立約書亞做摩西的接班人

31 摩西繼續對以色列人說: 「我已經一百二十歲了,無法再繼續帶領你們,耶和華曾說我不得過約旦河。 你們的上帝耶和華要親自帶領你們過河,在你們面前消滅那裡的各族,使你們佔領他們的土地。約書亞將做你們的首領,正如耶和華所言。 耶和華要毀滅那裡的各族,像毀滅亞摩利二王西宏和噩及其國家一樣。 耶和華要把他們交給你們,你們要照我的一切吩咐處置他們。 你們要剛強勇敢,不要怕他們,因為你們的上帝耶和華與你們同在,祂不會撇下你們,也不會離棄你們。」

摩西把約書亞叫來,當著全體以色列人的面對他說:「你要剛強勇敢!因為你要帶領百姓進入耶和華起誓賜給他們祖先的土地,把土地分給他們。 耶和華必帶領你,與你同在。祂不會撇下你,也不會離棄你。不要害怕,也不要沮喪。」

每七年當眾宣讀律法一次

摩西把這律法寫好,交給抬耶和華約櫃的利未祭司和以色列的眾長老。 10 摩西吩咐他們說:「每逢免除債務的第七年的住棚節, 11 所有以色列人到你們的上帝耶和華選定的地方朝見祂時,你們要當眾大聲宣讀這律法。 12 要招聚所有男女、孩童以及住在你們中間的外族人,讓他們聆聽這律法,學習敬畏你們的上帝耶和華,謹遵律法上的一切話。 13 這樣,他們那些還不知道這律法的孩子便有機會聽到律法,在你們將要佔領的約旦河對岸的土地上,學習終生敬畏你們的上帝耶和華。」

上帝對摩西和約書亞的指示

14 耶和華對摩西說:「你快要離世了。叫約書亞與你一起到會幕,我要委派他。」摩西和約書亞就去了會幕。 15 有雲柱停在會幕入口的上方,耶和華在雲柱中向他們顯現。

16 耶和華對摩西說:「你快要與祖先同眠了。這些百姓將很快在要佔領的土地上與外族人的神明苟合,背棄我,違背我與他們所立的約。 17 那時,我要向他們發怒,離棄他們,掩面不理他們。他們將被吞滅,遭遇許多禍患和災難,以致他們會說,『這些禍患臨到我們豈不是因為上帝不在我們中間了嗎?』 18 那時,我必掩面不理他們,因為他們祭拜別的神明,行為邪惡。

19 「現在,你要寫一首歌,教導以色列人,讓他們背誦,作為我指控他們的證據。 20 因為當我把他們帶到我起誓應許他們祖先的奶蜜之鄉後,當他們在那裡吃飽喝足後,就會嫌棄我,違背我與他們所立的約,去供奉別的神明。 21 當許多禍患和災難臨到他們的時候,這首歌就要成為指控他們的證據,因為這首歌要在他們的子孫中世代流傳。雖然我還沒有帶領他們進入我起誓應許之地,我已經知道他們的心思意念。」 22 當天,摩西就寫下這首歌,傳授給以色列人。

23 耶和華囑咐嫩的兒子約書亞:「你要剛強勇敢,因為你要帶領以色列人進入我起誓應許他們的土地,我必與你同在。」

24 摩西把這律法都寫在書上以後, 25 就吩咐抬耶和華約櫃的利未人: 26 「把這律法書放在你們的上帝耶和華的約櫃旁,作為指控你們的證據。 27 我知道你們悖逆、頑固不化,我還活在你們中間的時候,你們尚且背叛上帝,何況我死後呢? 28 把你們各支派的長老和首領招聚來,我要把這些話告訴他們,叫天地作證來指控他們。 29 我知道,我死後你們會徹底墮落,偏離我吩咐你們行的道,做耶和華視為惡的事,惹祂發怒,將來禍患必臨到你們。」

30 然後,摩西把這首詩歌讀給以色列全體會眾聽。

31 And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.

And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said.

And the Lord shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.

And the Lord shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel.

10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

11 When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

12 Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

13 And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

15 And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

16 And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

18 And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

19 Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

20 For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

21 And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

22 Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.

23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.

24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,

25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,

26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?

28 Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.

29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

30 And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.