Deuteronomy 31:14–23

Israel Will Fall Away

¹⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, ^1athe time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” ^bSo Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.

^15aThe 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, ^ayou are about to lie down with your fathers; and ^bthis people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and ^cwill forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

¹⁷“^aThen My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and ^bI will forsake them and ^chide 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, ‘^dIs it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’

¹⁸“But 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, ^awrite this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it ¹on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.

²⁰“^aFor 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 ^bbecome ¹prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant.

²¹“Then it shall come about, ^awhen 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 ¹lips of their descendants); for ^bI know their intent which they are ²developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.”

^22aSo Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

Joshua Is Commissioned

^23aThen He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “^bBe strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and ^cI will be with you.”