Deuteronomy 31

And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.

1Moses went and spoke these words to all the people of Israel.

2And 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.

2He said, "I am 120 years old today. I cannot lead you back and forth anymore. The LORD also told me I will not cross the Jordan River."

3The 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.

3"The LORD your God will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations there, and you will take their land. Joshua will lead you across, just as the LORD said."

4And 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.

4"The LORD will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og. They were kings of the Amorites. God destroyed them and took their land."

5And 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.

5"The LORD will hand those nations over to you. Then you must do to them just what I commanded you."

6Be 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.

6"Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God goes with you. He will never let you down. He will never leave you."

7And 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.

7Then Moses called Joshua. He spoke to him while all Israel watched. "Be strong and brave. You will go with these people into the land. Long ago the LORD promised this land to their fathers. You will help them take it as their own."

8And 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.

8"The LORD himself goes ahead of you. He will be with you. He will never let you down. He will never leave you. Do not be afraid. Do not give up hope."

9And 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.

9So Moses wrote down this law. He gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi. They were the ones who carried the ark, the holy box that held God's agreement. He also gave it to all the leaders of Israel.

10And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

10Moses gave them this command. "Every seventh year is a special year. In that year people forgive what others owe them. During the Feast of Shelters that year, do this."

Note"The year of release" was every seventh year. In it, people let go of debts owed to them. The "feast of tabernacles" was a fall holiday. Families camped in little shelters made of branches.

11When 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.

11"All Israel will come to meet with the LORD your God at the place he chooses. There you must read this law out loud so everyone hears it."

12Gather 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:

12"Gather all the people together. Bring the men, the women, and the children. Bring the visitors from other lands who live in your towns. Then they can listen and learn. They will honor the LORD your God and carefully obey every word of this law."

13And 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.

13"Their children do not know this law yet. They will hear it and learn to honor the LORD your God. Do this as long as you live in the land across the Jordan."

14And 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.

14The LORD said to Moses, "You will die soon. Call Joshua. Both of you come to the meeting tent. There I will give Joshua his new job." So Moses and Joshua went and stood at the tent.

15And 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.

15The LORD appeared at the tent inside a tall cloud. The cloud stood over the doorway of the tent.

16And 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.

16The LORD said to Moses, "Soon you will die and rest with your family. Then these people will turn away from me. They will worship the gods of the land they are entering. They will leave me and break the agreement I made with them."

Note"Sleep with thy fathers" is an old way of saying "die." It does not mean real sleep.

17Then 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?

17"On that day I will be angry with them. I will leave them and turn my face away. Their enemies will destroy them. Many troubles and hard times will come. Then they will say, 'These troubles came because our God is not with us.'"

18And 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.

18"On that day I will surely turn my face away. I will do it because of all the wrong they have done. They have turned to other gods."

19Now 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.

19"So write down this song for yourselves. Teach it to the people of Israel. Have them sing it out loud. Then the song will speak for me against them."

20For 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.

20"I will bring them into the land I promised their fathers. It is a rich land, full of milk and honey. They will eat all they want and grow rich. Then they will turn to other gods and serve them. They will turn against me and break our agreement."

21And 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.

21"Many troubles and hard times will come to them. Then this song will speak against them. Their children and grandchildren will still remember it. I already know what they are planning. I know it even now, before I bring them into the land I promised."

22Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.

22So that same day Moses wrote this song down. He taught it to the people of Israel.

23And 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.

23Then the LORD gave Joshua son of Nun his job. He said, "Be strong and brave. You will bring the people of Israel into the land I promised them. And I will be with you."

24And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,

24Moses kept writing the words of this law in a book. At last he finished all of it.

25That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,

25Then Moses gave a command to the Levites. They were the ones who carried the ark of the LORD's agreement.

26Take 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.

26"Take this book of the law. Put it beside the ark of the agreement of the LORD your God. It will stay there and speak against you."

27For 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?

27"I know how stubborn you are. I know you refuse to obey. You have already turned against the LORD while I am alive. It will be even worse after I die."

Note"Stiff neck" does not mean a sore neck. It is an old picture for being stubborn, like an animal that will not turn.

28Gather 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.

28"Bring me all the leaders of your tribes and all your officers. I will speak these words so they can hear them. I will ask heaven and earth to be witnesses against them."

29For 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.

29"I know that after I die you will do very wrong things. You will leave the path I commanded you to follow. In the days ahead trouble will come to you. You will do evil, and the things you make will make the LORD angry."

30And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.

30Then Moses said the words of this whole song out loud. All the people of Israel listened until he finished.