Deuteronomy 31: Joshua is chosen, and the law is written and read
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses, now 120 years old, tells Israel that Yahweh will go over the Jordan before them and that Joshua will lead them, and he tells Joshua in front of everyone to be strong and courageous. Moses writes the law, gives it to the priests and elders, and tells them to read it to all the people every seven years at the feast of booths. At the Tent of Meeting Yahweh tells Moses that he will soon die and that the people will turn to other gods, and he tells Moses to write a song as a witness against them. Joshua is commissioned, and Moses has the book of the law put beside the ark.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 8 of the 30 verses: Yahweh speaks to Moses in verse 14 and verses 16 to 21, and to Joshua in verse 23. In verse 17 Yahweh gives words the people will say. Moses speaks to all Israel in verses 2 to 6 (in verse 2 he repeats what Yahweh had told him, so it is not in gold), to Joshua in verses 7 and 8, to the priests and elders in verses 10 to 13, and to the Levites in verses 26 to 29. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
In plain English: Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
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2He said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Yahweh has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’
In plain English: He said to them, "Today I am one hundred twenty years old. I can no longer go out and come in (see the note). Yahweh has told me, 'You will not cross this Jordan.'
Good to know: "Go out and come in" is also used of leading the people: Moses uses these words when he asks Yahweh for a leader after him in . The verse does not say whether Moses means his strength or his leading (compare ). Yahweh told Moses he would not bring the people into the land in .
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3Yahweh your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua will go over before you, as Yahweh has spoken.
In plain English: Yahweh your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations in front of you, and you will drive them out. Joshua will cross over ahead of you, as Yahweh has said.
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4Yahweh will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.
In plain English: Yahweh will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.
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5Yahweh will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.
In plain English: Yahweh will hand them over to you, and you must do to them everything I have commanded you.
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6Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them, for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”
In plain English: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them, because Yahweh your God himself goes with you. He will not fail you (or: let you go) or abandon you."
Good to know: Yahweh says "I will not fail you nor forsake you" to Joshua in . has words like these: "I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you."
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7Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.
In plain English: Moses called Joshua and said to him in front of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, because you will go with this people into the land Yahweh swore to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as their inheritance.
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8Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”
In plain English: Yahweh himself goes ahead of you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid, and do not lose heart."
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9Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.
In plain English: Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of Yahweh's covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.
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10Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of booths,
In plain English: Moses commanded them, "At the end of every seven years, at the set time of the year of release (when debts are cancelled), at the feast of booths,
Good to know: The seventh year is when debts are cancelled (). The feast of booths is in the seventh month (). Later the book of the law is read to the people during the feast in .
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11when all Israel has come to appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
In plain English: when all Israel comes to appear before Yahweh your God in the place he will choose, you are to read this law aloud to all Israel, so they hear it.
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12Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and the foreigners who are within your gates, that they may hear, learn, fear Yahweh your God, and observe to do all the words of this law,
In plain English: Gather the people, the men, the women, and the little ones, and the foreigners living in your towns, so that they may hear and learn and fear Yahweh your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,
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13and that their children, who have not known, may hear and learn to fear Yahweh your God, as long as you live in the land where you go over the Jordan to possess it.”
In plain English: and so that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear Yahweh your God, as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."
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14Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Look, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua, and come and stand at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him." So Moses and Joshua went and stood at the Tent of Meeting.
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15Yahweh appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the Tent’s door.
In plain English: Yahweh appeared at the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the Tent.
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16Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land where they go to be among them, and will forsake me and break my covenant which I have made with them.God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "Look, you are going to sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up and be unfaithful (literally: play the prostitute) by going after the foreign gods of the land they are going into, to live among them. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I made with them.
Good to know: "Sleep with your fathers" is a way of speaking of death. Jacob uses the same words in .
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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 come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’God speaks
In plain English: On that day my anger will burn against them. I will abandon them and hide my face from them, and they will be eaten up (or: destroyed). Many evils and troubles will come on them, so that on that day they will say, 'Have not these evils come on us because our God is not among us?'
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18I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.God speaks
In plain English: On that day I will surely hide my face, because of all the evil they have done in turning to other gods.
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19“Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.God speaks
In plain English: "So now write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites. Put it in their mouths, so that this song may be my witness against the Israelites.
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20For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.God speaks
In plain English: When I have brought them into the land I swore to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten their fill and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and they will despise me and break my covenant.
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21It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.”God speaks
In plain English: When many evils and troubles have come on them, this song will speak against them as a witness, because it will not be forgotten from the mouths of their descendants. For I know what they plan (this Bible: their ways), what they are doing even today, before I have brought them into the land I swore to them (this Bible: promised them)."
The Hebrew word: "Ways" here is yetser, which the dictionary gives as "a form; figuratively, conception (i.e. purpose)": what a person shapes in the mind. It is the word for the "imagination" of man's heart in and .
How it is translated: Yetser is in 9 verses of the Bible. This Bible says "imagination" or a longer form in 3 of them, and "ways" only here.
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22So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
In plain English: So Moses wrote down this song that same day and taught it to the Israelites.
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23He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them. I will be with you.”God speaks
In plain English: He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, "Be strong and courageous, because you will bring the Israelites into the land I swore to them. I will be with you."
Good to know: The verse says only "He" and does not name the speaker. Verse 22 speaks of Moses, but the words "the land which I swore to them" fit Yahweh, and in Yahweh said he would commission Joshua, so these words are shown in gold. In Yahweh had told Moses to commission Joshua.
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24When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
In plain English: When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, to the very end,
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25Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, saying,
In plain English: Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of Yahweh's covenant,
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26“Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, that it may be there for a witness against you.
In plain English: "Take this book of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, so that it may be there as a witness against you.
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27For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Behold, while I am yet alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Yahweh. How much more after my death?
In plain English: For I know how rebellious and stubborn (literally: stiff-necked) you are. Even now, while I am still alive with you today, you have rebelled against Yahweh. How much more after my death!
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28Assemble to 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 witness against them.
In plain English: Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them.
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29For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn away from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.”
In plain English: For I know that after my death you will act very corruptly and turn aside from the way I have commanded you. Evil will come on you in the latter days (or: in the days to come), because you will do what is evil in Yahweh's sight and make him angry by what your hands have made."
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30Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.
In plain English: Moses spoke the words of this song, to the very end, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel.
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