Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of debt cancellation,(A) during the Festival of Shelters,(B) 11 when all Israel assembles in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he chooses,(C) you are to read this law aloud before all Israel.(D) 12 Gather the people—men, women, dependents, and the resident aliens within your city gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear(E) the Lord your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law. 13 Then their children(F) who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

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So Moses wrote this law, and he gave it to the priests, the descendants[a] of Levi, the ones carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and to all the elders of Israel.

10 Then Moses commanded them, saying,[b] “At the end of seven years, in the time of the year for canceling debts during the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before[c] Yahweh their God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.[d] 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little children and your aliens that are in your towns,[e] so that they may hear and so that they may learn and they may revere Yahweh your God, and they shall diligently observe[f] all the words of this law. 13 And then their children,[g] who have not known, they too may hear, and they may learn to revere Yahweh their God all the days that you live[h] on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to get there[i] to take possession of it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:9 Or “sons”
  2. Deuteronomy 31:10 Literally “to say”
  3. Deuteronomy 31:11 Literally “at/in the coming of all of Israel to see”
  4. Deuteronomy 31:11 Literally “in their ears”
  5. Deuteronomy 31:12 Literally “gates”
  6. Deuteronomy 31:12 Literally “they shall keep to do”
  7. Deuteronomy 31:13 Hebrew “child”
  8. Deuteronomy 31:13 Literally “that you are alive”
  9. Deuteronomy 31:13 Literally “there”