Deuteronomy

MOSES’ FINAL INSTRUCTIONS AND DEATH

Joshua Succeeds Moses

When Moses finished telling all Israel these words,

Joshua shall be at your head, as the Lord has said. He, your God, will go before you to destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them away.

The Lord shall deal with these cities as he dealt with Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, and their land, which he destroyed.

So when he has given these nations over to you, you shall do the same, according to what I have commanded.

Be valiant and strong; do not fear or tremble before them for the Lord, your God, is with you; he will not leave or abandon you.”

After this, Moses called Joshua and told him in the presence of all Israel:

“Be brave and strong, you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them, and you shall give it to them as their possession.

The Lord shall go before you. He shall be with you, not leave or abandon you. Do not fear, then, or be discouraged.”

Moses wrote this law and entrusted it to the priests, descendants of Levi, who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, as well as to all the leaders of Israel,

giving this order to them:

“Every seven years, at the time fixed for the Year of Pardon, on the Feast of the Tents,

when all Israel assembles to present themselves before the Lord in the place chosen by him, you shall read this law in the hearing of all Israel.

Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigner who lives in your cities—that they may listen to it, learn to fear the Lord, and take care to put into practice all the words of this law.

Your children who do not know it yet shall hear it and learn to fear the Lord, your God, all the days that they live in the land which you are going to conquer after crossing the Jordan.”

The Lord told Moses,

“The day of your death is already near. Call Joshua so that the two of you may present yourselves to me in the Tent of Meeting, and I may give him my orders.”

So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

The Lord appeared to them in the Tent in a column of cloud; the column was at the entrance of the Tent.

And the Lord said to Moses:

“Now you are going to rest with your ancestors. Then, these people shall rebel and prostitute themselves to strange gods, the gods of the land they will enter. They shall abandon me and break the Covenant I have made with them.

On that day, I shall be angry with them, abandon them, and hide my face from them. They will be devoured, and many evils and adversities will come upon them, so they will say: “Have not these evils come upon me because my God is not in our midst anymore?”

But on that day, I shall hide my face from them because of all their evil in going after other gods.

So, write this song and teach it to the children of Israel and have them remember it, for this song shall be my witness against the children of Israel.

For I shall bring them to the land which I swore to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, but after they have eaten and are satisfied and have grown fat, they shall turn to other gods and pay homage to them while despising me and breaking my Covenant.

And when these evils and calamities without number come upon them, this song shall bear witness against them, since their descendants will not forget it. I know very well the plans they are making, even before they have entered the land I promised them.”

On that day, Moses wrote this song and taught it to the children of Israel.

Then Moses told Joshua, son of Nun,

“Be valiant and strong, for you shall bring the children of Israel to the land which the Lord promised to them, and I shall be with you.”

When he finished writing all the words of this law in a book,

Moses gave this order to the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord,

“Take the book of this law. Place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, your God. There it shall remain as a witness against you,

because I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. If today, as I live among you, you are rebellious against the Lord, how much more shall you be after my death?

Gather around me all the leaders and secretaries of all the tribes. I will say these words in their hearing and ask heaven and earth to witness against you.

For I know that after my death, you shall do perverse things and shall stray from the way that I have pointed out to you. And misfortune shall come upon you in the future for doing what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking his anger with the work of your hands.”

Then, before the whole assembly of Israel, Moses recited this song until the end.