Joshua to Succeed Moses
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So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel.
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And he said to them, "I am 1 120 years old today. I am no longer able to 2go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, 3'You shall not go over this Jordan.'
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The LORD your God 4himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, 5as the LORD has spoken.
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And the LORD will do to them 6as he did to Sihon 7and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.
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And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them 8according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you.
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9Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, 10for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. 11He will not leave you or forsake you."
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Then 12Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, 13"Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it.
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It is the LORD 14 who goes before you. He will be with you; 15he will not leave you or forsake you. 16Do not fear or be dismayed."
The Reading of the Law
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Then Moses 17wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, 18who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
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And Moses commanded them, 19"At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at 20the Feast of Booths,
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when all Israel comes 21to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, 22you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
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23Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,
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and that their children, 24who have not known it, 25may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, 26as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess."
Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel
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And the LORD said to Moses, 27"Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that 28I may commission him." And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
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And 29the LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.
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And the LORD said to Moses, 30"Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and 31whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will 32forsake me and 33break my covenant that I have made with them.
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Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and 34I will forsake them and 35hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, 36'Have not these evils come upon us because 37our God is not among us?'
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And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because 38they have turned to other gods.
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"Now therefore write 39this song and 40teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be 41a witness for me against the people of Israel.
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For when I have brought them into the land 42flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and 43grown fat, 44they will turn to other gods and serve them, and 45despise me and 46break my covenant.
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And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as 47a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For 48I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give."
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So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.
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49And the LORD commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, 50"Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. 51I will be with you."
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"Take this Book of the Law 54and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for 55a witness against you.
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For I know how rebellious and 56stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, 57you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death!
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Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak 58these words in their ears and 59call heaven and earth to witness against them.
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For I know that after my death 60you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And 61in the days to come 62evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, 63provoking him to anger through the work of your hands."
The Song of Moses
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Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)