 1 Moses spoke these words to all Israel. 2 He said to them, I am 120 years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, You shall not go over this Jordan. 3 The Lord your God will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you and you will possess them. Joshua is the one crossing over before you, as the Lord has said. 4 The Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and to the land of those whom He destroyed. 5 The Lord will give them up before your face so that you may do to them according to all the commandments that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and of a good courage. Do not fear nor be afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. 7 Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage. For you must go with this people to the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give it to them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 The Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Do not fear nor be dismayed. 9 Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Moses commanded them, saying: At the end of seven years, at the set time of the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel has come to appear before the Lord your God in the place that He will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people, men and women and the little children, and your stranger who is within your gates, so that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their sons who have not known may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land where you go over Jordan to possess it. 14 The Lord said to Moses, Your days are coming near to die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation and I will charge him. So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation. 15 The Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud and that pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle. 16 The Lord said to Moses, You will sleep with your fathers and this people will rise up and prostitute+ themselves after the gods of the strangers in the land where they are going. They will forsake me and break my covenant that I made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day and I will forsake them. I will hide my presence+ from them and they will be devoured and many evils and troubles will befall them so that they will say, Have these evils come on us because our God is not among us. 18 I will surely hide my presence+ in that day for all the evils that they have done, for they will turn to other gods. 19 Now, therefore, write this song and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths so that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. 20 For when I have brought them into the land that I swore to their fathers, the land that flows with milk and honey, once they have eaten and become satisfied and fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them and provoke me and break my covenant. 21 When many evils and troubles have found them, this song will testify against them as a witness. It will not be forgotten out by their descendants. For I know their imagination that they do, even now, before I have brought them into the land that I swore. 22 Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the children of Israel. 23 He commanded Joshua the son of Nun, and said: Be strong and of a good courage. For you shall bring the children of Israel into the land that I swore to them, and I will be with you. 24 When Moses stopped writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, 25 Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord saying, 26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, so that it may be there for a witness against you. 27 For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the Lord. And how much more after my death? 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, so that I may speak these words in their ears, and call Heaven and earth to record against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And evil will happen to you in the latter end of the days, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands. 30 Moses spoke in the hearing+ of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until their conclusion.
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