Deuteronomy 31:7-23

7Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “1Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance. 8And 2the Lord is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. 3He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.”

9So Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi 4who 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 5the year of the release of debts, at the 6Feast of Booths, 11when all Israel comes 7to appear before the Lord your God at 8the place which He will choose, 9you shall read this Law before all Israel 10so that they hear it. 12Assemble the people, the men, the women, the children, and the stranger who is in your 11town, so that they may hear and 12learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to 13follow all the words of this Law. 13And their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land 14which you are about to cross the Jordan to 15possess.”

14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, 1617the time for you to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, and I will commission him.” 18So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 1519And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance of the tent. 16The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, 20you are about to 21lie down with your fathers; and 22this people will arise and play the prostitute with the foreign gods of the land into the midst of which they are going, and 23they will abandon Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 1724Then My anger will be kindled against them on that day, and 25I will abandon them and 26hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will find them; so they will say on that day, ‘27Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have found us?’ 18But I will assuredly hide My face on that day because of all the evil that they will have done, for they will have turned away to other gods.

19“Now then, 28write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it 29on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 2030For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and 31become 32prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21Then it will come about, 33when many evils and troubles find them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of their 34descendants); for 35I know their inclination which they are 36developing today, before I bring them into the land which I swore.” 2237So Moses wrote down this song on the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

2338Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “39Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and 40I will be with you.”