THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

 

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

1 ¶ Then Moses continued, and spoke these words to all Israel.

2 Saying, I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I can no longer act as your leader: moreover the LORD has said to me, You shall not cross over the Jordan.

3 The LORD your God, will himself go over before you, and he will destroy these nations before you, and you shall possess them: and Joshua, will lead you over, as the LORD has said.

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

5 And the LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you.

6 Be strong and of a good courage, do not fear, or be in dread of them: for it is the LORD your God, who goes with you; he will not fail you, or forsake you.

7 And Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and courageous: for you must go with this people to the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you will cause them to inherit it.

8 And it is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, nor forsake you: do not be afraid, or dismayed.

9 ¶ And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.

10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, during the feast of tabernacles,

11 When all Israel has come to appear before the LORD your God in the place which he shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel as they listen.

12 Assemble the people, men, women, children, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and be watchful to do all the words of this law:

13 And that their children, who have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you cross over the Jordan to possess.

14 ¶ And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, the days are nearing when you must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may commission him. So Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

15 And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

16 And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers; then this people will rise up, and commit spiritual adultery with the gods of the land they are entering, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed, and many evils and troubles will befall them; so that they will say in that day, Have not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they will have done, in turning to other gods.

19 Now therefore write this song, and teach it to the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

20 For when I have brought them into the land which I promised to their fathers, that flows with milk and honey; and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then will they turn to other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

21 And it will come to pass, after many evils and troubles have befallen them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten from the mouths of their descendants: for I know what they are prone to do, even now, before I bring them into the land which I promised.

22 ¶ Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.

23 And the Lord charged Joshua the son of Nun, saying, Be strong and courageous: for you will lead the children of Israel into the land which I promised to them: and I will be with you.

24 And when Moses had finished writing these words of the law in a book, to the very end,

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

26 Take this book of the law, and put it inside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.

27 For I know your rebellion, and your stubbornness: behold, while I am yet alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more after my death?

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

29 For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and will turn aside from the way that I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

30 Then Moses recited the words of this song as the entire congregation of Israel listened, until it was finished.