1And Moses went and spake these words unto all 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.

3The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: andJoshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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,

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

1And Moses went & spake these wordes vnto all Israel.

2And hee saide vnto them, I am an hundred and twentie yeeres old this day; I can no more goe out and come in: also the Lord hath said vnto mee, Thou shalt not goe ouer this Iordan.

3The Lord thy God, hee will goe ouer before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possesse them: and Ioshua, hee shall goe ouer before thee, as the Lord hath said.

4And the Lord shall doe vnto them, as hee did to Sihon, and to Og Kings of the Amorites, and vnto the land of them, whom he destroyed.

5And the Lord shall giue them vp before your face, that ye may doe vnto them according vnto all the Commandements which I haue commanded you.

6Be strong, and of a good courage, feare not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doeth goe with thee, he will not faile thee, nor forsake thee.

7 And Moses called vnto Ioshua, and said vnto him in the sight of all Israel, Bee strong, and of a good courage: for thou must goe with this people vnto the land, which the Lord hath sworne vnto their fathers to giue them; and thou shalt cause them to inherite it.

8And the Lord, he it is that doth goe before thee, he will be with thee, hee will not faile thee, neither forsake thee: feare not, neither be dismayed.

9 And Moses wrote this Law, and deliuered it vnto the Priests the sonnes of Leui, which bare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord, and vnto all the Elders of Israel.

10And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of euery seuen yeeres, in the solemnitie of the yeere of release, in the feast of Tabernacles,

11When all Israel is come to appeare before the Lord thy God, in the place which hee shall choose; thou shalt reade this Law before all Israel, in their hearing.

12Gather the people together, men, and women and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may heare, and that they may learne, and feare the Lord your God, and obserue to doe all the wordes of this Law:

13And that their children which haue not knowen any thing, may heare, and learne to feare the Lord your God, as long as yee liue in the land, whither ye goe ouer Iordan to possesse it.

14 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Beholde, thy dayes approach that thou must die: call Ioshua, and present your selues in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, that I may giue him a charge. And Moses and Ioshua went and presented themselues in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

15And the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloude stood ouer the doore of the Tabernacle.

16 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, and this people wil rise vp, and goe a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land whither they goe to be amongst them, and wil forsake me, and breake my couenant which I haue made with them.

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 deuoured, and many euils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Are not these euils come vpon vs, because our God is not amongst vs?

18And I will surely hide my face in that day, for all the euils which they shal haue wrought, in that they are turned vnto other gods.

19Now therefore, write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouthes, that this song may be a witnesse for mee, against the children of Israel.

20For when I shall haue brought them into the land which I sware vnto their fathers, that floweth with milke and hony; and they shall haue eaten and filled themselues, and waxen fat; then will they turne vnto other gods, and serue them, and prouoke me, and breake my couenant.

21And it shall come to passe, when many euils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testifie against them as a witnesse: for it shall not bee forgotten out of the mouthes of their seed: for I know their imagination which they goe about euen now, before I haue brought them into the land, which I sware.

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

23And he gaue Ioshua the sonne of Nun a charge, and said, Bee strong, and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware vnto them: and I will be with thee.

24 And it came to passe when Moses had made an ende of writing the wordes of this Law in a booke, vntill they were finished,

25That Moses commaunded the Leuites which bare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord, saying,

26Take this booke of the Law, and put it in the side of the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord your God, that it may bee there for a witnesse against thee.

27For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiffe necke: Beholde, while I am yet aliue with you this day, yee haue bene rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?

28 Gather vnto mee all the Elders of your tribes, and your Officers, that I may speake these words in their eares, and call heauen and earth to record against them.

29For I know, that after my death yee will vtterly corrupt your selues, and turne aside from the way, which I haue commauded you: and euil wil befall you in the latter dayes, because yee wil doe euil in the sight of the Lord, to prouoke him to anger through the worke of your hands.

30And Moses spake in the eares of al the Cōgregation of Israel the words of this song, vntill they were ended.

 

ii == Ex 7:7 ; Num 20:12 ; 27:13 , 17 ; Deut 3:27 ; 34:7 ; 1st Kings 3:7

 

 

III == Num 27:21 ; Deut 3:28 ; 9:3

 

 

IV == Num 21:24 , 33 ; Deut 3:21

 

V == Deut 7:2

 

 

 

VI == Deut 1:29 ; 7:18 ; 20:4 ; Josh 1:5 ; 10:25 ; 1st Chr 22:13 ; Heb 13:5

 

VII == Deut 1:38 ; 3:28 ; 31:23 ; Josh 1:6

 

 

 

VIII == Ex 13:21-22 ; 33:14 ; Deut 9:3 ; Josh 1:5 , 9 ; 1st Chr 28:20

IX == Num 4:15 ; Deut 17:18 ; 31:25 ; Josh 3:3 ; 1st Chr 15:12 , 15

X == Lev 23:34 ; Deut 15:1

 

 

 

XI == Deut 16:16 ; Josh 8:34-35 ; 2nd Kings 23:2 ; Neh 8:1-3

 

XII == Deut 4:10

 

 

 

 

XIII == Deut 11:2 ; Ps 78:6-7

 

 

 

XIV == Num 27:13 , 19 ; Deut 31:28 ; 34:5

 

 

 

 

XV == Ex 33:9

 

 

Ex 32:6 ; 34:15 ; Deut 32:15 ; Judg 2:12 , 17 , 20 ; 10:6 , 13

 

 

 

 

XVII == Num 14:42 ; Judg 6:13 ; Neh 9:32 ; Ps 104:29 ; Isa 8:17 ; 64:7 ; Ezek 39:23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == Hos 5:3 ; 13:5-6 ; Amos 5:25-26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIII == Josh 1:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVI 2nd Kings 22:8

 

 

 

XXVII == Ex 32:9 ; Deut 9:6 , 24 ; 32:20

 

 

XXVIII == Gen 49:1 ; Deut 4:30 ; 28:15 ; 32:5 ; Judgt 2:19 ; Hos 9:9

 

 

1 When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel,

2 he said to them, "I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to move about freely; besides, the LORD has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan.

3 It is the LORD, your God, who will cross before you; he will destroy these nations before you, that you may supplant them. (It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the LORD promised.)

4 The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed, and with their country.

5 When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you, you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you.

6 Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you."

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel said to him, "Be brave and steadfast, for you must being this people into the land which the LORD swore to their fathers he would give them; you must put them in possession of their heritage.

8 It is the LORD who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed."

9 When Moses had written down this law, he entrusted it to the levitical priests who carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel,

10 giving them this order: "On the feast of Booths, at the prescribed time in the year of relaxation which comes at the end of every seven-year period,

11 when all Israel goes to appear before the LORD, your God, in the place which he chooses, you shall read this law aloud in the presence of all Israel.

12 Assemble the people - men, women and children, as well as the aliens who live in your communities - that they may hear it and learn it, and so fear the LORD, your God, and carefully observe all the words of this law.

13 Their children also, who do not know it yet, must hear it and learn it, that they too may fear the LORD, your God, as long as you live on the land which you will cross the Jordan to occupy."

14 The LORD said to Moses, "The time is now approaching for you to die. Summon Joshua, and present yourselves at the meeting tent that I may give him his commission." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the meeting tent.

15 And the LORD appeared at the tent in a column of cloud, which stood still at the entrance of the tent.

16 The LORD said to Moses, "Soon you will be at rest with your fathers, and then this people will take to rendering wanton worship to the strange gods among whom they will live in the land they are about to enter. They will forsake me and break the covenant which I have made with them.

17 At that time my anger will flare up against them; I will forsake them and hide my face from them, so that they will become a prey to be devoured, and many evils and troubles will befall them. At that time they will indeed say, 'Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have befallen us?'

18 Yet I will be hiding my face from them at that time only because of all the evil they have done in turning to other gods.

19 Write out this song, then, for yourselves. Teach it to the Israelites and have them recite it, so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.

20 For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey which I promised on oath to their fathers, and they have eaten their fill and grown fat, if they turn to other gods and serve them, despising me and breaking my covenant;

21 then, when many evils and troubles befall them, this song, which their descendants will not have forgotten to recite, will bear witness against them. For I know what they are inclined to do even at the present time, before I have brought them into the land which I promised on oath to their fathers."

22 So Moses wrote this song that same day, and he taught it to the Israelites.

23 Then the LORD commissioned Joshua, son of Nun, and said to him, "Be brave and steadfast, for it is you who must bring the Israelites into the land which I promised them on oath. I myself will be with you."

24 When Moses had finished writing out on a scroll the words of the law in their entirety,

25 he gave the Levites who carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD this order:

26 "Take this scroll of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD, your God, that there it may be a witness against you.

27 For I already know how rebellious and stiff-necked you will be. Why, even now, while I am alive among you, you have been rebels against the LORD! How much more, then, after I am dead!

28 Therefore, assemble all your tribal elders and your officials before me, that I may speak these words for them to hear, and so may call heaven and earth to witness against them.

29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become corrupt and to turn aside from the way along which I directed you, so that evil will befall you in some future age because you have done evil in the LORD'S sight, and provoked him by your deeds."

30 Then Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end, for the whole assembly of Israel to hear:

v 1,2. Moses was not disabled by old age. His natural force was not abated at 120 years old, 34:7. He could no longer perform his duties because he was not permitted to cross Jordan, and it was time to turn leadership over to another.

v 3-6. They were not losing their real leader, God. He would continue to care for them as He had in the past, so they needed to be strong and courageous.

 

 

 

 

 

v 7,8. Joshua is given the same command before the people, to be strong and courageous, because God would be with them.

 

 

 

v 9-13. Israel’s men were required to attend the feasts of the Lord three times a year and many of the families went along. However, at the end of every seventh year, the year of canceling debts, apparently at the feast of tabernacles, all the women, children and even others living in the land were required to come. At this time, the entire book of Deuteronomy would be read to all, because many of the rules and punishments applied to anyone living in the land. Adults would thus be reminded of their obligations, and children would learn to follow the Lord. They would hear, learn and fear (obey) the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

v 14-21. This was a dramatic change of command. Moses and Joshua came into the tabernacle of the Lord and the Lord appeared to them in a pillar of cloud and spoke to them. The message God gave was sad, not because Moses was going to die, but because he was told   how the people would corrupt themselves and turn to other gods after they entered the land. Moses is commanded to write a song, which God would give him, and teach it to the people. Thus it would be in their mouths and a constant testimony and witness against them for their wickedness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 24-30. Moses immediately wrote the song (Chapter 32), began to teach it to the people and again charged Joshua to be courageous. Moses spoke to him the words of the Lord. The original Hebrew is not clear, but obviously the book of the law, which here means the book of Deuteronomy, was placed beside the ark, v 26. The 10 commandments were inside. Now Moses knows both from experience and the word from God that the people will corrupt themselves, so he gathers them to hear God’s Word with the same declaration as in 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record against them”. Jewish writers disagree, but the consensus is that there were two books of Deuteronomy, one kept beside the ark, and the other kept out to be used by both religious and civil leaders in dealing with questions. It appears to have been read by Joshua, Solomon (the preacher), other kings, Ezra and others. It would be a pleasure, not a task. As other copies became available they were later read in synagogues and some homes.
Verse 30 introduces the song of the next chapter.