Deuteronomy 31:19-29

19 Now therefore write ye to you this song, and teach ye the sons of Israel, that they hold it in mind, and sing it in mouth; and that this song be to me for a witnessing among the sons of Israel. (And so now write down this song for you, and teach ye it to the Israelites, so that they can remember it, and sing it with their mouths; and so that this song can be a witness for me against the Israelites.)

20 For I shall lead him into the land, for which I swore to his fathers, flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be full-filled, and be made fat, they shall turn to alien gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and shall make void my covenant. (For I shall lead them into the land, for which I swore to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be filled full, and be made fat, then they shall turn to foreign, or to other, gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and they shall make void, or shall break, my covenant.)

21 After that many evils and tormentings have found them, this song shall answer to him for (a) witnessing, which song no forgetting shall do away from the mouth of thy seed. For I know the thoughts thereof today, what things it shall do, before that I bring it into the land which I promised to it. (And after that many evils and torments have found them, this song shall speak against them as a witness, which no forgetting shall do away from the mouths of their descendants. For I know their thoughts today, and what things they shall do, before that I bring them into the land which I promised them.)

22 Therefore Moses wrote the song, and he taught it to the sons of Israel. (And so Moses wrote down this song, and he taught it to the Israelites.)

23 And the Lord commanded to Joshua, the son of Nun, and said, Be thou comforted (Be thou encouraged), and be thou strong; for thou shalt lead the sons of Israel into the land which I promised (them), and I shall be with thee.

24 Therefore after that Moses had written the words of this law in a book, and fulfilled them (and finished them),

25 he commanded to the Levites that bare the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, and said, (he commanded to the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and said,)

26 Take ye this book (of the law), and put ye it in the side of the ark of the bond of peace of your Lord God, that it be there against thee into witnessing. (Take ye this Book of the Law, and put ye it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, to be a witness there against thee.)

27 For I know thy striving, and thy most hard noll; yet while I lived and entered with you, ye did ever[more] strivingly against the Lord; how much more when I shall be dead. (For I know thy defiance, or thy rebellious nature, and thy stiff neck/and thy stubbornness; yet while I lived and went with you, ye often defied the Lord; so then how much more, after that I am dead?)

28 Gather ye to me all the greater men in birth, and teachers [and doctors], by your lineages, and I shall speak to them, hearing these words, and I shall call (to witness) against them heaven and earth. (Gather ye to me all the men of great age, that is, the elders, of your tribes, and the officers, and I shall speak to them, and they shall hear all these words, and I shall call heaven and earth to witness against them.)

29 For I know, that after my death, ye shall do wickedly, and shall bow away soon from the way which I commanded to you; and evils shall come to you in the last time(s), when ye have done evil in the sight of the Lord, that ye stir him to wrath by the works of your hands. (For I know, that after my death, ye shall do wickedly, and shall soon turn away from the way which I commanded to you; and evils shall come to you in the days to come, when ye have done evil in the sight of the Lord, and so stir him to anger with the works of your hands.)

Deuteronomy 31:19-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 31

Moses being old, and knowing he should quickly die, and must not go over Jordan with the people of Israel, acquaints them with it, and encourages them and Joshua to go over notwithstanding, and not be afraid of their enemies, since the Lord would go with them, and deliver them into their hands, De 31:1-8; and having written the law, he delivered it to the priests, and ordered that it should be read at the end of every seven years before all the people, that they and theirs might learn it, and fear the Lord, De 31:9-13; and whereas the death of Moses was very near, and the Lord foreseeing the people would quickly fall into idolatry, which would bring great calamities upon them, he directed Moses to write a song, which should be a witness for him, and against them, in ages to come; which Moses accordingly did, De 31:14-22; and Moses having given a charge to Joshua, and finished the writing of the law in a book, gave it to the Levites to put it in the side of the ark, De 31:23-27; and then ordered the chief of the tribes to be gathered together, that he might deliver the song, which by the direction and under the inspiration of God he had written, De 31:28-30; which song is recorded in De 32:1-43.