Study Desk

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, ^(F1)(C1)the time for you to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, and I will commission him." ^(C2)So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.

^(C1)And the LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance of the tent.

The LORD said to Moses, "Behold, ^(C1)you are about to ^(F1)lie down with your fathers; and ^(C2)this people will arise and play the prostitute with the foreign gods of the land into the midst of which they are going, and ^(C3)they will abandon Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

"^(C1)Then My anger will be kindled against them on that day, and ^(C2)I will abandon them and ^(C3)hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will find them; so they will say on that day, '^(C4)Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have found us?'

"But I will assuredly hide My face on that day because of all the evil that they will have done, for they will have turned away to other gods.

"Now then, ^(C1)write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it ^(F1)on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.

"^(C1)For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and ^(C2)become ^(F1)prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant.

"Then it will come about, ^(C1)when many evils and troubles find them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of their ^(F1)descendants); for ^(C2)I know their inclination which they are ^(F2)developing today, before I bring them into the land which I swore."

^(C1)So Moses wrote down this song on the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

^(C1)Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, "^(C2)Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and ^(C3)I will be with you."