Deuteronomy 31:1 - Prayer Tents

Joshua Becomes Moses’ Successor

31Moses continued speaking to the people of Israel,H4872H3212H1696H1697H3478

2and said, "I am now a hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to be your leader. And besides this, the LORD has told me that I will not cross the Jordan.H559H3967H6242H8141H1121H3117H3201H3318H935H3068H559H5674H3383

3The LORD your God himself will go before you and destroy the nations living there, so that you can occupy their land; and Joshua will be your leader, as the LORD has said.H3068H430H5674H6440H8045H1471H6440H3423H3091H5674H6440H3068H1696

4The LORD will destroy those people, just as he defeated Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and destroyed their country.H3068H6213H6213H5511H5747H4428H567H776H8045

5The LORD will give you victory over them, and you are to treat them exactly as I have told you.H3068H5414H6440H6213H4687H6680

6Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the LORD himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you."H2388H553H3372H6206H6440H3068H430H1980H7503H5800

7Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all the people of Israel, "Be determined and confident; you are the one who will lead these people to occupy the land that the LORD promised to their ancestors.H4872H7121H3091H559H5869H3478H2388H553H935H5971H776H3068H7650H1H5414H5157

8The LORD himself will lead you and be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you, so do not lose courage or be afraid."H3068H1980H6440H7503H5800H3372H2865

The Law Is to Be Read Every Seven Years

9So Moses wrote down God's Law and gave it to the levitical priests, who were in charge of the LORD's Covenant Box, and to the leaders of Israel.H4872H3789H8451H5414H3548H1121H3878H5375H727H1285H3068H2205H3478

10He commanded them, "At the end of every seven years, when the year that debts are canceled comes around, read this aloud at the Festival of Shelters.H4872H6680H559H7093H7651H8141H4150H8141H8059H2282H5521

11Read it to the people of Israel when they come to worship the LORD your God at the one place of worship.H3478H935H7200H6440H3068H430H4725H977H7121H8451H3478H241

12Call together all the men, women, and children, and the foreigners who live in your towns, so that everyone may hear it and learn to honor the LORD your God and to obey his teachings faithfully.H6950H5971H6950H582H802H2945H1616H8179H8085H3925H3372H3068H430H8104H6213H1697H8451

13In this way your descendants who have never heard the Law of the LORD your God will hear it. And so they will learn to obey him as long as they live in the land that you are about to occupy across the Jordan."H1121H3045H8085H3925H3372H3068H430H3117H2416H127H5674H3383H3423

The Lord’s Last Instructions to Moses

14Then the LORD said to Moses, "You do not have much longer to live. Call Joshua and bring him to the Tent, so that I may give him his instructions." Moses and Joshua went to the Tent,H3068H559H4872H3117H7126H4191H7121H3091H3320H168H4150H6680H4872H3091H3212H3320H168H4150

15and the LORD appeared to them there in a pillar of cloud that stood by the door of the Tent.H3068H7200H168H5982H6051H5982H6051H5975H6607H168

16The LORD said to Moses, "You will soon die, and after your death the people will become unfaithful to me and break the covenant that I made with them. They will abandon me and worship the pagan gods of the land they are about to enter.H3068H559H4872H7901H1H5971H6965H2181H310H430H5236H776H935H7130H5800H6565H1285H3772

17When that happens, I will become angry with them; I will abandon them, and they will be destroyed. Many terrible disasters will come upon them, and then they will realize that these things are happening to them because I, their God, am no longer with them.H639H2734H3117H5800H5641H6440H398H7227H7451H6869H4672H559H3117H7451H4672H430H7130

18And I will refuse to help them then, because they have done evil and worshiped other gods.H5641H5641H6440H3117H7451H6213H3588H6437H312H430

19"Now, write down this song. Teach it to the people of Israel, so that it will stand as evidence against them.H3789H7892H3925H1121H3478H7760H6310H7892H5707H1121H3478

20I will take them into this rich and fertile land, as I promised their ancestors. There they will have all the food they want, and they will live comfortably. But they will turn away and worship other gods. They will reject me and break my covenant,H935H127H7650H1H2100H2461H1706H398H7646H1878H6437H312H430H5647H5006H6565H1285

21and many terrible disasters will come on them. But this song will still be sung, and it will stand as evidence against them. Even now, before I take them into the land that I promised to give them, I know what they are thinking."H7227H7451H6869H4672H7892H6030H6440H5707H7911H6310H2233H3045H3336H6213H3117H935H776H7650

22That same day Moses wrote down the song and taught it to the people of Israel.H4872H3789H7892H3117H3925H1121H3478

23Then the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun and told him, "Be confident and determined. You will lead the people of Israel into the land that I promised them, and I will be with you."H3091H1121H5126H6680H559H2388H553H935H1121H3478H776H7650

24Moses wrote God's Law in a book, taking care not to leave out anything.H4872H3615H3789H1697H8451H5612H8552

25When he finished, he said to the levitical priests, who were in charge of the LORD's Covenant Box,H4872H6680H3881H5375H727H1285H3068H559

26"Take this book of God's Law and place it beside the Covenant Box of the LORD your God, so that it will remain there as a witness against his people.H3947H5612H8451H7760H6654H727H1285H3068H430H5707

27I know how stubborn and rebellious they are. They have rebelled against the LORD during my lifetime, and they will rebel even more after I am dead.H3045H4805H7186H6203H2416H3117H4784H3068H310H4194

28Assemble all your tribal leaders and officials before me, so that I can tell them these things; I will call heaven and earth to be my witnesses against them.H6950H2205H7626H7860H1696H1697H241H5749H8064H776H5749

29I know that after my death the people will become wicked and reject what I have taught them. And in time to come they will meet with disaster, because they will have made the LORD angry by doing what he has forbidden."H3045H310H4194H7843H7843H5493H1870H6680H7451H7122H319H3117H6213H7451H5869H3068H3707H4639H3027

The Song of Moses

30Then Moses recited the entire song while all the people of Israel listened.H4872H1696H241H6951H3478H1697H7892H8552