1 Moses continued to speak to all the Israelites:

2 »I am one hundred and twenty years old now. I am not able to lead you anymore. Jehovah has told me that I may not cross the Jordan River.

3 »Jehovah your God is the one who will cross the river ahead of you. He will destroy those nations as you arrive. You will take possession of their land. Joshua will also cross the river ahead of you, as Jehovah told you.

4 »Jehovah will destroy those people, just as he defeated Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and destroyed their country.

5 »Jehovah will give you victory over them. You are to treat them exactly as I have told you.

6 »Be determined and with good courage. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, Jehovah, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.

7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all the people of Israel: »Be determined and with good courage. You are the one who will lead these people to occupy the land Jehovah promised to their ancestors.

8 »Jehovah is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be downhearted.«

9 Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah, and to all the elders of Israel.

10 Moses commanded them: »At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths,

11 when all Israel comes to appear before Jehovah your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this Law in front of all Israel in their hearing.

12 »Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town. Assemble them that they may hear and learn and respect Jehovah your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this Law.

13 »Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to respect Jehovah your God, as long as you live on the land you will possess when you cross the Jordan River.

14 Then Jehovah said to Moses: »Behold, the time for you to die is near. Call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.« So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.

15 Jehovah appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. The pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent.

16 Jehovah said to Moses: »You are about to lie down with your fathers in death. This people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land. They will plunge into the midst of it. They will forsake me and break my covenant that I made with them.

17 »‘My anger will be kindled against them in that day. I will abandon them and hide my face from them. They will be consumed by many evils and troubles. They will say in that day: ‘Is it because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’

18 »I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil they will do. They will turn to other gods.

19 »Write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel. Put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for me against the sons of Israel.

20 »When I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn me and break my covenant.

21 »Then it will happen, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness. It shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. I know the intent they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore.«

22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

23 Jehovah gave this command to Joshua, son of Nun: »Be strong and courageous, because you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.«

24 Moses finished writing all the words of this Law in a book.

25 He gave this command to the Levites who carried the Ark of Jehovah’s Covenant:

26 »Take this Book of the Law, and put it next to the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah your God, where it will be a witness against you.

27 »I know how rebellious you are. You are impossible to deal with. While I am alive and still with you, you are rebelling against Jehovah. How much more rebellious will you be after I die?

28 »Assemble all the elders of your tribes and your officers in front of me. As they listen, I will speak these words and call on heaven and earth to testify against them.

29 »I know that after I die you will become thoroughly corrupt and turn from the way I have commanded you to live. In the days to come disasters will happen to you because you will make Jehovah furious by doing what he considers evil.«

30 The whole congregation of Israel listened. Moses recited all the words of this song: