Joshua to Succeed Moses

31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years oldi and I am no longer able to lead you.j The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’k 3 The Lord your God himself will crossl over ahead of you.m He will destroy these nationsn before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will crosso over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og,p the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The Lord will deliverq them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous.r Do not be afraid or terrifieds because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;t he will never leave youu nor forsakev you.”

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and saidw to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them,x and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;y he will never leave you nor forsake you.z Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Public Reading of the Law

9 So Moses wrotea down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carriedb the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts,c during the Festival of Tabernacles,d 11 when all Israel comes to appeare before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,f you shall read this lawg before them in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learnh to feari the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children,j who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Israel’s Rebellion Predicted

14 The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your deathk is near. Call Joshual 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

15 Then 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 prostituteq themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsaker me and break the covenant I made with them. 17 And in that day I will become angrys with them and forsaket them; I will hideu my facev from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disastersw 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 writey down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witnessz for me against them. 20 When 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 godsb 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.” 22 So Moses wroteg down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

23 The Lord gave this commandh 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.”

24 After Moses finished writingj in a book the words of this lawk from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carriedl the ark of the covenant of the Lord: 26 “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.m 27 For I know how rebelliousn and stiff-neckedo you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! 28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them.p 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corruptq and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disasterr will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.”

The Song of Moses

30 And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel: