Deuteronomy 31

1 Once Moses had finished giving these instructions to all the Israelites,

Moses [Drawn out] went and spoke these words to all Israel [God prevails].

2 he told them, I'm now a hundred and twenty years old. I can't get around like I used to, and the Lord has told me, “You are not to cross the Jordan.”

He said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Adonai has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan [Descender].’

3 The Lord your God himself is going to lead you across. He will destroy these nations as you advance, and you will take over their land. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the Lord said.

Adonai your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua [Yah Salvation] will go over before you, as Adonai has spoken.

4 The Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and their land when he destroyed them.

Adonai will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], and to their land; whom he destroyed.

5 The Lord will hand them over to you, and you will deal with them exactly as I've told you.

Adonai will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the mitzvot ·instructions· I have enjoined you.

6 Be strong! Be brave! Don't be frightened or terrified of them, because the Lord your God will go with you. He won't ever leave you or abandon you.

Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for Adonai your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”

7 Moses called for Joshua and told him in front of all the Israelites, “Be strong! Be brave! You will accompany this people into the country that the Lord promised to give their forefathers, and you are to allocate it for them to own.

Moses [Drawn out] called to Joshua [Yah Salvation], and said to him in the sight of all Israel [God prevails], “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Adonai has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.

8 The Lord himself goes ahead of you. He will be with you. He won't ever leave you or abandon you. Don't be afraid and don't be discouraged.”

Adonai himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”

9 Moses wrote this law down and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the Israelite elders.

Moses [Drawn out] wrote this Torah ·Teaching·, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi [United with], who bore the ark of Adonai’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel [God prevails].

10 Moses gave them these orders, At the end of every seven years, the year when debts are canceled during the Festival of Shelters,

Moses [Drawn out] enjoined them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the festival of Sukkot ·Booths·,

11 and when all the Israelites comes before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you must read this law in the for everyone to hear.

when all Israel [God prevails] has come to appear before Adonai your God in the place which he will choose, you shall read this Torah ·Teaching· before all Israel [God prevails] in their hearing.

12 Have the people gather together—the men, women, children, and the foreigners living with you—so that they can listen and learn to respect the Lord your God and to carefully observe all the instructions of this law.

Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and the foreigners who are within your gates, that they may sh'ma ·hear obey·, and that they may learn, and fear Adonai your God, and observe to do all the words of this Torah ·Teaching·;

13 Then their children who don't know the law will listen and learn to respect the Lord your God as the whole time you live in the country that you are going to take over after you cross the Jordan.

and that their children, who have not known, may sh'ma ·hear obey·, and learn to fear Adonai your God, as long as you live in the land where you go over the Jordan [Descender] to possess it.”

14 Then the Lord told Moses, “Listen, you are soon going to die. Tell Joshua to meet you, and then both of you are to come and stand before me at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may appoint him as leader.” Moses and Joshua went to stand before the Lord at the Tent of Meeting.

Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua [Yah Salvation], and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may enjoin him.” Moses [Drawn out] and Joshua [Yah Salvation] went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

15 The Lord appeared there at the tent in a pillar of cloud. The cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.

Adonai appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the Tent’s door.

16 The Lord told Moses, “You will join your ancestors in death, and these people are going to prostitute themselves by worshiping the foreign gods of the country they are entering. They will abandon me and break the agreement I've made with them.

Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up, and play the prostitute after the strange deities of the land, where they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· which I have made with them.

17 Then I will abandon them and turn away from them, so they will be destroyed, and they will experience many disasters and problems. At that time they'll say, ‘We're suffering these disasters because our God has abandoned us!’

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 come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’

18 Then I will definitely ignore them because of all the evil they have done by worshiping other gods.

I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other deities.

19 So write down this song and teach it to the Israelites. Help them learn to sing it, so it will provide evidence for me against them.

“Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel [God prevails]. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel [God prevails].

20 Once I've led them into the country that I promised to give their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will have plenty to eat and will do well. Then they will go and worship other gods, and they will abandon me and break my agreement.

For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then they will turn to other deities, and abad ·serve· them, and despise me, and break my covenant.

21 Once they've experienced plenty of trouble and suffering, this song will testify against them, because their descendants won't forget the words. I know what they're like, even before I lead them into the country that I promised to give them.”

It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.”

22 Right then Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites.

So Moses [Drawn out] wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel [God prevails].

23 Then the Lord appointed Joshua son of Nun as leader, and told him, “Be strong! Be brave! For you are going to lead the Israelites into the country that I promised to give them, and I will be with you.”

He enjoined Joshua [Yah Salvation] the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel [God prevails] into the land which I swore to them. I will be with you.”

24 After Moses had finished writing down this Law in a book from start to finish,

When Moses [Drawn out] had finished writing the words of this Torah ·Teaching· in a book, until they were finished,

25 he ordered the Levites who carried the Ark of the Lord's Agreement:

Moses [Drawn out] enjoined the Levites [Descendants of United with], who bore the ark of Adonai’s covenant, saying,

26 “Place this book of the Law beside the Ark of the Lord your God's Agreement, so that it will be kept there as a evidence against you.

“Take this book of the Torah ·Teaching·, and put it by the side of the ark of Adonai’s covenant your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.

27 I know how stubborn and rebellious you are. If you've already started rebelling against the Lord while I'm still alive, how much worse will you get after I die?

For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck. Behold, while I am yet alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Adonai. How much more after my death?

28 Summon all the elders of your tribes and all your officers to gather here before me so that I can tell them this directly and call on heaven and earth as witnesses against them.

Assemble to 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 witness against them.

29 I know that after my death you will become completely immoral, leaving the path I have ordered you to follow. In the future, evil things will happen to you because of the evil sins you commit in the sight of the Lord, making him angry by what you do.”

For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have enjoined you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days; because you will do what Adonai sees as evil and provoke him to anger by your deeds.”

30 Then Moses recited all the words of this song as the Israelites listened.

Moses [Drawn out] spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel [God prevails] the words of this song, until they were finished.