Deuteronomy 31:14-23
Expanded Bible
The Lord Calls Moses and Joshua
14 The Lord said to Moses, “·Soon you will [L Look, the day is approaching for you to] die. ·Get [Call] Joshua and ·come [present him] to the Meeting Tent so that I may command him.” So Moses and Joshua ·went to [presented themselves at] the Meeting Tent.
15 The Lord appeared at the Meeting Tent in a pillar of cloud; the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the Tent [C representing the presence of God; Ex. 13:21; 40:34–38]. 16 And the Lord said to Moses, “You will soon ·die [L lie down/T sleep with your fathers]. Then these people will ·not be loyal to me but will worship [L prostitute themselves with] the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will ·leave [abandon; forsake] me, breaking the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] I ·made [L cut] with them. 17 ·Then [L On that day] I will become very angry at them, and I will ·leave [abandon; forsake] them. I will ·turn away [L hide my face] from them, and they will be ·destroyed [devoured; consumed]. Many terrible things will happen to them. ·Then [L On that day] they will say, ‘·It is [L Is it not…?] because God is not with us that these terrible things are happening.’ 18 I will surely ·turn away [L hide my face] from them ·then [L on that day], because they have done wrong and have turned to other gods.
19 “Now write down this song and teach it to the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]. ·Then have them sing it [L Place it in their mouth], because it will be my witness against ·them [L the sons/T children of Israel]. 20 When I bring them into the land I ·promised [swore] to their ·ancestors [fathers], a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8], they will eat as much as they want and get fat. Then they will turn to other gods and serve them. They will ·reject [despise] me and break my ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty]. 21 Then when many troubles and terrible things happen to them, this song will testify against them, because the song will not be forgotten by their ·descendants [L seed]. I know what they ·plan [incline; Gen. 6:5; 8:21] to do, even before I take them into the land I ·promised [swore to] them.” 22 So Moses wrote down the song that day, and he taught it to the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel].
23 Then the Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and ·brave [courageous; Josh. 1:6–9], because you will lead the people of Israel to the land I promised them, and I will be with you [Ex. 3:12].”
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Deuteronomy 31:14-23
Amplified Bible
Israel Will Fall Away
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. 15 Then the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood beside the doorway of the tent. 16 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down [in death] with your fathers; and this people will arise and [a]play the prostitute (commit apostasy) with the foreign gods [of the people] of the land, where they go to be among them. They will abandon (turn away from) Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger will be kindled and burn against them in that day, and I will abandon (turn away from) them and hide My face from them. They will be devoured, and many evils and troubles will come on them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come on us?’ 18 But I will certainly hide My face [from them] in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods [to worship lifeless idols, to honor handmade relics].
19 “Now then, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it in their mouth, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 For when I bring them into the land which I have sworn to their fathers, a land [of plenty] [b]flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise and reject Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this [sacred] song will confront them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants. For I know their inclination which is developing even now, before I bring them into the land which I have sworn to give them.” 22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.(A)
Joshua Is Commissioned
23 Then He commanded and commissioned Joshua, the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land which I have sworn to give them, and I will be with you.”
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- Deuteronomy 31:16 I.e. abandon the true God for worthless idols.
- Deuteronomy 31:20 This phrase referred to the abundant fertility of the land of Canaan. Milk (typically that of goats and sheep) was associated with abundance; “honey” referred mainly to syrups made from dates or grapes and was the epitome of sweetness. Bees’ honey was very rare and was considered the choicest of foods.
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