New American Standard Bible 1995

Deuteronomy 31:9-26

9So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi 1who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of 2the year of remission of debts, at the 3Feast of Booths, 11when all Israel comes 4to appear before the Lord your God at 5the place which He will choose, 6you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and 7the alien who is in your 8town, so that they may hear and 9learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land 10which you are about to cross the Jordan to 11possess.”

14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, 12 13the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” 14So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 15The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent. 16The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, 16you are about to lie down with your fathers; and 17this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and 18will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 19Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and 20I will forsake them and 21hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘22Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ 18But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.

19“Now therefore, 23write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it 24on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 25For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and 26become 27prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21Then it shall come about, 28when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the 29lips of their descendants); for 30I know their intent which they are 31developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” 22 32So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

23 33Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “34Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and 35I will be with you.”

24It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, 25that Moses commanded the Levites 36who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, 26“Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may 37remain there as a witness against you.

Read all of Deuteronomy 31

Notes

1. Deuteronomy 31:9 Num 4:5, 6, 15; Deut 10:8; 31:25, 26; Josh 3:3 ↩
2. Deuteronomy 31:10 Deut 15:1, 2 ↩
3. Deuteronomy 31:10 Lev 23:34; Deut 16:13 ↩
4. Deuteronomy 31:11 Deut 16:16 ↩
5. Deuteronomy 31:11 Deut 12:5 ↩
6. Deuteronomy 31:11 Josh 8:34; 2 Kin 23:2 ↩
7. Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit your alien ↩
8. Deuteronomy 31:12 Lit gates ↩
9. Deuteronomy 31:12 Deut 4:10 ↩
10. Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit where ↩
11. Deuteronomy 31:13 Lit possess it ↩
12. Deuteronomy 31:14 Lit your days to die are ↩
13. Deuteronomy 31:14 Num 27:12, 13; Deut 4:22; 32:50 ↩
14. Deuteronomy 31:14 Ex 33:9-11 ↩
15. Deuteronomy 31:15 Ex 33:9 ↩
16. Deuteronomy 31:16 Gen 15:15 ↩
17. Deuteronomy 31:16 Ex 34:15; Deut 4:25-28; Judg 2:11, 12, 17 ↩
18. Deuteronomy 31:16 Judg 10:6; 1 Kin 18:18; 19:10; Jer 2:13 ↩
19. Deuteronomy 31:17 Judg 2:14; 6:13 ↩
20. Deuteronomy 31:17 2 Chr 15:2; 24:20 ↩
21. Deuteronomy 31:17 Ps 104:29; Is 8:17 ↩
22. Deuteronomy 31:17 Num 14:42 ↩
23. Deuteronomy 31:19 Deut 31:22 ↩
24. Deuteronomy 31:19 Lit in their mouths ↩
25. Deuteronomy 31:20 Deut 6:10-12; 8:10, 19; 11:16, 17 ↩
26. Deuteronomy 31:20 Deut 32:15-17 ↩
27. Deuteronomy 31:20 Lit fat ↩
28. Deuteronomy 31:21 Lev 26:41; Deut 4:30 ↩
29. Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit mouth of its seed ↩
30. Deuteronomy 31:21 1 Chr 28:9; John 2:24, 25 ↩
31. Deuteronomy 31:21 Lit making ↩
32. Deuteronomy 31:22 Deut 31:19 ↩
33. Deuteronomy 31:23 Num 27:23; Deut 31:7 ↩
34. Deuteronomy 31:23 Josh 1:6 ↩
35. Deuteronomy 31:23 Ex 3:12 ↩
36. Deuteronomy 31:25 Deut 31:9 ↩
37. Deuteronomy 31:26 Lit be ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 31