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Deuteronomy 31

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And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.

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And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

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The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said.

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And the Lord shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.

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And the Lord shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.

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Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

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And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

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And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

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And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel.

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And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

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When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

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Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

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And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

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And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

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And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

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And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

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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 befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

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And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

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Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

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For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

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And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

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Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.

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And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.

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And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,

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That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,

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Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

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For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?

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Gather unto 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 record against them.

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For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

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And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.

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Deuteronomy 31

Moses, now 120 years old, publicly commissions Joshua as his successor, establishing prophetic succession as the means by which covenant leadership transfers across generations. The institution of reading the torah every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles establishes periodic covenant renewal as the rhythm of Israel's public life and makes the law a living reality renewed in community gathering. The divine prediction that Israel will become corrupt and turn to other gods anticipates future apostasy while establishing that even disobedience does not catch God unaware, and the Song of Moses (Haazinu) is appointed as a witness to covenant obligation and consequences. The placement of the torah beside the ark institutionalizes the law as the physical center of the covenant, making the law itself an object of reverence and the container of God's presence. This chapter transitions from Moses' instruction to institutional arrangements that will survive him, establishing torah reading, priestly mediation, and prophetic succession as means by which covenant persists beyond any individual's lifespan.

Deuteronomy 31:1

Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel — Moses delivers the final covenant address. The people listen to covenant-sealing words.

Deuteronomy 31:2

He said to them: 'I am now one hundred twenty years old; I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, "You shall not cross over this Jordan" — Moses' age ('meyah v'esrim shana') marks completion: forty years leading Israel. Jordan crossing is forbidden him (Numbers 20:11-12).

Deuteronomy 31:3

The LORD your God himself will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua also will cross over before you, as the LORD promised — God leads (not Moses); Joshua succeeds him. Conquest is God's work ('YHVH eloheykhem hu over lifanekha').

Deuteronomy 31:4

The LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them — Joshua's conquest parallels Sihon and Og's defeat (Deuteronomy 29:7-8): divine pattern repeated.

Deuteronomy 31:5

The LORD will give them over to you, and you shall deal with them in accordance with all the commandment that I have given you — conquest brings dispossession ('v'natan YHVH otam lifneykhem'). Joshua follows Moses' covenant law.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous; do not fear or be in dread of them, because the LORD your God goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you — the exhortation ('chazak v'ematz') is repeated (to Joshua and Israel). Divine presence ensures victory ('YHVH elohekha hu over temkha').

Deuteronomy 31:7

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: 'Be strong and courageous; for you shall lead this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them; and you shall put them in possession of it — Joshua's public commissioning ('va-yitz'av et Yeshua') makes succession official. Moses promises ('nishba YHVH') the land.

Deuteronomy 31:8

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed' — the promise of divine accompaniment ('YHVH hu ha-over lefanekha'). Courage flows from God's presence.

Deuteronomy 31:9

Then Moses wrote down this law, and gave 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 — the written Torah is delivered to priests and elders: institutional preservation. The law is inscribed and distributed.

Deuteronomy 31:10

Moses commanded them as follows: 'Every seventh year, in the scheduled time of the year of remission, during the festival of booths — every Jubilee cycle ('shanah hashmitta'), during Sukkot, the law is read. The seven-year cycle marks covenant renewal.

Deuteronomy 31:11

When all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing — public reading ('v'karta et ha-torah ha-zot lifnei kol Israel b'oznam') at the sanctuary. Covenant is audibly renewed.

Deuteronomy 31:12

Assemble the people — men, women, and children, and the aliens residing in your towns — so that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God and to observe diligently all the words of this law — all Israel hears ('v'shammu v'yaldu...yireu et YHVH'). Learning and fear are the goals: the next generation is taught covenant.

Deuteronomy 31:13

Their children, who have not known it, shall hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess' — the unborn generations hear the law: intergenerational transmission ('et ha-aretz asher atem overim sham').

Deuteronomy 31:14

The LORD said to Moses: 'Your time to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, so that I may commission him.' Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting — God commands Moses to summon Joshua: divine commissioning. The tent of meeting is the covenant location.

Deuteronomy 31:15

The LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud; the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent — God's presence ('va-yera YHVH ba'ohel b'amud anan'): the pillar of cloud signals the theophany. Continuity with exodus is marked.

Deuteronomy 31:16

The LORD said to Moses: 'Soon you will lie down with your ancestors. Then this people will begin to prostitute themselves to the foreign gods in their midst, the gods of the land into which they are going; they will forsake me and break my covenant with me' — God's prophecy: Israel will turn to idolatry ('v'hayu'al acharei elohei nekar ha-aretz'). Apostasy is foreseen.

Deuteronomy 31:17

My anger will be kindled against them in that day. I will forsake them and hide my face from them; they will become easy prey, and many terrible troubles will come upon them. In that day they will say, 'Have these troubles not come upon us because our God is not in our midst?' — divine withdrawal ('v'histarti fanai'): hidden face means judgment. Calamity follows ('v'yit'pastu tafluyim rabim').

Deuteronomy 31:18

On that day I will surely hide my face on account of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods — God's hiddenness is judgment ('v'histarti panai... b'yom ha-hu'). Apostasy triggers divine eclipse.

Deuteronomy 31:19

Now therefore write down this song, and teach it to the people of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel — the Song of Moses ('ha-shirah') is a witness ('le-ed'): future generations will hear it and remember the covenant. Song ensures remembrance.

Deuteronomy 31:20

For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I promised on oath to their ancestors, and they have eaten their fill and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant — prosperity triggers apostasy: satiation breeds idolatry ('v'shavtu el elohim acherim'). Abundance becomes temptation.

Deuteronomy 31:21

And when many terrible troubles come upon them, this song will confront them as a witness, because it will not be lost from the mouths of their descendants. For I know the inclination that they are already forming, before I have brought them into the land that I promised on oath' — the song confronts future judgment ('v'asham lo la-ed'). God's foreknowledge of Israel's heart ('yodea et yitzram') makes the song perpetual warning.

Deuteronomy 31:22

That very day Moses wrote this song and taught it to the people of Israel — the song is written and taught: immediate inscription. The Song of Moses becomes Israel's permanent witness.

Deuteronomy 31:23

Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said: 'Be strong and courageous; for you shall lead the Israelites into the land that I promised them; I will be with you' — Joshua's divine commissioning ('va-yetz'av YHVH et Yeshua'): strength and divine presence enable leadership.

Deuteronomy 31:24

When Moses had finished writing down all the words of the law in a book, to completion — the Torah's inscription is complete ('ad tummam'). The written law is finished.

Deuteronomy 31:25

Moses gave this instruction to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: — the Levites ('kohanim ha-Levi'im') are entrusted with the law. Priestly guardianship begins.

Deuteronomy 31:26

'Take this book of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you — the Torah is placed beside the ark ('al yad aron brit YHVH'). Written law and covenant object are unified: witness against apostasy.

Deuteronomy 31:27

For I know well the obstinacy and stubbornness of this people; even now, before I have brought them into the land that I promised on oath to their ancestors, they have been rebellious against the LORD' — Moses knows Israel's nature ('ani yodea et korech u-et kshey oripho'): rebellion is inherent. The pattern of wilderness complaint predicts future apostasy.

Deuteronomy 31:28

'How much more, then, after my death, when you have come to the land flowing with milk and honey and have eaten your fill and grown fat, will you not turn away and serve other gods?' — rhetorical intensity: if rebellion marks the wilderness, how much more when satiated? Prosperity poses the greater danger.

Deuteronomy 31:29

'Therefore, I am writing this song as a witness for me against you; it will not be lost from the mouths of your descendants. You will indeed act corruptly and turn away from the path that I have commanded you' — the song is perpetual witness ('le-ed li negdekhem'). Corruption ('shachat') and turning away ('sur') are foreseen but not excused.

Deuteronomy 31:30

Then Moses recited the words of this song, to the very end, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel