Deuteronomy 31

1Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.

2And he said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in, and Yahweh has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’”

3Yahweh your God himself is crossing over before you. He himself will destroy these nations from before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua himself is crossing over before you, just as Yahweh has spoken.

4And the LORD will do to them just as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.

5And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment that I have commanded you.

6Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be terrified because of them, for Yahweh your God is the one who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.

7Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, because you will go with this people into the land that Yahweh swore to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance.”

8And Yahweh himself is the one going before you. He himself will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

9So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carry the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and to all the elders of Israel.

10And Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time of the year of release, at the Feast of Booths,”

11when all Israel comes to appear before Yahweh your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

12Assemble the people—the men, the women, the little children, and the sojourner within your gates—so that they may hear, and so that they may learn and fear Yahweh your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law.

13And their children, who have not known, shall hear and learn to fear Yahweh your God all the days that you live on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

14And Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days are drawing near for you to die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may command him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.

15And Yahweh appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance of the tent.

16And Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise up and prostitute themselves after the foreign gods of the land into whose midst they are entering. They will forsake me and break my covenant that I made with them.”

17Then my anger will burn against them on that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured, and many evils and troubles will find them. And he will say on that day, ‘Is it not because my God is not among me that these evils have found me?’

18And I myself will surely hide my face on that day because of all the evil that he has done, because he has turned to other gods.

19And now, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for me against the sons of Israel.

20For when I bring him into the land that I swore to his fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, and he eats and is satisfied and grows fat, then he will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn me and break my covenant.

21And when many evils and troubles come upon him, this song will answer before him as a witness, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of his offspring; for I know his inclination, what he is doing today, before I bring him into the land that I swore to give.

22So Moses wrote this song on that day and taught it to the sons of Israel.

23And he commanded Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land that I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

24And when Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were complete,

25Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, saying,

26Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, and let it remain there as a witness against you.

27For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Look, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Yahweh; and how much more after my death!

28Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

29For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I commanded you, and evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do what is evil in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to anger by the work of your hands.

30Then Moses spoke the words of this song in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel, until they were finished.