Deuteronomy 31

Joshua Will Cross before the People

1Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2He said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’ 3The LORD your God himself is crossing before you. He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall possess them. Joshua himself is crossing before you, as the LORD has spoken. 4The LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, whom he destroyed. 5The LORD will give them before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment that I commanded you. 6Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be terrified before them, for the LORD your God is the one going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.”

Moses Commissions Joshua

7Moses called Joshua and said to him before the eyes of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you will cause them to inherit it. 8The LORD himself is the one going before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.”

Read This Instruction Every Seven Years

9Moses wrote this instruction and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 10Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time of the year of release, at the Festival of Booths, 11when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this instruction before all Israel in their hearing. 12Gather the people—the men, women, little children, and the resident alien who is within your gates—so that they may hear, learn, and fear the LORD your God and be careful to do all the words of this instruction. 13Their children who have not known shall hear and learn to fear the LORD your God all the days that you live upon the ground that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

The LORD Appears at the Tent

14The LORD said to Moses, “Look, your days are drawing near to die. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, and I will command him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15The LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

Israel Will Turn to Other Gods

16The LORD said to Moses, “Look, you are about to lie down with your ancestors. Then this people will rise and prostitute themselves after the foreign gods of the land into whose midst they are entering. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I made with them. 17My anger will burn against them on that day, and I will abandon them and hide my face from them. They will become food for destruction, and many evils and distresses will find them. On that day they will say, ‘Is it not because our God is not in our midst that these evils have found us?’ 18But I will surely hide my face on that day because of all the evil that they have done, for they turned to other gods.

Write This Song

19“And now write for yourselves this song and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, so that this song may be for me as a witness against the children of Israel. 20For when I bring them into the ground that I swore to their ancestors, flowing with milk and honey, and they eat and are satisfied and grow fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them and despise me and break my covenant. 21Then, when many evils and distresses find them, this song will answer before them as a witness, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their offspring. For I know the inclination that they are forming today, before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.” 22So Moses wrote this song on that day and taught it to the children of Israel.

Joshua Is Commissioned

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

Put the Book beside the Ark

24When Moses had finished writing the words of this instruction in a book until they were complete, 25Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, 26“Take this book of instruction and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and it shall be 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 the LORD; how much more after my death! 28Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, and I will speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against them. 29For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I commanded you. Evil will meet you in the latter days because you will do what is evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

Moses Speaks the Song

30Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were completed: