The Law to Be Read Every Seven Years

9 So Moses wrote this law qand delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, rwho bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the syear of release, tat the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to uappear before the Lord your God in the vplace which He chooses, wyou shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 xGather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, ywho have not known it, zmay hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”

Prediction of Israel’s Rebellion

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, a“Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that bI may 1inaugurate him.”

So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting. 15 Now cthe Lord appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle.

16 And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, you will 2rest with your fathers; and this people will drise and eplay the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will fforsake Me and gbreak My covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger shall be haroused against them in that day, and iI will forsake them, and I will jhide My face from them, and they shall be 3devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, k‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is lnot among us?’ 18 And mI 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 be na 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 themselves oand grown fat, pthen they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall be, qwhen 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, for rI know the inclination sof their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”

22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. 23 tThen He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, u“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 the Lord, saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, vand put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there was a witness against you; 27 xfor I know your rebellion and your ystiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord, then how much more after my death?