Dual Panel1Moses, finishing this address to all Israel,
2went on to say: At a hundred and twenty years old, I am no longer able to lead the campaign; and the LORD has told me that I shall not cross the Jordan.
3It is the LORD your God who will cross over at your head and destroy these nations before your advance, and you will occupy their lands; and, as he directed, Joshua will lead you across.
4The LORD will do to these nations as he did to Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and to their lands, when he destroyed them.
5The LORD will deliver them into your power, and you are to do to them as I have commanded you.
6Be strong and resolute; you must not dread them or be afraid, for the LORD your God himself accompanies you; he will not let you down or forsake you.
7Moses summoned Joshua and in the sight of all Israel said to him: Be strong and resolute, for it is you who will lead this people into the land which the LORD swore to give their forefathers; you are to bring them into possession of it.
8The LORD himself goes at your head; he will be with you; he will not let you down or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
9Moses 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.
10Moses gave them this command: At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time for the year of remission, at the pilgrim-feast of Booths,
11when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which he will choose, this law is to be read in the hearing of all Israel.
12Assemble the people, men, women, and dependants, together with the aliens residing in your settlements, so that they may listen, and learn to fear the LORD your God and observe all these laws with care.
13Their children, too, who do not know the laws, will hear them, and learn to fear the LORD your God all their lives in the land which you will occupy after crossing the Jordan.
14THE LORD said to Moses, “The time of your death is drawing near. Summon Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting so that I may give him his commission.” When Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting,
15the LORD appeared in a pillar of cloud, which stood over the entrance of the Tent.
16The LORD said to Moses, “You are about to die and join your forefathers, and then this people, when they come into the land and live among foreigners, will wantonly worship their gods; they will abandon me and break the covenant which I have made with them.
17My anger will be roused against them on that day, and I shall abandon them and hide my face from them. They will be an easy prey, and many terrible disasters will come upon them. On that day they will say, ‘These disasters have come because our God is not among us.’
18On that day I shall hide my face because of all the evil they have done in turning to other gods.
19“Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites; make them repeat it, so that it may be a witness for me against them.
20When I have brought them into the land which I swore to give to their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they have plenty to eat and are thriving, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, spurning me and breaking my covenant;
21and many terrible disasters will follow. Then this song will confront them as a witness, for it will not be forgotten by their descendants. For even before I bring them into the land which I swore to give them, I already know which way their thoughts incline.”
22That day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites.
23The LORD gave Joshua son of Nun his commission in these words: “Be strong and resolute; for you are to lead the Israelites into the land which I swore to give them, and I shall be with you.”
24When Moses had finished writing down these laws from beginning to end in a book,
25he gave this command to the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD:
26Take this book of the law and put it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, and let it be there as a witness against you.
27For I know how defiant and stubborn you are; even during my lifetime you have defied the LORD; how much more, then, will you do so after my death!
28Assemble for me all the elders of your tribes and your officers; I shall say all these words in their hearing and summon heaven and earth to witness against them.
29For I know that, when I am dead, you will take to infamous practices and turn aside from the way which I told you to follow. In days to come disaster will befall you, for in doing what is wrong in the eyes of the LORD you provoked him to anger.
30MOSES recited this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel: