Deuteronomy 31 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Be Strong and Courageous

1 So Moses ^H4872 went ^H1980 and spoke ^H1696 these ^H428 words ^H1697 to all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478.

2 And he said ^H559 to them, “I am 120 ^H3967 H6242 years ^H8141 old ^H1121 today ^H3117; I am ^H3201 no ^H3808 longer ^H5750 able ^H3201 to come ^H3318 and go ^H935, and Yahweh ^H3068 has said ^H559 to me, ‘You shall not cross ^H5674 this ^H2088 Jordan ^H3383.’ 3 It is Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 who will cross ^H5674 ahead ^H6440 of you; He will destroy ^H8045 these ^H428 nations ^H1471 before ^H6440 you, and you shall dispossess ^H3423 them. Joshua ^H3091 is the one who will cross ^H5674 ahead ^H6440 of you, just ^H834 as Yahweh ^H3068 has spoken ^H1696. 4 And Yahweh ^H3068 will do ^H6213 to them just ^H834 as He did ^H6213 to Sihon ^H5511 and Og ^H5747, the kings ^H4428 of the Amorites ^H567, and to their land ^H776, when ^H834 He destroyed ^H8045 them. 5 And Yahweh ^H3068 will give ^H5414 them over before ^H6440 you, and you shall do ^H6213 to them according to all ^H3605 the commandments ^H4687 which ^H834 I have commanded ^H6680 you. 6 Be strong ^H2388 and courageous ^H553. Do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 or be ^H6206 in ^H6206 dread ^H6206 of them, for Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 is the one who goes ^H1980 with you. He will not fail ^H7503 you or forsake ^H5800 you.”

7 Then Moses ^H4872 called ^H7121 to Joshua ^H3091 and said ^H559 to him in the sight ^H5869 of all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478, “Be strong ^H2388 and courageous ^H553, for you shall go ^H935 with this ^H2088 people ^H5971 into the land ^H776 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 has sworn ^H7650 to their fathers ^H1 to give ^H5414 them, and you shall give ^H5157 it to them as ^H5157 an ^H5157 inheritance ^H5157. 8 And Yahweh ^H3068 is the one who goes ^H1980 ahead ^H6440 of you; He will be with you. He will not fail ^H7503 you or forsake ^H5800 you. Do not fear ^H3372 or be dismayed ^H2865.”

9 So Moses ^H4872 wrote ^H3789 this ^H2088 law ^H8451 and gave ^H5414 it to the priests ^H3548, the sons ^H1121 of Levi ^H3878 who carried ^H5375 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of Yahweh ^H3068, and to all ^H3605 the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478. 10 Then Moses ^H4872 commanded ^H6680 them, saying ^H559, “At the end ^H7093 of every seven ^H7651 years ^H8141, at the time ^H4150 of the year ^H8141 of the remission ^H8059 of debts, at the Feast ^H2282 of Booths ^H5521, 11 when all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 comes ^H935 to appear ^H7200 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 at the place ^H4725 which ^H834 He will choose ^H977, you shall read ^H7121 this ^H2088 law ^H8451 in ^H7121 front ^H5048 of all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 in their hearing ^H241. 12 Assemble ^H6950 the people ^H5971, the men ^H376 and the women ^H802 and little ^H2945 ones ^H2945 and [fn]the sojourner ^H1616 who ^H834 is within your gates ^H8179, so ^H4616 that they may hear ^H8085 and so ^H4616 that they may learn ^H3925 and fear ^H3372 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 and be ^H8104 careful ^H8104 to do ^H6213 all ^H3605 the words ^H1697 of this ^H2088 law ^H8451. 13 And their children ^H1121, who ^H834 have not known ^H3045, will hear ^H8085 and learn ^H3925 to fear ^H3372 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430, all ^H3605 the days ^H3117 you live ^H2416 on the land ^H127 [fn]which ^H834 you are about to cross ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383 to [fn]possess ^H3423.”

Yahweh Has Moses Write a Song

14 Then Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “Behold ^H2005, [fn]the time ^H3117 for you to die ^H4191 is near ^H7126; call ^H7121 Joshua ^H3091 and present ^H3320 yourselves at the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150, that I may commission ^H6680 him.” So Moses ^H4872 and Joshua ^H3091 went ^H1980 and presented ^H3320 themselves at the tent ^H168 of meeting ^H4150.

15 And Yahweh ^H3068 appeared ^H7200 in the tent ^H168 in a pillar ^H5982 of cloud ^H6051, and the pillar ^H5982 of cloud ^H6051 stood ^H5975 at the doorway ^H6607 of the tent ^H168. 16 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “Behold ^H2009, you are about to lie ^H7901 down ^H7901 with your fathers ^H1; and this ^H2088 people ^H5971 will arise ^H6965 and play ^H2181 the ^H2181 harlot ^H2181 with the foreign ^H5236 gods ^H430 of the land ^H776, into the midst ^H7130 of which ^H834 they are going ^H935, and they will forsake ^H5800 Me and break ^H6565 My covenant ^H1285 which ^H834 I have cut ^H3772 with them. 17 Then My anger ^H639 will be kindled ^H2734 against them in that day ^H3117, and I will forsake ^H5800 them and hide ^H5641 My face ^H6440 from them, and they will be consumed ^H398, and many ^H7227 evils ^H7451 and troubles ^H6869 will find ^H4672 them, so that they will say ^H559 in that day ^H3117, ‘Is it not because ^H5921 H3588 our God ^H430 is not among ^H7130 us that these ^H428 evils ^H7451 have found ^H4672 us?’ 18 But I will surely ^H5641 hide ^H5641 My face ^H6440 in that day ^H3117 because ^H5921 of all ^H3605 the evil ^H7451 which ^H834 they will do ^H6213, for they will turn ^H6437 to other ^H312 gods ^H430.

19 “So now ^H6258, write ^H3789 this ^H2088 song ^H7892 for yourselves and teach ^H3925 it to the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478; put ^H7760 it in their mouths ^H6310, so ^H4616 that this ^H2088 song ^H7892 may be a witness ^H5707 for Me against the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478. 20 For when I bring ^H935 them into the land ^H127 flowing ^H2100 with milk ^H2461 and honey ^H1706, which ^H834 I swore ^H7650 to their fathers ^H1, and they have eaten ^H398 and are ^H7646 satisfied ^H7646 and become ^H1878 fat ^H1878, then they will turn ^H6437 to other ^H312 gods ^H430 and serve ^H5647 them and spurn ^H5006 Me and break ^H6565 My covenant ^H1285. 21 Then it will be ^H1961, when ^H3588 many ^H7227 evils ^H7451 and troubles ^H6869 have found ^H4672 them, that this ^H2088 song ^H7892 will answer ^H6030 them as a witness ^H5707 (for it shall not be forgotten ^H7911 from the mouths ^H6310 of their seed ^H2233); for I know ^H3045 their intent ^H3336 which ^H834 they are [fn]developing ^H6213 today ^H3117, before ^H2962 I have brought ^H935 them into the land ^H776 which ^H834 I swore ^H7650.” 22 So Moses ^H4872 wrote ^H3789 this ^H2088 song ^H7892 the same ^H1931 day ^H3117 and taught ^H3925 it to the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478.

Joshua Is Commissioned

23 Then He commissioned ^H6680 Joshua ^H3091 the son ^H1121 of Nun ^H5126 and said ^H559, “Be strong ^H2388 and courageous ^H553, for you shall bring ^H935 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 into the land ^H776 which ^H834 I swore ^H7650 to them, and I will be with you.”

24 And it happened ^H1961, when Moses ^H4872 finished ^H3615 writing ^H3789 the words ^H1697 of this ^H2088 law ^H8451 in a book ^H5612 until ^H5704 they were complete ^H8552,

25 that Moses ^H4872 commanded ^H6680 the Levites ^H3881 who carried ^H5375 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of Yahweh ^H3068, saying ^H559, 26 “Take ^H3947 this ^H2088 book ^H5612 of the law ^H8451 and place ^H7760 it beside ^H4480 H6654 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430, that it may be ^H1961 there ^H8033 as a witness ^H5707 against you. 27 For I know ^H3045 your rebellion ^H4805 and your [fn]stiff-neck ^H7186 H6203; behold ^H2005, while I am still ^H5750 alive ^H2416 with you today ^H3117, you have been ^H1961 rebellious ^H4784 against ^H5973 Yahweh ^H3068; how ^H637 much ^H637 H3588 more ^H637 H3588, then, after ^H310 my death ^H4194? 28 Assemble ^H6950 to me all ^H3605 the elders ^H2205 of your tribes ^H7626 and your officers ^H7860, that I may speak ^H1696 these ^H428 words ^H1697 in their hearing ^H241 and call ^H5749 the heavens ^H8064 and the earth ^H776 to ^H5749 witness ^H5749 against them. 29 For I know ^H3045 that after ^H310 my death ^H4194 you will act ^H7843 corruptly ^H7843 and turn ^H5493 away ^H5493 from the way ^H1870 which ^H834 I have commanded ^H6680 you; and evil ^H7451 will befall ^H7122 you in the last ^H319 days ^H3117, for you will do ^H6213 that which ^H7451 is ^H7451 evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068, provoking ^H3707 Him to ^H3707 anger ^H3707 with the work ^H4639 of your hands ^H3027.”

The Song of Moses

30 Then Moses ^H4872 spoke ^H1696 in the hearing ^H241 of all ^H3605 the assembly ^H6951 of Israel ^H3478 the words ^H1697 of this ^H2088 song ^H7892, until ^H5704 they were complete ^H8552: