Joshua the New Leader of Israel
1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
2 And he said to them: “Iamone hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longergo out and come in. Also theLordhas said to me,‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’
3 TheLordyour GodHimself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them.Joshua himself crosses over before you, justas theLordhas said.
4 And theLordwill do to themas He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them.
5 TheLordwill give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you.
6 Be strong and of good courage,do not fear nor be afraid of them; for theLordyour God,Heisthe One who goes with you.He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel,“Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which theLordhas sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.
8 And theLord,Heisthe One who goes before you.He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
The Law to Be Read Every Seven Years
9 So Moses wrote this lawand delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi,who bore the ark of the covenant of theLord, and to all the elders of Israel.
10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end ofeveryseven years, at the appointed time in theyear of release,at the Feast of Tabernacles,
11 when all Israel comes toappear before theLordyour God in theplace which He chooses,you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
12 Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger whoiswithin your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear theLordyour God and carefully observe all the words of this law,
13 andthattheir children,who have not known it,may hear and learn to fear theLordyour God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
Prediction of Israel’s Rebellion
14 Then theLordsaid to Moses,“Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, thatI may inaugurate him.”
So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting.
15 NowtheLordappeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle.
16 And theLordsaid to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people willrise andplay the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they gotobeamong them, and they willforsake Me andbreak My covenant which I have made with them.
17 Then My anger shall bearoused against them in that day, andI will forsake them, and I willhide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day,‘Have not these evils come upon us because our Godisnot among us?’
18 AndI will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.
19 “Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may bea witness for Me against the children of Israel.
20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselvesand grown fat,then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant.
21 Then it shall be,when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, forI know the inclinationof their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I sworetogivethem.”
22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said,“Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”
24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished,
25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of theLord, saying:
26 “Take this Book of the Law,and put it beside the ark of the covenant of theLordyour God, that it may be thereas a witness against you;
27 for I know your rebellion and yourstiff neck.Iftoday, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against theLord, then 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 hearingand call heaven and earth to witness against them.
29 For I know that after my death you willbecome utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. Andevil will befall youin the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of theLord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”
The Song of Moses
30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were ended: