V.
The final exhortations and charges
31:1-29
A.
Moses' exhortation to the people
vv. 1-6
Deut. 31
:1
31:1
When Moses
1finished speaking these words to all Israel,
Deut. 31
:2
31:2
He said to them, I am a
ahundred and twenty years old today; I can no longer
bgo out and come in, and Jehovah has said to me,
cYou shall not cross over this Jordan.
Deut. 31
:3
31:3
It is Jehovah your God who is
acrossing over before you; it is He who will destroy these nations from before you, and you will dispossess them.
bJoshua is the one who is crossing over before you, as Jehovah has spoken.
Deut. 31
:4
31:4
And Jehovah will do to them even as He did to
aSihon and
bOg, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land when He destroyed them.
Deut. 31
:5
31:5
And Jehovah will
adeliver them up before you, and you will do to them according to the whole commandment, which I have commanded you.
Deut. 31
:6
31:6
aBe strong and take courage; do
bnot fear, neither be terrified of them, for it is Jehovah your God who goes
cwith you; He will
dnot fail you nor forsake you.
B.
Moses' exhortation to Joshua
vv. 7-8
Deut. 31
:7
31:7
And Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel,
aBe strong and take courage, for you will go with this people into the land which Jehovah swore to their fathers to give them; and you will cause them to inherit it.
Deut. 31
:8
31:8
But it is Jehovah who is going
abefore you. He will be with you; He will
bnot fail you nor forsake you. Do
cnot fear, neither be dismayed.
C.
Moses' exhortation to the priests, the sons of Levi, and the elders of Israel
vv. 9-13
Deut. 31
:9
31:9
And Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bear the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah, and to all the elders of Israel.
Deut. 31
:10
31:10
And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of
every aseven years, at the appointed time of the year of release, at the Feast of
1Tabernacles,
Deut. 31
:11
31:11
When all Israel comes to
aappear before Jehovah your God in the place which He will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
Deut. 31
:12
31:12
Gather the people, the men, the women, and the little ones, and the sojourner with you, who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear Jehovah your God and be certain to do all the words of this law,
Deut. 31
:13
31:13
And that their
achildren, who have not known
these things, may hear and learn to fear Jehovah your God all the days that you live upon the land into which you are crossing over the Jordan to possess.
D.
Jehovah's command to Moses to write a song
vv. 14-23
Deut. 31
:14
31:14
And Jehovah said to Moses, Now your days draw near for you to
adie. Call
bJoshua and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting that I may charge him. So Moses went with Joshua, and they presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.
Deut. 31
:15
31:15
And Jehovah appeared in the tent in a pillar of
acloud; and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.
Deut. 31
:16
31:16
And Jehovah said to Moses, You are now about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will rise up and go as harlots after the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are entering; and they will forsake Me and break My
acovenant which I made with them.
Deut. 31
:17
31:17
And My anger will burn against them in that day, and I will forsake them and
ahide My face from them; and they will be devoured, and many evils and troubles will befall them, so that they will say in that day, Is it not because our God is not in our midst that these evils have befallen us?
Deut. 31
:18
31:18
And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, for they turned to other gods.
Deut. 31
:19
31:19
And now write for yourselves this
asong and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouth that I may have this song as a witness against the children of Israel.
Deut. 31
:20
31:20
For I will bring them into the land which I swore to their fathers,
a land flowing with
amilk and honey, and they will eat and become
bsatisfied and
cgrow fat, and they will turn to other gods and serve them and despise Me and break My covenant.
Deut. 31
:21
31:21
And when many evils and troubles befall them, this song will respond as a witness before them, because it will not be forgotten in the mouth of their seed; for I know their intention, which they are making even today before I bring them into the land which I have sworn
to them.
Deut. 31
:22
31:22
So Moses wrote this song on that day and taught it to the children of Israel.
Deut. 31
:23
31:23
And He charged
aJoshua the son of Nun and said, Be strong and take courage, for you will bring the children of Israel into the land which I have sworn to them; and I will be with you.
E.
Moses' completion of the writing and his charges to the Levites and to all the elders of Israel
vv. 24-29
Deut. 31
:24
31:24
And when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were completed,
Deut. 31
:25
31:25
Moses charged the Levites who bear the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah, saying,
Deut. 31
:26
31:26
Take this
abook of the law and place it at the side of the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.
Deut. 31
:27
31:27
For I know your
1rebelliousness and your
1stiff neck: See, while I am yet here alive with you today, you have been rebelling against Jehovah; so how much more after my death!
Deut. 31
:28
31:28
Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak in their hearing these words and that I may call
aheaven and earth to witness against them;
Deut. 31
:29
31:29
For I know that
aafter my death you will utterly spoil yourselves and turn away from the way that I have commanded you; and evil will come upon you in the last days, for you will do what is evil in the sight of Jehovah so as to provoke Him to anger by your undertakings.
VI.
The song of Moses
31:30—32:47
A.
The contents of the song
31:30—32:43
Deut. 31
:30
31:30
And Moses spoke in the hearing of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were completed.
