¹⁰ And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept as a warning to rebels, so that you may make an end of their complaints against me, or else they will die.”^(A)

⁴ In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;^(A)

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.^[a](A)

The Wickedness of Judah

²² Then all the corrupt and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife and children and leave.”

¹² Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord^(A)

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.^{(A) 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.”^{(B) 22} That very day Moses wrote this song and taught it to the Israelites.^(C)

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.”^(D)

²⁴ When Moses had finished writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end, ²⁵ Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,^{(E) 26} “Take this book of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God; let it remain there as a witness against you.^(F)

²⁴ You have been rebellious against the Lord as long as he has^[a] known you.^(A)