Deuteronomy 32
32
1“Give #Deut. 4:26; Ps. 50:4; Is. 1:2ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
And hear, O #Jer. 6:19earth, the words of my mouth.
2Let #Is. 55:10, 11my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
#Ps. 72:6As raindrops on the tender herb,
And as showers on the grass.
3For I proclaim the #Deut. 28:58name of the Lord:
#1 Chr. 29:11Ascribe greatness to our God.
4He is #Deut. 32:15, 18, 30; Ps. 18:2the Rock, #2 Sam. 22:31His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
#Deut. 7:9; Is. 65:16; Jer. 10:10A God of truth and #Job 34:10without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.
5“They#Deut. 4:25; 31:29 have corrupted themselves;
They are not His children,
Because of their blemish:
A #Phil. 2:15perverse and crooked generation.
6Do you thus #Ps. 116:12deal with the Lord,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is He not #Ex. 4:22; Deut. 1:31; Is. 63:16your Father, who #Ps. 74:2bought you?
Has He not #Deut. 32:15made you and established you?
7“Remember#Ps. 44:1 the days of old,
Consider the years of many generations.
#Ex. 12:26; 13:14; Ps. 78:5–8Ask your father, and he will show you;
Your elders, and they will tell you:
8When the Most High #Acts 17:26divided their inheritance to the nations,
When He #Gen. 11:8separated the sons of Adam,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the children of Israel.
9For #Ex. 19:5the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
10“He found him #Jer. 2:6; Hos. 13:5in a desert land
And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him,
He #Ps. 17:8; Prov. 7:2; Zech. 2:8kept him as the apple of His eye.
11#Is. 31:5As an eagle stirs up its nest,
Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
12So the Lord alone led him,
And there was no foreign god with him.
13“He#Is. 58:14 made him ride in the heights of the earth,
That he might eat the produce of the fields;
He made him draw honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock;
14Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock,
#Ps. 81:16With fat of lambs;
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the choicest wheat;
And you drank wine, the #Gen. 49:11blood of the grapes.
15“But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked;
#Deut. 31:20You grew fat, you grew thick,
You are obese!
Then he #Is. 1:4forsook God who #Is. 51:13made him,
And scornfully esteemed the #Ps. 95:1Rock of his salvation.
16#Ps. 78:58; 1 Cor. 10:22They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
17#Rev. 9:20They sacrificed to demons, not to God,
To gods they did not know,
To new gods, new arrivals
That your fathers did not fear.
18#Is. 17:10Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have #Jer. 2:32forgotten the God who fathered you.
19“And#Judg. 2:14 when the Lord saw it, He spurned them,
Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters.
20And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
#Matt. 17:17Children in whom is no faith.
21#Ps. 78:58They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God;
They have moved Me to anger #Ps. 31:6by their foolish idols.
But #Rom. 10:19I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
22For #Num. 16:33–35; Ps. 18:7, 8; Lam. 4:11a fire is kindled in My anger,
And shall burn to the lowest hell;
It shall consume the earth with her increase,
And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23‘I will #Ex. 32:12; Deut. 29:21, 24heap disasters on them;
#Ps. 7:12, 13I will spend My arrows on them.
24They shall be wasted with hunger,
Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction;
I will also send against them the #Lev. 26:22teeth of beasts,
With the poison of serpents of the dust.
25The sword shall destroy outside;
There shall be terror within
For the young man and virgin,
The nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
26#Ezek. 20:23I would have said, “I will dash them in pieces,
I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,”
27Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy,
Lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
Lest they should say, #Is. 10:12–15“Our hand is high;
And it is not the Lord who has done all this.” ’
28“For they are a nation void of counsel,
Nor is there any understanding in them.
29#Ps. 81:13; (Luke 19:42)Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider their #Deut. 31:29latter end!
30How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock #Judg. 2:14; Ps. 44:12had sold them,
And the Lord had surrendered them?
31For their rock is not like our Rock,
#(1 Sam. 4:7, 8; Jer. 40:2, 3)Even our enemies themselves being judges.
32For #Is. 1:8–10their vine is of the vine of Sodom
And of the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter.
33Their wine is #Ps. 58:4the poison of serpents,
And the cruel #Rom. 3:13venom of cobras.
34‘Is this not #(Jer. 2:22)laid up in store with Me,
Sealed up among My treasures?
35#Ps. 94:1; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
#2 Pet. 2:3For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’
36“For#Ps. 135:14; Heb. 10:30 the Lord will judge His people
#Ps. 106:45; Jer. 31:20And have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their power is gone,
And #2 Kin. 14:26there is no one remaining, bond or free.
37He will say: #Judg. 10:14; Jer. 2:28‘Where are their gods,
The rock in which they sought refuge?
38Who ate the fat of their sacrifices,
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise and help you,
And be your refuge.
39‘Now see that #Is. 41:4; 43:10I, even I, am He,
And #Deut. 32:12; Is. 45:5there is no God besides Me;
#1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 68:20I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
40For I raise My hand to heaven,
And say, “As I live forever,
41#Is. 1:24; 66:16; Jer. 50:28–32If I whet My glittering sword,
And My hand takes hold on judgment,
I will render vengeance to My enemies,
And repay those who hate Me.
42I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
And My sword shall devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the heads of the leaders of the enemy.” ’
43“Rejoice,#Rom. 15:10 O Gentiles, with His people;
For He will #2 Kin. 9:7; Rev. 6:10; 19:2avenge the blood of His servants,
And render vengeance to His adversaries;
He #Ps. 65:3; 79:9; 85:1will provide atonement for His land and His people.”
44So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46and he said to them: #Ezek. 40:4; 44:5“Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your #Deut. 11:19children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your #Deut. 8:3; 30:15–20life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”
Moses to Die on Mount Nebo
48Then the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49#Num. 27:12–14; Deut. 3:27“Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as #Num. 20:25, 28; 33:38Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; 51because #Num. 20:11–13you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you #Lev. 10:3did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. 52#Num. 27:12; Deut. 34:1–5Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”
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Deuteronomy 32: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Deuteronomy 32
32
1Earth and Sky,
listen to what I say!
2Israel, I will teach you.
My words will be like gentle rain
on tender young plants,
or like dew on the grass.
3Join with me in praising
the wonderful name
of the LORD our God.
4The LORD is a mighty rock,#32.4 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock”, which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the LORD to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
and he never does wrong.
God can always be trusted
to bring justice.
5But you lie and cheat
and are unfaithful to him.
You have disgraced yourselves
and are no longer worthy
to be his children.#32.5 and are unfaithful…children: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6Israel, the LORD is your Father,
the one who created you,
but you repaid him
by being foolish.
7Think about past generations.
Ask your parents
or any of your elders.
They will tell you
8that God Most High#Ac 17.26.
gave land to every nation.
He assigned a guardian angel
to each of them,#32.8 He assigned…them: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “So there were as many nations as Israel (that is, Jacob) had children.”
9but the LORD himself
takes care of Israel.#32.9 Israel: The Hebrew text has “Jacob”, another name for Israel's ancestor.
10Israel, the LORD discovered you
in a barren desert
filled with howling winds.
God became your fortress,
protecting you as though
you were his own eyes.
11The LORD was like an eagle
teaching its young to fly,
always ready to swoop down
and catch them on its back.
12Israel, the LORD led you,
and without the aid
of a foreign god,
13he helped you
capture the land.
Your fields were rich
with grain.
Olive trees grew
in your stony soil,
and honey was found
among the rocks.
14Your flocks and herds
produced milk and yoghurt,
and you got choice meat
from your sheep and goats
that grazed in Bashan.
Your wheat was the finest,
and you drank the best wine.
15Israel,#32.15 Israel: The Standard Hebrew Text has “Jeshurun”, a rare name for Israel related to a word meaning “honest”. The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation also use “Jacob”, another name for the ancestor of the nation of Israel. you grew fat and rebelled
against God, your Creator;
you rejected the Mighty Rock,#32.15 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
your only place of safety.
16You made God jealous and angry
by worshipping disgusting idols
and foreign gods.
17You offered sacrifices#1 Co 10.20.
to demons, those useless gods#32.16,17 disgusting idols…foreign gods…demons…those useless gods: Different ways of referring to gods of other nations.
that never helped you,
new gods that your ancestors
never worshipped.
18You turned away
from God, your Creator;
you forgot the Mighty Rock,#32.18 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
the source of your life.
19You were the LORD's children,
but you made him angry.
Then he rejected you 20and said,
“You are unfaithful
and can't be trusted.
So I won't answer your prayers;
I'll just watch and see
what happens to you.
21You worshipped worthless idols,#1 Co 10.22; Ro 10.19.
and made me jealous
and angry!
Now I will send a cruel#32.21 cruel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
and worthless nation
to make you jealous and angry.
22“My people, I will breathe out fire
that sends you down
to the world of the dead.
It will scorch your farmlands
and burn deep down
under the mountains.
23I'll send disaster after disaster
to strike you like arrows.
24You'll be struck by starvation
and deadly diseases,
by the fangs of wild animals
and poisonous snakes.
25Young and old alike
will be killed in the streets
and terrified at home.
26“I wanted to scatter you,
so no one would remember
that you had ever lived.
27But I dreaded the sound
of your enemies saying,
‘We defeated Israel with no help
from the LORD.’ ”
28People of Israel,
that's what the LORD
has said to you.
But you don't have good sense,
and you never listen
to advice.
29If you did, you could see
where you are headed.
30How could one enemy soldier
chase a thousand
of Israel's troops?
Or how could two of theirs
pursue ten thousand of ours?
It can only happen if the LORD
stops protecting Israel
and lets the enemy win.
31Even our enemies know
that only our God
is a Mighty Rock.#32.31 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
32Our enemies are grapevines
rooted in the fields
of Sodom and Gomorrah.#32.32 Sodom and Gomorrah: Two cities that the LORD destroyed because their people were so evil (see Genesis 18.16—19.28).
The grapes they produce
are full of bitter poison;
33their wine is more deadly
than cobra venom.
34But the LORD has written
a list of their sins
and locked it in his vault.
35Soon our enemies will get#Ro 12.19; He 10.30.
what they deserve#32.35 our enemies…deserve: The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “I will pay them back.”—
suddenly they will slip,
and total disaster
will quickly follow.
36When only a few#Ps 135.14.
of the LORD's people remain,
when their strength is gone,
and some of them are slaves,
the LORD will feel sorry for them
and give them justice.
37But first the LORD will say,
“You ran for safety to other gods—
couldn't they help you?
38You offered them wine
and your best sacrifices.
Can't those gods help you now
or give you protection?
39Don't you understand?
I am the only God;
there are no others.
I am the one who takes life
and gives it again.
I punished you with suffering.
But now I will heal you,
and nothing can stop me!
40“I make this solemn promise:
just as I live for ever,
41I will take revenge
on my hateful enemies.
I will sharpen my sword
and let it flash
like lightning.
42My arrows will get drunk
on enemy blood;
my sword will taste the flesh
and the blood of the enemy.
It will kill prisoners,
and cut off the heads
of their leaders.”#32.42 leaders: Or “long-haired warriors”, who let their hair grow to show that they had made sacred promises to their gods.
43Tell the heavens to celebrate#Ro 15.10; Rev 19.2.
and all gods to bow down
to the LORD,#32.43 Tell…LORD: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “Let the nations, his people, celebrate.”
because he will take revenge
on those hateful enemies
who killed his people.
He will forgive the sins of Israel
and purify their land.#32.43 because he will…land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
44-45Moses spoke the words of the song so that all the Israelites could hear, and Joshua#32.44,45 Joshua: The Hebrew text has “Hoshea”, another form of Joshua's name. helped him. When Moses had finished, 46he said, “Always remember this song I have taught you today. And let it be a warning that you must teach your children to obey everything written in The Book of God's Law. 47The Law isn't empty words. It can give you a long life in the land that you are going to take.”
Moses sees the land and blesses the tribes of Israel
Moses will see the land
48Later that day the LORD said to Moses:#Nu 27.12-14; Dt 3.23-27.
49Go up into the Abarim Mountain range here in Moab across the Jordan valley from Jericho. And when you reach the top of Mount Nebo, you will be able to see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Israel. 50Then you will die and be buried on the mountaintop, just as your brother Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor. 51Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert.#32.51 Both of you were unfaithful…the Zin Desert: See Numbers 20.1-13. I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honour and respect I deserve. 52So I will give the land to the people of Israel, but you will only get to see it from a distance.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012