31:1 Then Moses went¹ and spoke these things to all Israel. 31:2 He said to them, Today I am 120 years old. I am no longer able to get about² and the LORD has said to me, you will not cross this Jordan. 31:3 As for the LORD your God, he is about to cross over before you; he will destroy these nations from before you and dispossess them. And Joshua, he is about to cross before you just as the LORD has said. 31:4 The LORD will do to them just what he did to Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, and to their land which he destroyed. 31:5 He³ will deliver them over to you and you will do to them according to the whole commandment I have given you. 31:6 Be strong and bold! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail or desert you. 31:7 Then Moses called out to Joshua⁴ in the presence of all Israel, Be strong and courageous for you will accompany these people to the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them and you will enable them to inherit it. 31:8 And the LORD is indeed⁵ going before you—he will be with you; he will not fail or desert you. Do not fear or be discouraged.

31:9 Then Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the Levitical priests responsible for carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD and to all Israel’s elders. 31:10 He⁶ commanded them, At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the release,⁷ at the Feast of Tabernacles,⁸ 31:11 when all Israel has come to appear before the LORD your God in the place he has chosen, you must read this law before all Israel within their hearing. 31:12 Gather the people—men, women, and children, as well as the alien in your villages—so that they might hear and thus learn about and fear the LORD your God and be careful to do all the things contained in this law, 31:13 and that their children who have not known might also hear about and learn to fear the LORD your God for as long as⁹ you live on the land which you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

31:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Your day of death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent¹⁰ of assembly¹¹ so that I can give him a mandate.”¹² So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tent of assembly. 31:15 The LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud which¹³ stood above the door of the tent. 31:16 And he¹⁴ said to Moses, “You are about to die¹⁵ and then these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land in the middle of which they¹⁶ will have gone; and they¹⁷ will leave me and break my covenant that I have made with them.¹⁸ 31:17 Then my anger will flare up in that day against them¹⁹ and I will leave them and hide myself from them until they are devoured;²⁰ many hurts and distresses will overcome them²¹ so that they²² will say at that time, ‘Is it not because God is not among us²³ that these difficulties²⁴ have overcome us?’²⁵ 31:18 But I will certainly hide myself in that day because of all the wickedness they²⁶ will have done by turning to other gods. 31:19 Now compose for yourselves the following²⁷ song and teach it to the Israelites—put it into their very mouths!—so that this song might serve me as a witness against the Israelites. 31:20 For when I shall have brought them²⁸ to the land that I promised to their²⁹ ancestors—one flowing with milk and honey—and they³⁰ eat and become satisfied and fat, then they³¹ will turn to other gods to worship them and will³² reject me and break my covenant. 31:21 Then it will transpire³³ that when many hurts and distresses overcome them³⁴ this song will become a witness against them,³⁵ for their³⁶ descendants will not forget it;³⁷ I know the³⁸ intentions they have in mind³⁹ today even before I bring them⁴⁰ to the land which I have promised.” 31:22 Moses therefore wrote this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites, 31:23 and he gave a charge to Joshua son of Nun, Be strong and courageous for you will take the Israelites to the land I have promised them, and the LORD⁴¹ will be with you.⁴²

31:24 When Moses finished writing the words of this law in a scroll⁴³ until they were finished, 31:25 he⁴⁴ commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, 31:26 Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God and it will be there as a witness against you, 31:27 for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness.⁴⁵ Indeed, even while I have been alive among you, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more will you be after my death. 31:28 Gather to me all your tribal elders and officials so that I can speak to them directly⁴⁶ of these things and call to witness against them the heavens and the earth. 31:29 For I know that after I die you will totally corrupt yourselves and turn away from the path I have commanded you to walk; disaster will confront you in the days to come because you will do wickedness before the LORD, inciting him to wrath because of your works. 31:30 Thus Moses spoke in the hearing⁴⁷ of the whole assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were finished.