Deuteronomy 31

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Moses went and spoke to all Israel as follows,	1 When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel,
2 'Today, I am one hundred and twenty years old, and can no longer act as leader. Yahweh has toldme, "You shal not cross this Jordan."	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 Yahweh your God himself will lead you across, he himself wil destroy and dispossess these nationsconfronting you; Joshua too wil lead you across, as Yahweh has said.	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 Yahweh wil treat them as he has treated Sihon and Og the Amorite kings and their country -- hedestroyed them.	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 Yahweh wil put them at your mercy, and you wil deal with them exactly as prescribed by thecommandments which I have laid down for you.	5 When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you, you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you.
6 Be strong, stand firm, have no fear, do not be afraid of them, for Yahweh your God is going with you;he wil not fail you or desert 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 Moses then summoned Joshua and, in the presence of al Israel, said to him, 'Be strong, stand firm;you wil be the one to go with this people into the country which Yahweh has sworn to their ancestors that hewould give them; you are to be the one who puts them into possession of it.	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 Yahweh himself will lead you; he wil be with you; he will not fail you or desert you. Have no fear, donot be alarmed.'	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 Moses committed this Law to writing and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark ofYahweh's covenant, and to al the elders of Israel.	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 And Moses gave them this command, 'At the end of every seven years, at the time fixed for the yearof remission, at the feast of Shelters,	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 assembles in the presence of Yahweh your God in the place chosen by him, you mustproclaim this Law in the hearing of al Israel.	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 Cal the people together, men, women, children, and the foreigner residing with you, so that, hearingit, they may learn to fear Yahweh your God and keep and observe al the words of this Law.	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, who as yet do not know it, wil hear it and learn to fear Yahweh your God, all the timeyou live in the country which you are crossing the Jordan to possess.'	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 Yahweh said to Moses, 'And now the time is near when you must die. Summon Joshua and takeyour places at the Tent of Meeting, so that I can give him his orders.' Moses and Joshua went and took theirplaces at the Tent of Meeting,	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 Yahweh showed himself at the Tent in a pil ar of cloud; the pil ar of cloud stood at the door of theTent.	15 And the LORD appeared at the tent in a column of cloud, which stood still at the entrance of the tent.
16 Yahweh said to Moses, 'You will soon be sleeping with your ancestors, and this people is about toplay the harlot by fol owing the gods of the foreigners of the country, among whom they are going to live. Theywil desert me and break my covenant, which I have made with them.	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 That very day, my anger wil blaze against them; I shal desert them and hide my face from them. Ahost of disasters and misfortunes will overtake them to devour them, and when that day comes they wil say, "Ifsuch disasters overtake me, surely Yahweh my God cannot be with me?"	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 Yes indeed, I shall hide my face that day, on account of al the evil which they wil have done byturning to other gods.	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 'Now write down this song for you to use; teach it to the Israelites, put it into their mouths, for it to bea witness on my behalf against the Israelites:	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 against Israel, whom I am bringing into the country which I swore to his ancestors that I would givehim, a country flowing with milk and honey: against Israel, who wil eat to his heart's content and grow fat, andwil then turn to other gods and serve them, despising me and breaking my covenant.	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 When a host of disasters and misfortunes overtakes him, this song, like a witness, wil give evidenceagainst him, since his descendants wil not have forgotten it. Yes, even today, before I have brought him to thecountry which I have promised him on oath, I know what plans he has in mind.'	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, that day, Moses wrote out this song and taught it to the Israelites.	22 So Moses wrote this song that same day, and he taught it to the Israelites.
23 To Joshua son of Nun, Yahweh gave this order, 'Be strong and stand firm, for you are to be the oneto bring the Israelites into the country which I have promised them on oath, and I myself shall be with you.'	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 completely finished writing the words of this Law in a book,	24 When Moses had finished writing out on a scroll the words of the law in their entirety,
25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of Yahweh's covenant:	25 he gave the Levites who carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD this order:
26 'Take the book of this Law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God. Let it liethere as evidence against you.	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 know how rebel ious and stiff-necked you are. If today, while I am stil alive and with you, yourebel against Yahweh, how much more wil you rebel against him after my death!	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 'Gather al your tribal elders and scribes round me, so that I may be sure that they hear these words,as I cal heaven and earth to witness against them.	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 certain to grow corrupt; you wil leave the way which I havemarked out for you; in the final days disaster wil befal you for having done what is evil in Yahweh's eyes, forhaving provoked his anger by your behaviour.'	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 In the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel, Moses then recited the words of this song to the end:	30 Then Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end, for the whole assembly of Israel to hear: