Shēnméngjì 31

1 Móxī qù gàosu Yǐsèliè zhòngrén

2 Shuō , wǒ xiànzaì yī bǎi èr shí suì le , bùnéng zhào cháng chūrù . Yēhéhuá yĕ céng duì wǒ shuō , nǐ bì bùdé guō zhè Yuēdànhé .

3 Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén bì yǐndǎo nǐmen guō qù , jiāng zhèxie guó mín zaì nǐmen miànqián mièjué , nǐmen jiù de tāmende dì . Yuēshūyà bì yǐndǎo nǐmen guō qù , zhēng rú Yēhéhuá suǒ shuō de .

4 Yēhéhuá bì daì tāmen , rútóng cóng qián daì tā suǒ mièjué de yà Mólì èr wáng Xīhóng yǔ è yǐjí tāmende guó yíyàng .

5 Yēhéhuá bìjiāng tāmen jiāo gĕi nǐmen . nǐmen yào zhào wǒ suǒ fēnfu de yīqiè mìnglìng daì tāmen .

6 Nǐmen dàng gāngqiáng zhuàng dǎn , búyào haìpà , yĕ búyào wèijù tāmen , yīnwei Yēhéhuá nǐde shén hé nǐ tóng qù . tā bì bú piĕ xià nǐ , yĕ bú diūqì nǐ .

7 Móxī zhào le Yuēshūyà lái , zaì Yǐsèliè zhòngrén yǎnqián duì tā shuō , nǐ dàng gāngqiáng zhuàng dǎn . yīnwei , nǐ yào hé zhè bǎixìng yītóng jìnrù Yēhéhuá xiàng tāmen lièzǔ qǐshì yīngxǔ suǒ cì zhī dì . nǐ yĕ yào shǐ tāmen chéngshòu nà dì wéi yè .

8 Yēhéhuá bì zaì nǐ qiánmian xíng . tā bì yǔ nǐ tóng zaì , bì bú piĕ xià nǐ , yĕ bú diūqì nǐ . búyào jùpà , yĕ búyào jīng huáng .

9 Móxī jiāng zhè lǜfǎ xiĕ chūlai , jiāo gĕi tái Yēhéhuá yuē jǔ de jìsī Lìwèi zǐsūn hé Yǐsèliè de zhòng zhǎnglǎo .

10 Móxī fēnfu tāmen shuō , mĕi fùng qī nián de mò yī nián , jiù zaì huō miǎn nián de déng qī zhù péng jié de shíhou ,

11 Yǐsèliè zhòngrén lái dào Yēhéhuá nǐ shén suǒ xuǎnzé de dìfang chaójiàn tā . nàshí , nǐ yào zaì Yǐsèliè zhòngrén miànqián jiàng zhè lǜfǎ niàn gĕi tāmen tīng .

12 Yào zhāo jù tāmen nán , nǚ , háizi , bìng chéng lǐ jìjū de , shǐ tāmen tīng , shǐ tāmen xuéxí , hǎo jìngwèi Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén , jǐn shǒu , zūnxíng zhè lǜfǎ de yīqiè huà ,

13 Yĕ shǐ tāmen wèicéng xiǎodé zhè lǜfǎ de érnǚ déyǐ tīngjian , xuéxí jìngwèi Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén , zaì nǐmen guō Yuēdànhé yào de wéi yè zhī dì , cún huó de rìzi , chángcháng zhèyàng xíng .

14 Yēhéhuá duì Móxī shuō , nǐde sǐ qī línjìn le . yào zhào Yuēshūyà lái , nǐmen èr rén zhàn zaì huì mù lǐ , wǒ hǎo zhǔfu tā . yúshì Móxī hé Yuēshūyà qù zhàn zaì huì mù lǐ .

15 Yēhéhuá zaì huì mù lǐ yún zhù zhōng xiǎnxiàn , yún zhù tíng zaì huì mù mén yǐshàng .

16 Yēhéhuá yòu duì Móxī shuō , nǐ bì hé nǐ lièzǔ tóng shuì . zhè bǎixìng yào qǐlai , zaì tāmen suǒ yào qù de dì shàng , zaì nà dì de rén zhōng , suícóng waì bāng shén xíng xié yín , lí qì wǒ , wéibeì wǒ yǔ tāmen suǒ lì de yuē .

17 Nàshí , wǒde nùqì bì xiàng tāmen fā zuò . wǒ yĕ bì lí qì tāmen , yǎn miàn bú gù tāmen , yǐzhì tāmen beì tūn miè , bìng yǒu xǔduō de huòhuàn zāinàn líndào tāmen . nà rì tāmen bì shuō , zhèxie huòhuàn líndào wǒmen , qǐbù shì yīn wǒmen de shén bú zaì wǒmen zhōngjiān má ?

18 Nàshí , yīn tāmen piān xiàng bié shén suǒ xíng de yīqiè è , wǒ bìdéng yǎn miàn bú gù tāmen .

19 Xiànzaì nǐ yào xiĕ yī piān gē , jiàodǎo Yǐsèliè rén , chuán gĕi tāmen , shǐ zhè gē jiànzhèng tāmende bú shì .

20 Yīnwei wǒ jiàng tāmen lǐng jìn wǒ xiàng tāmen lièzǔ qǐshì yīngxǔ nà liú nǎi yǔ mì zhī dì , tāmen zaì nàli chī de bǎozú , shēntǐ féi pàng , jiù bì piān xiàng bié shén , shìfèng tāmen , miǎoshì wǒ , beìqì wǒde yuē .

21 Nàshí , yǒu xǔduō huòhuàn zāinàn líndào tāmen , zhè gē bì zaì tāmen miànqián zuò jiànzhèng , tāmen hòu ! yì de kǒu zhōng bì niàn sòng bú wáng . wǒ wèi lǐng tāmen dào wǒ suǒ qǐshì yīngxǔ zhī dì yǐ xiān , tāmen suǒ huái de yìniàn wǒ dōu zhīdào le .

22 Dàng rì Móxī jiù xiĕ le yī piān gē , jiàodǎo Yǐsèliè rén .

23 Yēhéhuá zhǔfu nèn de érzi Yuēshūyà shuō , nǐ dàng gāngqiáng zhuàng dǎn , yīnwei nǐ bì lǐng Yǐsèliè rén jìn wǒ suǒ qǐshì yīngxǔ tāmende dì . wǒ bì yǔ nǐ tóng zaì .

24 Móxī jiàng zhè lǜfǎ de huà xiĕ zaì shū shàng , jízhì xiĕ wán le ,

25 Jiù fēnfu tái Yēhéhuá yuē jǔ de Lìwèi rén shuō ,

26 Jiàng zhè lǜfǎ shū fàng zaì Yēhéhuá nǐmen shén de yuē jǔ páng , kĕyǐ zaì nàli jiànzhèng Yǐsèliè rén de bú shì .

27 Yīnwei wǒ zhīdào nǐmen shì beìnì de , shì yìng zhe jǐngxiàng de . wǒ jīnrì hái huó zhe yǔ nǐmen tóng zaì , nǐmen shàngqiĕ beìnì Yēhéhuá , hékuàng wǒ sǐ hòu ne ,

28 Nǐmen yào jiàng nǐmen zhīpaì de zhòng zhǎnglǎo hé guān zhǎng dōu zhāo jù le lái , wǒ hǎo jiàng zhèxie huà shuō yǔ tāmen tīng , bìng hū tiān huàn dì jiànzhèng tāmende bú shì .

29 Wǒ zhīdào wǒ sǐ hòu , nǐmen bì quán rán baìhuaì , piānlí wǒ suǒ fēnfu nǐmen de dào , xíng Yēhéhuá yǎn zhōng kàn wéi è de shì , yǐ shǒu suǒ zuò de rĕ tā fānù . rìhòu bì yǒu huòhuàn líndào nǐmen .

30 Móxī jiàng zhè yī piān gē de huà dōu shuō yǔ Yǐsèliè quánhuì zhòng tīng .

Shēnméngjì 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

Moses encourages the people, and Joshua. (1-8) The law to be read every seventh year. (9-13) The Israelites' apostacy foretold, A song given to be witness against them. (14-22) The law delivered to the Levites. (22-30)

Verses 1-8 Moses assures Israel of the constant presence of God with them. This is applied by the apostle to all God's spiritual Israel, to encourage their faith and hope; unto us is this gospel preached, as well as unto them; he will never fail thee, nor forsake thee, ( Hebrews 13:5 ) . Moses commends Joshua to them for a leader; one whose wisdom, and courage, and affection they had long known; one whom God had appointed to be their leader; and therefore would own and bless. Joshua is well pleased to be admonished by Moses to be strong and of good courage. Those shall speed well, who have God with them; therefore they ought to be of good courage. Through God let us do valiantly, for through him we shall do victoriously; if we resist the devil, he will flee from us.

Verses 9-13 Though we read the word in private, we must not think it needless to hear it read in public. This solemn reading of the law must be done in the year of release. The year of release was typical of gospel grace, which is called the acceptable year of the Lord; for our pardon and liberty by Christ, engage us to keep his commandments. It must be read to all Israel, men, women, children, and to the strangers. It is the will of God that all people should acquaint themselves with his word. It is a rule to all, therefore should be read to all. Whoever has read of the pains taken by many persons to get scraps of the Scriptures, when a whole copy could not be obtained, or safely possessed, will see how thankful we should be for the thousands of copies amongst us. They will also understand the very different situation in which the Israelites were placed for many ages. But the heart of man is so careless, that all will be found too little, to keep up a knowledge of the truths, precepts, and worship of God.

Verses 14-22 Moses and Joshua attended the Divine Majesty at the door of the tabernacle. Moses is told again that he must shortly die; even those who are most ready and willing to die, need to be often reminded of its coming. The Lord tells Moses, that, after his death, the covenant he had taken so much pains to make between Israel and their God, would certainly be broken. Israel would forsake Him; then God would forsake Israel. Justly does he cast those off who so unjustly cast him off. Moses is directed to deliver them a song, which should remain a standing testimony for God, as faithful to them in giving them warning, and against them, as persons false to themselves in not taking the warning. The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of men's hearts, and meets them by reproofs and correction. Ministers who preach the word, know not the imaginations of men; but God, whose word it is, knows perfectly.

Verses 23-30 The solemn delivery of the book of the law to the Levites, to be deposited in, or rather by the side, of the ark, is again related. The song which follows in the next chapter is delivered to Moses, and by him to the people. He wrote it first, as the Holy Spirit taught him; and then spake it in the hearing of all the people. Moses tells them plainly, I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves. Many a sad thought, no doubt, it occasioned to this good man; but his comfort was, that he had done his duty, and that God would be glorified in their dispersion, if not in their settlement, for the foundation of God stands sure.

Chapter Summary

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.