Deuteronomy 31

1 Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.

梅瑟又繼續用以下的話向全以色列人說：「

2 He said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Yahweh has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’

我今天已經一百二十歲，再不能出入；而且上主曾對我說：『你不能過這約但河。』

3 Yahweh your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua will go over before you, as Yahweh has spoken.

上主你的天主親自要領你過去，親自要由你面前將這些民族消滅，使你佔領他們的土地；按上主所許過的，若蘇厄將領你們過去。

4 Yahweh will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.

上主對待那些民族，必像以前對待阿摩黎人王息紅和敖格，以及他們的國一樣，將他們完全消滅。

5 Yahweh will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.

上主必將他們交於你們，你們應依照我吩咐你們的一切命令，對待他們。

6 Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them, for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”

你們應勇敢堅決，不要害怕，在他們面前也不要畏懼，因為上主你的天主親自與你同行，決不拋棄你，也決不離開你。」

7 Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.

然後梅瑟召若蘇厄來，當著全以色列的面對他說：「你要勇敢堅決，因為你應領這人民，進入上主向他們祖先誓許要賜予他們的土地；你應將那地分給他們作為基業。

8 Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”

上主必親自領導你，與你同在，決不拋棄你，也決不離開你；你不要害怕，也不要膽怯。」

9 Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.

梅瑟寫好這法律，交給抬上主約櫃的肋未子孫司祭，和以色列所有的長老；

10 Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of booths,

然後梅瑟吩咐他們說：「每逢七年，即在豁免年間的帳棚節期內，

11 when all Israel has come to appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

當全以色列人來到上主你的天主所選的地方朝拜上主時，你應在全以色列人前，大聲宣讀這法律。

12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and the foreigners who are within your gates, that they may hear, learn, fear Yahweh your God, and observe to do all the words of this law,

你應召集人民，男女幼小，和你城鎮中的外方人，叫他們都聽到，好學習敬畏上主你們的天主，謹守遵行這法律上的一切話。

13 and that their children, who have not known, may hear and learn to fear Yahweh your God, as long as you live in the land where you go over the Jordan to possess it.”

尚不認識這法律的子女，也應叫他們聽到，好使他們在你們渡過約但河去佔領的土地上生活的時候，日日學習敬畏上主你們的天主。」

14 Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

上主對梅瑟說：「看，你的死期已近，你召若蘇厄來，你們一起站在會幕那裏，我好吩咐他。」梅瑟於是和若蘇厄前去，一起站在會幕那裏。

15 Yahweh appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the Tent’s door.

上主出現在會幕上，在雲柱中，這雲柱停在會幕門口上面。

16 Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land where they go to be among them, and will forsake me and break my covenant which I have made with them.

上主對梅瑟說：「看，你快與你的祖先同眠；這人民要起來，在要去的地方內，同異邦之神行淫，而離棄我，破壞我與他們所訂立的盟約。

17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’

那時，我必要對他們大發忿怒，拋棄他們，掩面不顧他們，讓他們被人吞併，使他們遭遇許多災禍和艱難；到那日他們必說：『我遭遇了這些災禍，豈不是因為我的天主已不在我中間了麼﹖』

18 I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.

因了他們歸向其他的神所作的一切邪惡，那天我必掩面不顧他們。

19 “Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

所以，現在你應寫下這篇詩歌，教給以色列子民的證據。

20 For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.

因我領他們進了我對他們的祖先所誓許的流奶流蜜的土地，他們吃飽了，吃肥了，卻歸向了其他的神，事奉他們，而蔑視我，破壞我的盟約。

21 It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.”

當他們遭遇到許多災禍和艱難時，這詩歌就成為反對他們的證據，因為這詩歌總不會由他們後裔的口中失傳。的確，在我領他們進入我誓許的地方以前，我早已知道他們今天所懷的企圖。」

22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.

梅瑟遂在那一天寫下了這篇詩歌，教給了以色列子民。

23 He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them. I will be with you.”

此後，上主吩咐農的兒子若蘇厄說：「你要勇敢堅決，因為你要領以色列子民進入我給他們誓許的土地，我必與你同在。」

24 When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,

梅瑟將這法律的話在書上寫完以後，

25 Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, saying,

便吩咐抬上主約櫃的肋未人說：「

26 “Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, that it may be there for a witness against you.

你們將這法律書拿去，放在上主你們天主的約櫃旁，留在那裏作為反對你的證據。

27 For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Behold, while I am yet alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Yahweh. How much more after my death?

因為我知道你是如何頑固執拗。看，我還同你們生活在一起的今天，你們就這樣反抗了上主；何況在我死後!

28 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.

你們給我將你們支派所有的長老和官員召來，我要將這些話說給他們聽，指著天地對他們作證。

29 For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn away from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.”

因為我知道在我死後，你們必定完全敗壞，離棄我吩咐你們的道；最後，你們必要遭受災禍，因為作了上主視為邪惡的事，以你們的作為，使他發怒。」

30 Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.

梅瑟遂在以色列全體會眾前，由頭至尾，大聲朗誦了這篇詩歌的話。