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0 The death of Moses (Dt 31-34)

Episode 77: The death of Moses

(Deuteronomy 31-34)

31 2 Moses continued his speech, saying to all of the Israelites:

2 I am 120 years old. I can no longer go out and come in.

God said to me, “You won't cross over the Jordan River.”

3 God will go in front of you, destroying nations so you can possess them. 4 He'll do to them as he did to Sihon and Og. 5 God will give them to you, so you can kill them all.

Moses writes law and reads it to everyone in Israel

9 Moses wrote the entire law and delivered it to the priests.

He said to them,

10 Every seven years, during the feast of tabernacles, everyone in Israel must appear in front of God in the place God chooses. 11 At this time, the entire law will be read to everyone in Israel so that they all can hear it and fear God.

Moses writes down God's song

15 God appeared in a cloud over the tabernacle.

16-17 He said to Moses,

You will die soon, and the people will go whoring after other gods, so I will punish them by having them devoured by evil. 18 And I will hide my face from them, because they turned to other gods. 19 So write this song down and teach it to the Israelites.

22 Moses wrote God's song down the same day that he wrote down the law, and he taught it to the Israelites.

Moses sings God's Drunk-With-Blood song

32 8 God divided the nations into Jacob and everyone else.

9 He gave his inheritance to Jacob.

13 He made him ride the high places and suck honey out of a rock.

14 You had lots of butter, milk, and fat. And you drank pure blood from the grape.

15 Now you're covered with fatness. But you rejected God and the rock of his salvation.

18 You've forgotten the rock that begat you, And the God that formed you.

22 So the fire of my anger will burn in the lowest hell. It will consume the earth.

23 I will shoot them with all my arrows.

24 They will burn with hunger, be devoured by fire, be bitten by beasts, and poisoned with serpents of the dust.

25 They will live in terror and die by the sword.

I will destroy young men and virgins, babies and old men.

42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood and my sword will devour flesh.

God tells Moses to climb Mount Nebo and die

48 God said to Moses,

49 Climb up mount Nebo and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. 50 And die.

51 Because you trespassed against me at the waters of Meribah. 52 You will see the promised land, but you won't go there.

Moses's blessing

33 1 This was Moses’s blessing before he died:

2 God came with tens of thousands of saints. A fiery law came out of his right hand.

11 God will bless the Levites and smite the loins of anyone who opposes them.

12 Benjamin will live between God's shoulders.

13 Joseph will have the precious things produced by the moon.

17 His horns are like the horns of unicorns.

18-19 Zebulun and Issachar will suck the abundance of the seas, and the treasures hidden in the sand.

20 Whoever enlarges Gad will be blessed. He lives like a lion and tears the arm with the crown of the head.

22 Dan is a lion cub.

24 Asher will dip his foot in oil.

25 His shoes will be iron and brass.

26 No one is like the God of Jeshurun, who rides through the sky.

God will thrust out your enemy, and will say, "Destroy them."

Moses dies

34 1 Moses climbed the mountain of Nebo, where God showed him the promised land.

4 God said to him,

This is the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I've let you see it with your own eyes, but you won't go there.

5 Moses died there, according to the word of the Lord.

7 He was 120 years old. His sight was still good, and he was as strong as ever.

9 Joshua was full of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him.

10 There was never another prophet like Moses, whom God knew face to face.

12 No one could match his mighty hand or great terror.

A few more words about this episode

God's Drunk-With-Blood song (32:1-42)
I didn't include the complete lyrics to God's song here, just some of my favorite lines.
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