Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close CEB

Deuteronomy 31
Common English Bible

Moses announces his death

31 Then Moses said[a] these words to all Israel, 2 telling them:

I’m 120 years old today. I can’t move around well anymore. Plus, the Lord told me “You won’t cross the Jordan River.” 3 But the Lord your God, he’s the one who will cross over before you! He’s the one who will destroy these nations before you so you can displace them. Joshua too will cross over before you just like the Lord indicated. 4 The Lord will do to these enemies the same thing he did to the Amorite kings Sihon and Og, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 The Lord will lay them out before you, and you will do to them exactly what the command I’ve given you dictates. 6 Be strong! Be fearless! Don’t be afraid and don’t be scared by your enemies, because the Lord your God is the one who marches with you. He won’t let you down, and he won’t abandon you.

7 Then Moses called Joshua and, with all Israel watching, said to him: “Be strong and fearless because you are the one who will lead[b] this people to the land the Lord swore to their ancestors to give to them; you are the one who will divide up the land for them. 8 But the Lord is the one who is marching before you! He is the one who will be with you! He won’t let you down. He won’t abandon you. So don’t be afraid or scared!”

Regular reading of the Instruction

9 Then Moses wrote this Instruction down and gave it to the priests—the Levites who carry the chest containing the Lord’s covenant—and to all of the Israelite elders. 10 Moses then commanded them:

At the end of seven years, at the appointed time in the year of debt cancellation, during the Festival of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the location he selects, you must read this Instruction aloud, in the hearing of all the people. 12 Gather everyone—men, women, children, and the immigrants who live in your cities—in order that they hear it, learn it, and revere the Lord your God, carefully doing all the words of this Instruction, 13 and so that their children, who don’t yet know the Instruction, may hear it and learn to revere the Lord your God for as long as you live on the ground you are crossing the Jordan River to possess.

Joshua commissioned

14 Then the Lord said to Moses: “It’s almost time for you to die. Summon Joshua. The two of you must present yourselves at the meeting tent so I can command him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the meeting tent. 15 The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud; the cloud pillar stood at the tent’s entrance. 16 The Lord then said to Moses:

“Soon you will rest with your ancestors, and the people will rise up and act unfaithfully, going after strange gods of the land they are entering. They will abandon me, breaking my covenant that I made with them. 17 At that point my anger will burn against them, and I’ll be the one who abandons them! I’ll hide my face from them. They will become nothing but food for their enemies,[c] and all sorts of bad things and misfortunes will happen to them. Then they will say: ‘Haven’t these terrible things happened to us because our God is no longer with us?’ 18 But I will hide my face at that time because of the many wrong things they have done, because they have turned to other gods! 19 So in light of all that, you must write down this poem and teach it to the Israelites. Put it in their mouths so that the poem becomes a witness for me against them. 20 When I bring the Israelites to the land I swore to their ancestors, which is full of milk and honey, and they eat, get full, then fat, and then turn toward other gods, serving them and disrespecting me and breaking my covenant, 21 then, when all kinds of bad things and misfortunes happen to them, this poem will witness against them, giving its testimony, because it won’t be lost from the mouths of their descendants. Yes, I know right now what they are inclined to do, even before I’ve brought them into the land I swore.”

22 So Moses wrote this poem down that very day, and he taught it to the Israelites.

23 Then the Lord commissioned Joshua, Nun’s son: “Be strong and fearless because you are the one who will bring the Israelites to the land I swore to them. I myself will be with you.”

Life after Moses

24 Once Moses had finished writing in their entirety all the words of this Instruction scroll, 25 he commanded the Levites who carry the chest containing the Lord’s covenant as follows:

26 “Take this Instruction scroll and put it next to the chest containing the Lord your God’s covenant. It must remain there as a witness against you 27 because I know how rebellious and hardheaded you are. If you are this rebellious toward the Lord while I’m still alive, it’s bound to get worse once I’m dead! 28 Assemble all of your tribes’ elders and your officials in front of me, so I can speak these words in their hearing, and so I can call heaven and earth as my witnesses against them, 29 because I know that after I’m dead, you will ruin everything, departing from the path I’ve commanded you. Terrible things will happen to you in the future because you will do evil in the Lord’s eyes, aggravating him with the things your hands have made.”

The poem of Instruction

30 Then Moses recited in their entirety the words of this poem in the hearing of the entire assembly of Israel:

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:1 LXX, DSS (1QDeutb) When Moses had finished speaking
  2. Deuteronomy 31:7 Sam, Vulg, Syr; MT, Tg accompany
  3. Deuteronomy 31:17 Heb lacks for their enemies.
Close NET

Deuteronomy 31
New English Translation

Succession of Moses by Joshua

31 Then Moses went[a] and spoke these words[b] to all Israel. 2 He said to them, “Today I am 120 years old. I am no longer able to get about,[c] and the Lord has said to me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan.’ 3 As for the Lord your God, he is about to cross over before you; he will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. As for Joshua, he is about to cross before you just as the Lord has said. 4 The Lord will do to them just what he did to Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, and to their land, which he destroyed. 5 The Lord will deliver them over to you, and you will do to them according to the whole commandment I have given you. 6 Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!” 7 Then Moses called out to Joshua[d] in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the Lord promised to give their ancestors,[e] and you will enable them to inherit it. 8 The Lord is indeed going before you—he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”

The Deposit of the Covenant Text

9 Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all Israel’s elders. 10 He[f] commanded them: “At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the cancellation of debts,[g] at the Feast of Shelters,[h] 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place he chooses, you must read this law before them[i] within their hearing. 12 Gather the people—men, women, and children, as well as the resident foreigners[j] in your villages—so they may hear and thus learn about and fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the words of this law. 13 Then their children, who have not known this law,[k] will also hear about and learn to fear the Lord your God for as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

The Commissioning of Joshua

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The day of your death is near. Summon Joshua and present yourselves in the tent[l] of meeting[m] so that I can commission him.”[n] So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud that[o] stood above the door of the tent. 16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You are about to die,[p] and then these people will begin to prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land into which they[q] are going. They[r] will reject[s] me and break my covenant that I have made with them.[t] 17 At that time[u] my anger will erupt against them,[v] and I will abandon them and hide my face from them until they are devoured. Many disasters and distresses will overcome[w] them[x] so that they[y] will say at that time, ‘Have not these disasters[z] overcome us[aa] because our[ab] God is not among us[ac] ?’ 18 But I will certainly[ad] hide myself at that time because of all the wickedness they[ae] will have done by turning to other gods. 19 Now write down for yourselves the following song and teach it to the Israelites. Put it into their very mouths so that this song may serve as my witness against the Israelites! 20 For after I have brought them[af] to the land I promised to their[ag] ancestors—one flowing with milk and honey—and they[ah] eat their fill[ai] and become fat, then they[aj] will turn to other gods and worship them; they will reject me and break my covenant. 21 Then when[ak] many disasters and distresses overcome them[al] this song will testify against them,[am] for their[an] descendants will not forget it.[ao] I know the[ap] intentions they have in mind[aq] today, even before I bring them[ar] to the land I have promised.” 22 So on that day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites, 23 and the Lord[as] commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will take the Israelites to the land I have promised them, and I will be with you.”[at]

Anticipation of Disobedience

24 When Moses finished writing on a scroll the words of this law in their entirety, 25 he[au] commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, 26 “Take this scroll of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. It will remain there as a witness against you, 27 for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness.[av] Indeed, even while I have been living among you to this very day, you have rebelled against the Lord; you will be even more rebellious after my death![aw] 28 Gather to me all your tribal elders and officials so I can speak to them directly about these things and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after I die you will totally[ax] corrupt yourselves and turn away from the path I have commanded you to walk. Disaster will confront you in future days because you will act wickedly[ay] before the Lord, inciting him to anger because of your actions.”[az] 30 Then Moses recited the words of this song from start to finish in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 31:1 tc For the MT reading וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh, “he went”), the LXX and Qumran have וַיְכַל (vayekhal, “he finished”): “So Moses finished speaking,” etc. The difficult reading of the MT favors its authenticity.
  2. Deuteronomy 31:1 tn In the MT this refers to the words that follow (cf. NIV, NCV).
  3. Deuteronomy 31:2 tn Or “am no longer able to lead you” (NIV, NLT); Heb “am no longer able to go out and come in.”
  4. Deuteronomy 31:7 tn The Hebrew text includes “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  5. Deuteronomy 31:7 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 20).
  6. Deuteronomy 31:10 tn Heb “Moses.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  7. Deuteronomy 31:10 tn The Hebrew term שְׁמִטָּה (shemittah), a derivative of the verb שָׁמַט (shamat, “to release; to relinquish”), refers to the procedure whereby debts of all fellow Israelites were to be canceled. Since the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated God’s own deliverance of and provision for his people, this was an appropriate time for Israelites to release one another. See note on this word at Deut 15:1.
  8. Deuteronomy 31:10 tn The Hebrew phrase חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת (khag hassukkot, “festival of huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. See note on the name of the festival in Deut 16:13.sn For the regulations on this annual festival see Deut 16:13-15.
  9. Deuteronomy 31:11 tn Heb “before all Israel.”
  10. Deuteronomy 31:12 sn The ger (גֵּר) “foreign resident” or “naturalized citizen,” (see Exod 12:19 and Deut 29:10-13) could make sacrifices (Lev 17:8; 22:18; Num 15:14) and participate in Israel’s religious festivals: Passover Exod 12:48; Day of Atonement Lev 16:29; Feast of Weeks Deut 16:10-14; Feast of Tabernacles/Temporary Shelters Deut 31:12.
  11. Deuteronomy 31:13 tn The phrase “this law” is not in the Hebrew text, but English style requires an object for the verb here. Other translations also supply the object which is otherwise implicit (cf. NIV “who do not know this law”; TEV “who have never heard the Law of the Lord your God”).
  12. Deuteronomy 31:14 tc The LXX reads “by the door of the tent” in line with v. 10 but also, perhaps, as a reflection of its tendency to avoid over-familiarity with Yahweh and his transcendence.
  13. Deuteronomy 31:14 tn Heb “tent of assembly” (מוֹעֵד אֹהֶל, ʾohel moʿed); this is not always the same as the tabernacle, which is usually called מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling-place”), a reference to its being invested with God’s presence. The “tent of meeting” was erected earlier than the tabernacle and was the place where Yahweh occasionally appeared, especially to Moses (cf. Exod 18:7-16; 33:7-11; Num 11:16, 24, 26; 12:4).
  14. Deuteronomy 31:14 tn Heb “I will command him.”
  15. Deuteronomy 31:15 tn Heb “and the pillar of cloud.” This phrase was not repeated in the translation; a relative clause was used instead.
  16. Deuteronomy 31:16 tn Heb “lie down with your fathers” (so NASB); NRSV “ancestors.”
  17. Deuteronomy 31:16 tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they,” which is necessary in any case in the translation because of contemporary English style. The third person singular also occurs in the Hebrew text twice more in this verse, three times in v. 17, once in v. 18, five times in v. 20, and four times in v. 21. Each time it is translated as third person plural for stylistic reasons.
  18. Deuteronomy 31:16 tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  19. Deuteronomy 31:16 tn Or “abandon” (TEV, NLT).
  20. Deuteronomy 31:16 tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  21. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “on that day.” This same expression also appears later in the verse and in v. 18.
  22. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  23. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “find,” “encounter.”
  24. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  25. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  26. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “evils.”
  27. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “me.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “us,” which is necessary in any case in the translation because of contemporary English style.
  28. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “my.”
  29. Deuteronomy 31:17 tn Heb “me.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “us,” which is necessary in any case in the translation because of contemporary English style.
  30. Deuteronomy 31:18 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “certainly.”
  31. Deuteronomy 31:18 tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  32. Deuteronomy 31:20 tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  33. Deuteronomy 31:20 tn Heb “his.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “their.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  34. Deuteronomy 31:20 tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  35. Deuteronomy 31:20 tn Heb “and are satisfied.”
  36. Deuteronomy 31:20 tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  37. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “Then it will come to pass that.”
  38. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  39. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  40. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “his.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “their.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  41. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “it will not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed.”
  42. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “his.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “their.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  43. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “which he is doing.”
  44. Deuteronomy 31:21 tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.
  45. Deuteronomy 31:23 tn Heb “he.” Since the pronoun could be taken to refer to Moses, the referent has been specified as “the Lord” in the translation for clarity. See also the note on the word “you” later in this verse.
  46. Deuteronomy 31:23 tc The LXX reads, “as the Lord promised them, and he will be with you.” This relieves the problem of Moses apparently promising to be with Joshua as the MT reads on the surface (“I will be with you”). However, the reading of the LXX is clearly an attempt to clarify an existing obscurity and therefore is unlikely to reflect the original.
  47. Deuteronomy 31:25 tn Heb “Moses.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  48. Deuteronomy 31:27 tn Heb “stiffness of neck” (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV). See note on the word “stubborn” in Deut 9:6.
  49. Deuteronomy 31:27 tn Heb “How much more after my death?” The Hebrew text has a sarcastic rhetorical question here; the translation seeks to bring out the force of the question.
  50. Deuteronomy 31:29 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “totally.”
  51. Deuteronomy 31:29 tn Heb “do the evil.”
  52. Deuteronomy 31:29 tn Heb “the work of your hands.”
Next
Deuteronomy 30
Deuteronomy 32
Next
dropdown
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.