Deuteronomy 31:6-24

New International Version

⁶ Be strong and courageous.^(A) Do not be afraid or terrified^(B) because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;^(C) he will never leave you^(D) nor forsake^(E) you.”

⁷ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said^(F) 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,^(G) and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. ⁸ The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;^(H) he will never leave you nor forsake you.^(I) Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Public Reading of the Law

⁹ So Moses wrote^(J) down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried^(K) 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,^(L) during the Festival of Tabernacles,^{(M) 11} when all Israel comes to appear^(N) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,^(O) you shall read this law^(P) 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 learn^(Q) to fear^(R) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. ¹³ Their children,^(S) 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 death^(T) is near. Call Joshua^(U) and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.^(V)” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.^(W)

¹⁵ Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.^{(X) 16} And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,^(Y) and these people will soon prostitute^(Z) themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake^(AA) me and break the covenant I made with them. ¹⁷ And in that day I will become angry^(AB) with them and forsake^(AC) them; I will hide^(AD) my face^(AE) from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters^(AF) 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?’^{(AG) 18} And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.

¹⁹ “Now write^(AH) down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness^(AI) 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,^(AJ) and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods^(AK) and worship them,^(AL) rejecting me and breaking my covenant.^{(AM) 21} And when many disasters and calamities come on them,^(AN) this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do,^(AO) even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” ²² So Moses wrote^(AP) down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

²³ The Lord gave this command^(AQ) to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous,^(AR) 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 writing^(AS) in a book the words of this law^(AT) from beginning to end,