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Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Deuteronomy 31:28

Assemble all your tribal elders and officers before me so that I may speak these words directly to them and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Death;   Government;   Reproof;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Forgiveness;   Testimony;   Word;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Writing;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Deuteronomy, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Elder;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Elder (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elder;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elder in the Old Testament;   Moses;   Record;   Writing;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafá¹­arah;   Police Laws;   Scroll of the Law;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Assemble to me all the Zakenim of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and eretz to witness against them.
King James Version
Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.
Lexham English Bible
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may speak in their ears these words, and that I may call as witness against them heaven and earth.
English Standard Version
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
New Century Version
Gather all the elders of your tribes and all your officers to me so that I may say these things for them to hear, and so that I may ask heaven and earth to testify against them.
New English Translation
Gather to me all your tribal elders and officials so I can speak to them directly about these things and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them.
Amplified Bible
"Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them.
New American Standard Bible
"Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Gather vnto me all the Elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speake these wordes in their audience, and call heauen and earth to recorde against them.
Legacy Standard Bible
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them.
Contemporary English Version
So call together the leaders and officials of the tribes of Israel. I will bring this book and read every word of it to you, and I will call the sky and the earth as witnesses that all of you know what you are supposed to do.
Complete Jewish Bible
(Maftir) Assemble for me all the leaders of your tribes and your officials, so that I can say these things in their hearing, calling heaven and earth to witness against them —
Darby Translation
Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and take heaven and earth to witness against them.
Easy-to-Read Version
Bring together all the officers and leaders of your tribes. I will tell them these things. And I will call heaven and earth to be witnesses against them.
George Lamsa Translation
Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your scribes, that I may speak these words to you, and call heaven and earth to witness against you.
Good News Translation
Assemble all your tribal leaders and officials before me, so that I can tell them these things; I will call heaven and earth to be my witnesses against them.
Literal Translation
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, and I shall speak in their ears these words, and cause the heavens and the earth to testify against them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Gather now vnto me all the Elders of youre trybes, and youre officers, yt I maye speake these wordes in their eares, and take heauen and earth to recorde agaynst them.
American Standard Version
Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
Bible in Basic English
Get together before me all those who are in authority in your tribes, and your overseers, so that I may say these things in their hearing, and make heaven and earth my witnesses against them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Gather vnto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speake these wordes in their eares, and call heauen and earth to recorde against them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
King James Version (1611)
Gather vnto mee all the Elders of your tribes, and your Officers, that I may speake these words in their eares, and call heauen and earth to record against them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Gather together to me the heads of your tribes, and your elders, and your judges, and your officers, that I may speak in their ears all these words; and I call both heaven and earth to witness against them.
English Revised Version
Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
Berean Standard Bible
Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Gadere ye to me all the grettere men in birthe, and techeris, bi youre lynagis, and Y schal speke to hem, herynge these wordis, and Y schal clepe ayens hem heuene and erthe.
Young's Literal Translation
`Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your authorities, and I speak in their ears these words, and cause to testify against them the heavens and the earth,
Update Bible Version
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
Webster's Bible Translation
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.
World English Bible
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
New King James Version
Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
New Living Translation
"Now summon all the elders and officials of your tribes, so that I can speak to them directly and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
New Life Bible
Gather together and bring to me all the leaders and heads of your families. I will speak these words to them and call heaven and earth to speak against them.
New Revised Standard
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may recite these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Call together unto me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, - and let me speak in their hearing these words, and let me take to witness against them the heavens and the earth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Gather unto me all the ancients of your tribes, and your doctors, and I will speak these words in their hearing, and will call heaven and earth to witness against them.
Revised Standard Version
Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them.

Contextual Overview

22So Moses wrote down this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites. 23The Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I swore to them, and I will be with you.” 24When Moses had finished writing down on a scroll every single word of this law, 25he commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, 26“Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God so that it may remain there as a witness against you. 27For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are rebelling against the Lord now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead! 28Assemble all your tribal elders and officers before me so that I may speak these words directly to them and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them. 29For I know that after my death you will become completely corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. Disaster will come to you in the future, because you will do what is evil in the Lord’s sight, angering him with what your hands have made.” 30Then Moses recited aloud every single word of this song to the entire assembly of Israel:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gather unto me: Deuteronomy 31:12, Deuteronomy 29:10, Genesis 49:1, Genesis 49:2, Exodus 18:25, Numbers 11:16, Numbers 11:17

call heaven: Deuteronomy 4:26, Deuteronomy 30:19, Deuteronomy 32:1, Isaiah 1:2, Luke 19:40

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 31:9 - Moses Joshua 1:9 - Have Joshua 23:2 - all Israel Ruth 4:2 - the elders 2 Kings 23:1 - the king Psalms 50:4 - call Daniel 9:27 - that determined

Cross-References

Genesis 29:13
When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him, hugged him, and kissed him. Then he took him to his house, and Jacob told him all that had happened.
Genesis 31:3
The Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.’”
Genesis 31:24
But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. “Watch yourself!” God warned him. “Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
Genesis 31:55
Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left to return home.
Exodus 4:27
Now the Lord had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.
Ruth 1:9
May the Lord grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.
Ruth 1:14
Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
1 Samuel 13:13
Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel,
1 Kings 19:20
Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers,.... The heads of the tribes, the princes, and all other inferior magistrates:

that I may speak these words in their ears; not the words of the law, but of the song which he was ordered to write, and is recorded in the following chapter:

and call heaven and earth to record against them; to bear witness of what he delivered to them, and to bear witness against them should they transgress the laws he gave them; and to bear witness that they had been faithfully cautioned against transgressing, and had been severely threatened, and the punishment plainly pointed out that should be inflicted on them in case of disobedience, so that they were left entirely without excuse.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Moses completes the writing out of the book of the Law, and directs it to be placed by the ark of the covenant.

Deuteronomy 31:24

The “book” here spoken of would contain the whole Pentateuch up to this verse, and be “the Book of Moses,” called generally by the Jews “the Law” (compare Matthew 22:40; Galatians 4:21).

Deuteronomy 31:25

The Levites, which bare the ark - i. e., as in Deuteronomy 31:9, “the priests the sons of Levi.” The non-priestly Levites could not so much as enter the sanctuary or touch the ark (compare Numbers 4:15). Though in the journeys through the wilderness the ark was borne by the non-priestly Kohathites, yet on occasions of a more solemn and public character it was carried by the priests themselves (Joshua 3:3 ff, Joshua 4:9-10; Joshua 6:6, Joshua 6:12; Joshua 8:33; 1 Kings 8:3).

Deuteronomy 31:26

Put it in the side of the ark - Rather, by the side of the ark. The two tables of the Decalogue were in the ark 1 Kings 8:9; the Book of the Law was to be laid up in the holy of holies close by the ark of the covenant, probably in a chest. Compare 2 Kings 22:8.

Deuteronomy 31:27

How much more after my death - Hence, Deuteronomy 31:24 and the rest of the book (with the exception of the song, Deuteronomy 31:19) must be regarded as a kind of appendix added after Moses’ death by another hand; though the Blessing Deuteronomy 33:0 is of course to be regarded as a composition of Moses.


 
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