Deuteronomy 31:14–23

Israel’s Rebellion Predicted

¹⁴The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your death^k is near. Call Joshua^l and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.^m” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.ⁿ

¹⁵Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.^{o 16}And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,^p and these people will soon prostitute^q themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake^r me and break the covenant I made with them. ¹⁷And in that day I will become angry^s with them and forsake^t them; I will hide^u my face^v from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters^w and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’^{x 18}And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.

¹⁹“Now write^y down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness^z for me against them. ²⁰When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors,^a and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods^b and worship them,^c rejecting me and breaking my covenant.^{d 21}And when many disasters and calamities come on them,^e this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do,^f even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” ²²So Moses wrote^g down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

²³The Lord gave this command^h to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous,ⁱ for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”