Chapter 31

And Moses went⁴ and spake¹⁷ these words unto all Israel.

And he said⁴ unto them, I [am] an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can⁴ no more go out² and come in:² also the LORD hath said¹ unto me, Thou shalt not go over⁴ this Jordan.

The LORD thy God, he will go over⁶ before thee, [and] he will destroy⁵⁵ these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess¹ them: [and] Joshua, he shall go over⁶ before thee, as the LORD hath said.¹⁴

And the LORD shall do¹ unto them as he did¹ to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.⁵²

And the LORD shall give them up¹ before your face, that ye may do¹ unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded¹⁴ you.

Be strong³ and of a good courage,³ fear⁴ not, nor be afraid⁴ of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go⁶ with thee; he will not fail⁵⁵ thee, nor forsake⁴ thee.

And Moses called⁴ unto Joshua, and said⁴ unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong³ and of a good courage:³ for thou must go⁴ with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn⁸ unto their fathers to give² them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit⁵⁵ it.

And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go⁶ before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail⁵⁵ thee, neither forsake⁴ thee: fear⁴ not, neither be dismayed.¹¹

And Moses wrote⁴ this law, and delivered⁴ it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare⁶ the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.

And Moses commanded¹⁷ them, saying,² At the end of [every] seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

When all Israel is come² to appear⁹ before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose,⁴ thou shalt read⁴ this law before all Israel in their hearing.

Gather the people together,⁵⁴ men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that [is] within thy gates, that they may hear,⁴ and that they may learn,⁴ and fear¹ the LORD your God, and observe¹ to do² all the words of this law:

And [that] their children, which have not known¹ [any thing], may hear,⁴ and learn¹ to fear² the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over⁶ Jordan to possess² it.

And the LORD said⁴ unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach¹ that thou must die:² call³ Joshua, and present¹⁰⁰ yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge.¹⁷ And Moses and Joshua went,⁴ and presented¹⁰¹ themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

And the LORD appeared¹¹ in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood⁴ over the door of the tabernacle.

And the LORD said⁴ unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep⁶ with thy fathers; and this people will rise up,¹ and go a whoring¹ after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go⁶ [to be] among them, and will forsake¹ me, and break⁵² my covenant which I have made¹ with them.

Then my anger shall be kindled¹ against them in that day, and I will forsake¹ them, and I will hide⁵² my face from them, and they shall be devoured,² and many evils and troubles shall befall¹ them; so that they will say¹ in that day, Are not these evils come upon¹ us, because our God [is] not among us?

And I will surely⁵³ hide⁵⁵ my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought,¹ in that they are turned¹ unto other gods.

Now therefore write³ ye this song for you, and teach¹⁶ it the children of Israel: put³ it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

For when I shall have brought⁵⁵ them into the land which I sware⁸ unto their fathers, that floweth⁶ with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten¹ and filled¹ themselves, and waxen fat;¹ then will they turn¹ unto other gods, and serve¹ them, and provoke¹⁴ me, and break⁵² my covenant.

And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen⁴ them, that this song shall testify¹ against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten¹¹ out of the mouths of their seed: for I know¹ their imagination which they go about,⁶ even now, before I have brought⁵⁵ them into the land which I sware.⁸

Moses therefore wrote⁴ this song the same day, and taught¹⁷ it the children of Israel.

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge,¹⁷ and said,⁴ Be strong³ and of a good courage:³ for thou shalt bring⁵⁵ the children of Israel into the land which I sware⁸ unto them: and I will be with thee.

And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end¹⁵ of writing² the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,²

That Moses commanded¹⁷ the Levites, which bare⁶ the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,²

Take² this book of the law, and put¹ it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

For I know¹ thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious⁵⁶ against the LORD; and how much more after my death?

Gather⁵⁴ unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers,⁶ that I may speak¹⁷ these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record⁵⁵ against them.

For I know¹ that after my death ye will utterly⁵³ corrupt⁵⁵ [yourselves], and turn aside¹ from the way which I have commanded¹⁴ you; and evil will befall¹ you in the latter days; because ye will do⁴ evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger⁵³ through the work of your hands.

And Moses spake¹⁷ in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.²