Moses encourageth the people.

1 ¶ And Mosesº went¹ª² and spakeºª² these² wordsº unto² all² Israel.º 2 And he saidºª unto² them, I² [am] an hundredº and twentyº yearsº oldº this day;º I canºª no² more² go outºª and come in:ºª also the LORDº hath saidºª unto² me, Thou shalt not² go overºª² this² Jordan.º 3 The LORDº thy God,º he² will go overºª beforeº thee, [and] he² will destroyºª² these² nationsº from beforeº² thee, and thou shalt possessºª them: [and] Joshua,º he² shall go overºª beforeº thee, as² the LORDº hath said.ºª 4 And the LORDº shall doºª unto them as² he didºª to Sihonº and to Og,º kingsº of the Amorites,º and unto the landº of them, whom²² he destroyed.ºª 5 And the LORDº shall give them upºª before your face,º that ye may doºª unto them according unto all² the commandmentsº which² I have commandedºª you. 6 Be strongºª and of a good courage,ºª fearºª not,² nor² be afraidºª of²² them:¹ for² the LORDº thy God,º he² [it is] that doth goºª with² thee; he will not² failºª thee, nor² forsakeºª thee.

He encourageth Joshua.

7 ¶ And Mosesº calledºª unto Joshua,º and saidºª unto² him in the sightº of all² Israel,º Be strongºª and of a good courage:ºª for² thou² must goºª with² this² peopleº unto² the landº which² the LORDº hath swornºª unto their fathersº to giveºª them; and thou² shalt cause them to inheritºª it. 8 And the LORD,º he² [it is] that doth goºª beforeº thee; he² will be² with thee,² he will not² failºª thee, neither² forsakeºª thee: fearºª not,² neither² be dismayed.ºª

He delivereth the Law unto the priests to read it in the seventh year to the people.

9 ¶ And Mosesº wroteºª² this² law,º and deliveredºª it unto² the priestsº the sonsº of Levi,º which bareºª² the arkº of the covenantº of the LORD,º and unto² all² the eldersº of Israel.º 10 And Mosesº commandedºª them, saying,ºª At the endº² of [every] sevenº years,º in the solemnityº of the yearº of release,º in the feastº of tabernacles,º 11 When all² Israelº is comeºª to appearºª² beforeº the LORDº thy Godº in the placeº which² he shall choose,ºª thou shalt readºª² this² lawº before² all² Israelº in their hearing.º 12 Gather¹ª the people¹ together,ºª²² men,¹² and women,º and children,º and thy strangerº that² [is] within thy gates,º that² they may hear,ºª and that² they may learn,ºª and fearºª² the LORDº your God,º and observeºª to doºª² all² the wordsº of this² law:º 13 And [that] their children,º which² have not² knownºª [any thing], may hear,ºª and learnºª to fearºª² the LORDº your God,º as long asº²² ye² liveº in² the landº whither²² ye² go overºª² Jordanº to possessºª it.

God giveth a charge to Joshua,

14 ¶ And the LORDº saidºª unto² Moses,º Behold,² thy daysº approachºª that thou must die:ºª callºª² Joshua,º and present¹ª yourselves² in the tabernacleº of the congregation,º that I may give him a charge.ºª And Mosesº and Joshuaº went,¹ª² and presented¹ª themselves² in the tabernacleº of the congregation.º 15 And the LORDº appearedºª in the tabernacleº in a pillarº of a cloud:º and the pillarº of the cloudº stoodºª over² the doorº of the tabernacle.º

16 ¶ And the LORDº saidºª unto² Moses,º Behold,² thou shalt sleepºª with² thy fathers;º and this² peopleº will rise up,ºª and go a whoringºª afterº the godsº of the strangersº of the land,º whither²² they² goºª [to be] amongº them, and will forsakeºª me, and breakºª² my covenantº which² I have madeºª with² them. 17 Then my angerº shall be kindledºª against them in that² day,º and I will forsakeºª them, and I will hideºª my faceº from² them, and they shall be² devoured,ºª and manyº evilsº and troublesº shall befallºª them; so that they will sayºª in that² day,º Are not² these² evilsº come¹ª upon² us, because²² our Godº [is] not² amongº us? 18 And I² will surely¹ª hideºª my faceº in that² dayº for² all² the evilsº which² they shall have wrought,ºª in thatº they are turnedºª unto² otherº gods.º

and a song to testify against the people.

19 Now² therefore writeºª² ye this² songº for you, and teachºª it² the childrenº of Israel:º putºª it in their mouths,º that² this² songº may be² a witnessº for me against the childrenº of Israel.º 20 For² when I shall have broughtºª them into² the landº which² I swareºª unto their fathers,º that flowethºª with milkº and honey;º and they shall have eatenºª and filled¹ª themselves,² and waxen fat;ºª then will they turnºª unto² otherº gods,º and serveºª them, and provokeºª me, and breakºª² my covenant.º 21 And it shall come to pass,² when² manyº evilsº and troublesº are befallenºª them, that this² songº shall testifyºª againstº them as a witness;º for² it shall not² be forgottenºª out of the mouthsº² of their seed:º for² I knowºª² their imaginationº which² they² go about,ºª even now,º before² I have broughtºª them into² the landº which² I sware.ºª

22 ¶ Mosesº therefore wroteºª² this² songº the same² day,º and taughtºª it² the childrenº of Israel.º 23 And he gave²² Joshuaº the sonº of Nunº a charge,¹ª and said,ºª Be strongºª and of a good courage:ºª for² thou² shalt bringºª² the childrenº of Israelº into² the landº which² I swareºª unto them: and I² will be² with² thee.

Moses delivereth the book of the Law to the Levites to keep.

24 ¶ And it came to pass,² when Mosesº had made an endºª of writingºª² the wordsº of this² lawº in² a book,º until² they were finished,ºª 25 That Mosesº commandedºª² the Levites,º which bareºª the arkº of the covenantº of the LORD,º saying,ºª 26 Takeºª² this² bookº of the law,º and putºª it in the sideº² of the arkº of the covenantº of the LORDº your God,º that it may be² there² for a witnessº against thee. 27 For² I² knowºª² thy rebellion,º and thy stiffº neck:º behold,² while I am yet² aliveº with² you this day,º ye have been² rebelliousºª against² the LORD;º and how² much more² afterº my death?º

He maketh a protestation to the elders.

28 ¶ Gatherºª unto² me² all² the eldersº of your tribes,º and your officers,ºª that I may speakºª² these² wordsº in their ears,º and callºª² heavenº and earthº to record¹ª against them. 29 For² I knowºª that afterº my deathº ye will utterly¹ª corruptºª [yourselves], and turn asideºª from² the wayº which² I have commandedºª you; and evilº will befallºª you in the latterº days;º because² ye will doºª² evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º to provoke him to angerºª through the workº of your hands.º 30 And Mosesº spakeºª in the earsº of all² the congregationº of Israelº² the wordsº of this² song,º until² they were ended.ºª