7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, a“Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.
8 And the Lord, aHe is the One who goes before you. bHe will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
The Law to Be Read Every Seven Years
9 So Moses wrote this law aand delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, bwho bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the ayear of release, bat the Feast of Tabernacles,
11 when all Israel comes to aappear before the Lord your God in the bplace which He chooses, cyou shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
12aGather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law,
13 and that their children, awho have not known it, bmay hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
Prediction of Israel’s Rebellion
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, a“Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that bI may inaugurate him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting.
15 Now athe Lord appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle.
16 And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, you will1 rest with your fathers; and this people will arise and bplay the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go tobe among them, and they will cforsake Me and dbreak My covenant which I have made with them.
17 Then My anger shall be aaroused against them in that day, and bI will forsake them, and I will chide My face from them, and they shall be1 devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, d‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God isenot among us?’
18 And aI will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.
19 “Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be aa witness for Me against the children of Israel.
20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves aand grown fat, bthen they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant.
21 Then it shall be, awhen many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for bI know the inclination cof their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore togivethem.”
22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
23aThen He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, b“Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”
24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished,
HE DELIVERS THE LAW TO THE PRIESTS, TO READ IT EVERY SEVENTH YEAR TO THE PEOPLE. (Deuteronomy 31:9-13)
And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests—The law thus committed to writing was either the whole book of Deuteronomy, or the important part of it contained between the twenty-seventh and thirtieth chapters. It was usual in cases of public or private contract for two copies of the engagement to be made—one to be deposited in the national archives or some secure place for reference, should occasion require. The other was to remain in the hands of the contracting parties (Jeremiah 32:12-14). The same course was followed on this renewal of the covenant between God and Israel. Two written copies of the law were prepared, the one of which was delivered to the public representatives of Israel; namely, the priests and the elders.
the priests, . . . who bare the ark of the covenant—In all ordinary journeys, it was the common duty of the Levites to carry the ark and its furniture (Numbers 4:15); but, on solemn or extraordinary occasions, that office was discharged by the priests (Joshua 3:3-8; Joshua 6:6; I Chronicles 15:11-12).
all the elders of Israel—They were assistants to the priests and overseers to take care of the preservation, rehearsal, and observance of the law.
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Deuteronomy 31:9:
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