Deuteronomy 31

1 When Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] had finished [completed, came to an end] speaking [to communicate, utter words] these words [things, matters, events] to [toward, in the direction of] all [everything, the whole] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants], word study 2 he said [spoke, declared] to them, “I am now a hundred [a period of one hundred years, a century] and twenty years old; I am no longer able [have the strength, have the power] to come and go [to go out and come in, to be active], and the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has said [spoken, commanded] to me, ‘You shall not [will not be allowed to] cross [pass over, transition] the Jordan [the river, a boundary].’ word study 3 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] Himself will cross over [pass over, transition] ahead of you. He will destroy [annihilate, desolate] these nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] before you, and you will dispossess [take control, occupy] them. Joshua [leader, helper] will cross ahead of you, as the LORD [Yehovah] has said [spoken, commanded]. word study 4 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will do to them as He did to Sihon [an Amorite king] and Og [a powerful king of Bashan], the kings [rulers, monarchs] of the Amorites [a Canaanite tribe], when He destroyed [annihilated, desolated] them along with their land [territory, region]. word study 5 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will deliver [give, put, or set] them over to you, and you must do [make or perform] to them exactly [according to all the commandments] as I have commanded [given orders, appointed, or ordained] you [to obey, to follow]. word study 6 Be strong [and of a good courage] and courageous; do not [fear not, nor be afraid] be afraid or terrified [tremble or dread] of them, for it is the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] who goes [walks or moves] with you; He will never [not at all] leave you nor [and not] forsake [abandon or loosen] you.” word study 7 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] called for Joshua and said to him in the presence [sight, before the eyes] of all Israel, “Be strong [courageous, take heart] and courageous [of a good courage, valiant], for you will go with [accompany, lead] this people into the land [territory, country] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] swore [made an oath, promised] to their fathers [ancestors, forefathers] to give them, and you shall give [cause to inherit, allocate] it to them as an inheritance [possession, heritage]. word study 8 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] Himself goes before you [to lead and guide]; He will be with you [in companionship and protection, to be your Helper]. He will never leave you [abandon or forsake] nor forsake [relinquish or loosen His grip on] you. Do not be afraid [filled with fear or dread] or discouraged [broken or shattered, dismayed].” word study 9 So Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet, and mediator] wrote down this law [instruction, divine guidance] and gave it to the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators between God and people], the sons of Levi [descendants of the third son of Jacob], who carried [lifted, bore the responsibility of] the ark [a chest, container of the covenant] of the covenant [promise, agreement] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], and to all [every single one] the elders [respected leaders, wise men] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study 10 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] commanded them, “At the end [conclusion or extremity] of every seven years, at the appointed time [meeting or sacred season] in the year of remission [release from debt, a temporary suspension of labor] of debt, during the Feast [festival] of Tabernacles [temporary shelters, booths], word study 11 when all [every single one, the entire nation] Israel comes [to appear, gather] before the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] at the place [location, site] He will choose [select, appoint], you are to read [proclaim, declare] this law [instruction, Torah] in the hearing [presence, ear] of all [every] Israel. word study 12 Assemble [gather together, convene] the people—men [male individuals, husbands], women [females, wives], children [little ones, young ones], and the foreigners [sojourners, non-Israelites] within your gates [city entrances, town doors]—so that they may listen [hear, pay attention] and learn [be taught, understand] to fear [reverence, stand in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God] and to follow carefully [obey, observe diligently] all the words [commands, teachings] of this law [instruction, Torah]. word study 13 Then their children [who have not known, are ignorant of the law] who do not know the law will listen [hear and give attention, obey] and learn [be guided, instructed] to fear [reverence, stand in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God], as long as you live [remain alive, are living] in the land [the earth, the ground] that you are crossing [passing over, transitioning] the Jordan [the Jordan River] to possess [take control of, occupy].” word study 14 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses [the Israelite leader], “Behold [look, take notice], the time [appointed season] of your death [end of life, mortal cessation] is near [approaching, imminent]. Call [summon, invite] Joshua [leader, successor] and present [stand, station] yourselves at the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [assembly, congregation], so that I may commission [give charge, appoint] him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented [stood, stationed] themselves at the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [assembly, congregation]. word study 15 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] appeared [was seen, became visible] at the tent [tabernacle, nomad’s home] in a pillar [column] of cloud [cloudy, divine presence], and the cloud [cloudy, heavenly manifestation] stood [remained, was established] over [above, upon] the entrance [doorway, threshold] to the tent [tabernacle, place of worship]. word study 16 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “You will soon rest [sleep with your fathers, die] with your fathers, and these people will rise up [go a-whoring, commit idolatry] and prostitute themselves [play the harlot, be unfaithful] with the foreign [strange, heathen] gods of the land they are entering [going to dwell in]. They will forsake [abandon, loosen] Me and break [violate, frustrate] the covenant [promise, agreement] I have made with them. word study 17 On that day My anger [intense wrath, burning fury] will burn against them, and I will abandon [forsake, turn away from] them and hide [conceal, veil] My face [presence, countenance] from them, so that they will be consumed [devoured, destroyed], and many [numerous, abundant] troubles [evils, afflictions] and afflictions [sufferings, hardships] will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters [evils, calamities] come upon us because our God [Elohim, the supreme God] is no longer with us [in our midst, among us]?’ word study 18 And on that day [the time of reckoning] I will surely hide [conceal, turn away] My face [presence, countenance] because of all [every, the entirety] the evil [bad, wicked, morally wrong] they have done [committed, wrought] by turning [to face, to direct one’s attention] to other [different, foreign] gods [deities, idols, false objects of worship]. word study 19 Now [at this time, in this moment] therefore, write down [record, inscribe] for yourselves this [specific, special] song [musical expression of praise, hymn] and teach [guide, instruct] it to the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]; have them recite [repeat, memorize] it, so that it may be a witness [testimony, evidence] for Me [as God, the Almighty] against them [the Israelites, as a reminder of their covenant]. word study 20 When I have brought them into the land [flowing with milk and honey, a place of abundance] that I swore [made a solemn promise, vowed] to give their fathers, a land [of great fertility, rich in resources] flowing with milk and honey [a sweet and valuable food], they will eat their fill [to satisfaction, until they are full] and prosper [be fat, have an abundance of goods]. Then they will turn [away from Me, to other paths] to other gods [idols, false deities] and worship them, and they will reject [despise, spurn] Me and break [violate, frustrate] My covenant [agreement, promise]. word study 21 And when many [numerous, abundant] troubles [evils, adversities] and afflictions [distresses, vexations] have come upon them, this song [musical expression, testimony] will testify [bear witness, answer] against them, because it will not be forgotten [obliterated, lost] from the lips [mouths, voices] of their descendants [seed, offspring]. For I know [am aware of, understand] their inclination [imagination, thoughts] [intention, disposition], even before I bring them into the land [territory, promised inheritance] that I swore [promised, vowed] to give them.” word study 22 So that very day [the same day, on that day] Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] wrote down [recorded, inscribed] this song [a musical expression of praise and worship, a canticle] and taught [instructed, guided] it to the Israelites [the children of Israel, the descendants of Jacob]. word study 23 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] commissioned [gave a charge, appointed] Joshua [a leader] son of Nun and said, “Be [become, show yourself] strong [courageous, valiant] and courageous [of good courage, confident], for you will bring [lead, guide] the Israelites [children of Israel, God’s people] into the land [territory, promised inheritance] that I swore [made an oath, promised] to give them, and I [the LORD, God Himself] will be with [accompany, support] you.” word study 24 When Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] had finished [completed, used up all resources] writing [recording, inscribing] in a book [scroll, written document] the words [things, matters, Chronicles] of this [specific, pointed out] law [instruction, Torah, guiding principles] from beginning [start, inception] to end [completion, finish], word study 25 he gave [commanded, instructed] this command [instruction, charge] to the Levites [descendants of Levi, priests] who carried [lifted, bore] the ark [sacred chest, container] of the covenant [promise, agreement] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]: word study 26 “Take [receive, get] this Book of the Law [scroll, written document] and place [set, put] it beside [in the side of, next to] the ark [box, chest] of the covenant [agreement, promise] of the LORD [Yehovah] your God [Elohim, supreme God], so that it may remain [exist, come into being] there [in that place, at that time] as a witness [testimony, evidence] against you. word study 27 For I know how [utterly rebellious, stubborn] rebellious and stiff-necked [hard-hearted, unyielding] you are. If you are already rebelling [resisting, disobeying] against the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] while I am still alive [present with you, among you], how much more will you rebel [turn away, disobey] after my death [passing, departure]! word study 28 Assemble [gather together, summon] before me all [every single one] the elders [respected leaders, wise men] of your tribes [family groups, clans] and all [every single one] your officers [officials, rulers, leaders] so that I may speak [communicate, declare] these words [messages, teachings] in their hearing [presence, ears] and call [summon, invoke] heaven [the sky, the spiritual realm] and earth [the land, the physical world] to witness [testify, bear record] against them [as a testimony, to their accountability]. word study 29 For I know [am certain, have foreknowledge] that after my death [passing away, decease] you will become utterly corrupt [completely immoral, ruined] and turn [swerve, depart] from the path [way, journey] I have commanded [instructed, given orders to] you. And in the days [latter days, future time] to come, disaster [evil, calamity] will befall [meet, encounter] you because you will do [commit, practice] evil [wrong, wickedness] in the sight [presence, eyes] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] to provoke [anger, irritate] Him to anger [wrath, indignation] by the work [deeds, actions] of your hands [strength, power].” word study 30 Then Moses [the leader of Israel, the one who speaks for God] recited aloud [spoke in the ears of, proclaimed to] to the whole [entire, complete] assembly [congregation, gathering] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] the words [things, matters] of this [specific, particular] song [musical expression of praise, poetic composition] from beginning [start, inception] to end [completion, finish]: word study