 23 Then the Lord charged Nun’s son Joshua, “Be strong and courageous, because you’ll bring the Israelis to the land that I promised to them by an oath. I’ll be with you.”
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- Deuteronomy 31:14 Lit. walked
- Deuteronomy 31:14 Or stood
- Deuteronomy 31:15 Lit. above the Tent of Meeting
- Deuteronomy 31:16 Lit. to lie down with
- Deuteronomy 31:16 Heb. rise up
- Deuteronomy 31:16 Lit. him
- Deuteronomy 31:17 Lit. On that day
- Deuteronomy 31:17 Lit. him
- Deuteronomy 31:17 On that day
- Deuteronomy 31:17 Lit. he
- Deuteronomy 31:18 Lit. he
- Deuteronomy 31:18 Lit. he
- Deuteronomy 31:21 The Heb. lacks them
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