Deuteronomy 32 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Deuteronomy 32 meaning explained in AI Summary

The Song of Moses

A Poetic Farewell: This chapter presents a beautiful and powerful song by Moses, reflecting on God's faithfulness and the Israelites' history.
Warnings and Encouragements: The song serves as a final warning against disobedience and an encouragement to remain faithful to God.
Prophecies about the Future: Moses also includes prophetic pronouncements about the future blessings and curses that await the Israelites depending on their choices.

Deuteronomy 32 is a powerful poem, often called "The Song of Moses," that serves as a final message to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. It's a song of both warning and hope, highlighting God's faithfulness and Israel's potential for both obedience and rebellion.

of the chapter:

1. Call to Attention (Verses 1-3): Moses calls heaven and earth to witness the importance of his words. He emphasizes the truth and lasting impact of his message.

2. God's Perfect Character (Verses 4-6): Moses praises God's perfect justice, righteousness, faithfulness, and uprightness. He contrasts this with the flawed and corrupt nature of humanity.

3. God's Faithfulness to Israel (Verses 7-14): Moses recounts God's care for Israel, choosing them, protecting them, and providing for them in the wilderness. He reminds them of their special status as God's treasured possession.

4. Israel's Unfaithfulness (Verses 15-18): The tone shifts as Moses laments Israel's unfaithfulness. He describes their prosperity leading to idolatry, their abandonment of God for foreign gods, and their descent into corruption and violence.

5. God's Discipline and Jealousy (Verses 19-25): Moses warns of God's righteous anger and the consequences of their actions. He describes God's jealousy over their worship of false gods and the potential for disaster and suffering as a result.

6. God's Relentless Justice (Verses 26-35): Moses describes the potential for God to unleash his wrath upon Israel's enemies, bringing them to ruin. He emphasizes that God will avenge his people and judge the wicked.

7. A Promise of Restoration (Verses 36-43): Despite the warnings, the song ends on a note of hope. Moses prophesies a time when God will relent, showing compassion and restoring his people. He promises victory over their enemies and a return to a place of blessing.

4. Final Exhortation (Verses 44-47): Moses urges the people to take his words to heart, emphasizing their importance for future generations. He presents the song as a covenant reminder, a source of wisdom and life.

Overall Message:

Deuteronomy 32 is a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and justice. It warns of the consequences of disobedience while offering hope for restoration and blessing. The song serves as a final plea for Israel to choose faithfulness and experience the fullness of God's covenant promises.

Deuteronomy 32 bible study ai commentary

The Song of Moses is a monumental prophetic poem that serves as a divine witness to Israel’s entire future history. It masterfully encapsulates the key themes of God's covenant faithfulness, symbolized by the immutable "Rock," against Israel’s persistent unfaithfulness. The song traces the cycle of blessing, apostasy, judgment, and ultimate restoration, establishing that God’s actions, including judgment through enemy nations, are always sovereignly controlled for the final purpose of His own glory and the vindication of His people. It acts as both a warning and a promise, foretelling events that would unfold over millennia.

Deuteronomy 32 context

This song was given to Moses just before his death and was commanded to be taught to all of Israel. It functions within the structure of an ancient Near Eastern covenant treaty, where deities (here, "heavens and earth") are called as witnesses to the terms. Its primary purpose was to be a legal "witness" against Israel when they would inevitably break the covenant in the future (Deut 31:19-21). The song is prophetic, spanning from the nation's origins in the wilderness to a distant future of exile and final redemption, providing a theological lens through which Israel was to interpret its own history.

Deuteronomy 32:1-3

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!

In-depth-analysis

v. 1, Heavens and Earth as Witnesses: A common ancient Near Eastern legal formula for invoking witnesses to a treaty or covenant. This establishes the cosmic and unbreakable nature of this testimony.
v. 2, Rain and Dew: God's word is depicted not as a violent storm but as life-giving, refreshing, and essential for growth (tender grass, herb). This contrasts sharply with the judgment that follows later in the song.
v. 3, Proclaim the Name of the LORD: The purpose of the song is declared upfront. It is a theodicy—a justification of God’s ways. The ultimate goal is to vindicate God's character (Yahweh) and demonstrate His "greatness," even through Israel’s sin and punishment.

Bible references

Isaiah 1:2: 'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken...' (Echoes the call to witness).
Psalm 72:6: 'May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!' (Similar imagery for a righteous king's rule).
Matthew 5:45: '...for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.' (God's common grace, like rain).

Cross references

Mic 1:2 (earth as witness), Ps 19:1 (heavens declare glory), Prov 4:1-2 (listen to teaching), Isa 55:10-11 (God's word accomplishes its purpose).

Deuteronomy 32:4

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

In-depth-analysis

The Rock (Heb. Ha-Tsur): This is the central title and theme for God in the chapter. It denotes stability, faithfulness, a source of security, and an unchangeable refuge. It stands in stark contrast to Israel's instability and the powerlessness of other gods ("their rock is not as our Rock," v. 31).
Perfect, Justice, Faithfulness: The song’s thesis statement. God's character is the unchanging standard against which all of Israel’s subsequent actions are measured. Any fault in the covenant relationship lies with the people, not God.

Bible references

1 Samuel 2:2: 'There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.' (Hannah's song, another foundational poem).
Psalm 18:2: 'The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge...' (David's personal application of this title).
1 Corinthians 10:4: '...and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.' (Paul identifies the Rock of the wilderness with Christ).

Cross references

2 Sam 22:3 (God is my rock), Psa 92:15 (no unrighteousness in him), Rev 15:3 (just and true are your ways).

Deuteronomy 32:5-6

They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because of their blemish; they are a crooked and twisted generation. Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?

In-depth-analysis

Blemish (Heb. mum): This is the same word used for a blemish in a sacrificial animal (Lev 22:20). Israel, intended to be a holy offering to God, has become disqualified by its own corruption.
Crooked and Twisted Generation: This language portrays a profound moral perversion. Israel has deviated from the "upright" path of their "upright" God (v. 4).
Father, who created you: The accusation is sharpened by an appeal to relationship. Their rebellion is not against a distant deity but against their own Father and Creator, making their folly and ingratitude even more severe.

Bible references

Philippians 2:15: '...that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation...' (Paul directly alludes to this verse in his exhortation).
Isaiah 63:16: 'For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us... You, O LORD, are our Father...' (Israel's appeal to God's fatherhood).
Malachi 1:6: 'A son honors his father... If then I am a father, where is my honor?' (God uses the same father-son logic to indict Israel).

Cross references

Mat 17:17 (faithless and twisted generation), Joh 8:44 (You are of your father the devil), Jer 5:21 (foolish people without sense).

Deuteronomy 32:7-9

Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of man, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.

In-depth-analysis

Remember the days of old: A call to learn from redemptive history, a central pillar of biblical faith.
v. 8, Sons of God (Heb. bene elohim): This is a monumentally important verse with a textual variant.
- Masoretic Text (MT): "sons of Israel." This reading suggests God organized the nations with the future 70 descendants of Jacob (Gen 46:27) in mind.
- Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) & Septuagint (LXX): "sons of God" or "angels of God." This is widely accepted by scholars as the original reading.
Theological Implication (DSS/LXX): At the Tower of Babel (Gen 10-11), the "Most High" ('Elyon) disinherited the rebellious nations, placing them under the authority of lesser divine beings (the "sons of God"). But He set aside one people, Israel, as His own direct inheritance (Yahweh's portion).

Bible references

Acts 17:26: 'And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place...' (Paul reflects this divine ordering of nations).
Genesis 10: The Table of Nations, which sets the stage for God's judgment and division at Babel in chapter 11.
Psalm 82:1, 6: 'God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment... I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you..."' (Shows the concept of a divine council of beings God judges).

Cross references

Exo 19:5-6 (a treasured possession), Eph 1:18 (riches of his glorious inheritance), Psa 74:2 (your redeemed congregation).

Polemics

This passage is a direct polemic against the polytheistic worldview of the ancient Near East. It doesn't deny the existence of other spiritual beings ("gods") but subjugates them entirely under the authority of Yahweh, the "Most High." The gods of the nations are presented as mere regional custodians, while Yahweh is the supreme sovereign who personally chose and owns Israel. The Tower of Babel event is the backdrop for this cosmic geography.

Deuteronomy 32:10-14

He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he ate the produce of the field, and he made him suck honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock.

In-depth-analysis

Found him in a desert land: Portrays Israel as helpless and lost, emphasizing God’s grace in choosing and rescuing them, not their inherent worth.
Apple of his eye (Heb. 'ishon 'eno): Literally "the little man of his eye," referring to the tiny reflection one sees of oneself in another's pupil. It denotes extreme preciousness and protection.
Eagle...bearing them on its pinions: A powerful image of a parent eagle teaching its young to fly, letting them fall but swooping underneath to catch them. This signifies God's combination of training, discipline, and unfailing support for Israel.
Honey from the rock: A metaphor for miraculous, unexpected provision in barren places, highlighting God’s supernatural care.

Bible references

Exodus 19:4: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.' (God himself uses this metaphor at Sinai).
Psalm 17:8: 'Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.' (David uses the same intimate language in prayer).
Isaiah 63:9: 'In all their affliction he was afflicted...in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.' (A similar summary of God's tender care).

Cross references

Psa 91:4 (cover you with his pinions), Zec 2:8 (he who touches you touches the apple of his eye), Hos 11:1-4 (God's fatherly care).

Deuteronomy 32:15-18

But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth.

In-depth-analysis

Jeshurun (Heb. Yeshurun): A poetic and endearing name for Israel, likely meaning "Upright One" (from yashar - "straight, just"). Its use here is deeply ironic. The "Upright One" became crooked.
Grew fat, and kicked: A metaphor of a well-fed animal becoming rebellious and kicking against its master. It shows that God's blessing of prosperity led directly to Israel's apostasy.
Demons (Heb. shedim): The song explicitly identifies the pagan "gods" as demonic entities. This is not just a theological error but participation in a satanic reality.
Forgot the Rock that bore you: The verse powerfully returns to the central metaphors. They forgot their Father/Creator (v. 6), their Protector (the Rock), and the One who gave them birth (like a mother).

Bible references

1 Corinthians 10:20: 'No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.' (Paul directly quotes this verse to warn the Corinthians about idolatry).
Hosea 13:6: '...but when they had grazed, their heart was exalted, and they forgot me.' (The prophet Hosea makes the exact same point about prosperity leading to forgetfulness).
Jeremiah 2:32: 'Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.' (Highlights the unnatural and stunning nature of Israel's forgetfulness).

Cross references

Neh 9:25-26 (they became fat and rebelled), 1 Sam 2:29 (why do you scorn my sacrifice), Psa 106:37 (sacrificed their sons to demons).

Deuteronomy 32:19-22

The LORD saw it and spurned them, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters. And he said, 'I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness... I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol...

In-depth-analysis

I will hide my face: One of the most severe forms of divine judgment in the Old Testament, signifying the withdrawal of God's protective presence and favor.
Not a people (Heb. lo-'am): A profound reversal of Israel's identity as "God's people." He will use a nation that has no spiritual standing or identity to discipline the very people He chose.
Fire...burns to...Sheol: An image of all-consuming, comprehensive judgment that extends from heaven to the realm of the dead (Sheol).

Bible references

Romans 10:19: 'But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry."' (Paul quotes v. 21 directly to explain how the gospel going to the Gentiles was part of God's plan).
Romans 11:11: 'So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.' (Paul explains the redemptive purpose behind this judgment).
Hosea 1:9: 'And the LORD said, "Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God."' (Lo-Ammi, a direct fulfillment of this prophecy).

Cross references

Isa 59:2 (your sins have hidden his face), Psa 27:9 (hide not your face), Jer 15:14 (a fire is kindled).

Deuteronomy 32:23-27

And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them; they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence... But I said, 'I would cut them to pieces... were it not that I dreaded the foe's provocation, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, "Our hand is triumphant, it was not the LORD who did all this."'

In-depth-analysis

God's Arrows: Natural disasters, famine, and war are described as weapons from God's own quiver, emphasizing His direct, sovereign control over Israel's punishment.
Dreaded the foe's provocation: God's reason for not utterly destroying Israel is revealed. It is not because Israel deserves mercy, but to protect His own name and reputation among the nations. He will not allow pagan nations to claim victory over Him. This is a core theme of the Old Testament.

Bible references

Ezekiel 36:22: 'Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name...' (God explicitly states His motive for restoration is His own glory).
Lamentations 3:22: 'The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end...' (God's preservation of a remnant is based on His character, not Israel's merit).
Leviticus 26:14-39: This passage lists the "covenant curses" for disobedience, which are summarized poetically here.

Cross references

Psa 7:12-13 (God's arrows), Deut 28:15ff (Curses for Disobedience), Num 14:15-16 (Moses' intercession using this logic).

Deuteronomy 32:28-33

For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them... How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?...For their rock is not as our Rock... For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah...

In-depth-analysis

How could one have chased a thousand: A reversal of the covenant blessing in Deut 28 and Lev 26:8, where one Israelite was promised to chase a thousand enemies. Here, their defeat is so complete it can only be explained by supernatural cause: their own Rock ("God") has turned against them.
Their rock is not as our Rock: A direct challenge. Even Israel’s enemies, in a moment of clarity, could recognize the disparity in power between their gods and Yahweh. The only reason for their success is that Yahweh has permitted it.
Vine of Sodom: A powerful metaphor comparing the nature and fruit of the idolatrous nations (and apostate Israel) to the infamous wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their essence is corrupt and their works are poisonous.

Bible references

Leviticus 26:8: 'Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight...' (The promise that is now horrifically inverted).
Isaiah 1:10: 'Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!' (Isaiah uses the same metaphor to condemn the leaders of Jerusalem).
John 15:1: 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.' (Jesus provides the ultimate fulfillment, contrasting the corrupt vine of Sodom with Himself as the source of true life).

Cross references

Jer 4:22 (My people are foolish), Rom 1:21-22 (became futile in their thinking), Psa 58:4-5 (poison of a serpent).

Deuteronomy 32:34-36

Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries? Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly. For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone...

In-depth-analysis

Laid up in store with me: God's plan for judgment and vengeance is sealed and certain. He operates on His own timeline, and the "foot slip" of the wicked (both the enemy and apostate Israel) is inevitable.
Vengeance is mine (Heb. li naqam): This is not petty revenge. It is the righteous re-establishment of justice by the only one who has the authority to execute it. God claims the exclusive right to avenge.
When he sees that their power is gone: God's compassion is activated at the point of Israel's complete helplessness. Grace begins where self-sufficiency ends. He will act when it is clear that their salvation can only come from Him.

Bible references

Hebrews 10:30: 'For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."' (Quotes this verse directly to warn against apostasy).
Romans 12:19: 'Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."' (Paul uses this verse to forbid personal retaliation among believers).
Psalm 135:14: 'For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.' (A direct quote expressing a foundational hope in Israel).

Cross references

2 Pet 3:9 (The Lord is not slow), Gen 15:16 (iniquity of Amorites not yet complete), Judg 10:16 (He grew impatient over their misery).

Deuteronomy 32:37-39

Then he will say, 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, let them be your protection! 'See now that I, I am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.'

In-depth-analysis

Where are their gods? A divine taunt, exposing the utter impotence of idols at the moment of crisis. The rhetorical questions mock those who trusted in anything other than Yahweh.
I, I am he (Heb. ani ani hu): One of the most emphatic declarations of monotheism and divine sovereignty in the Bible. It is a precursor to the great "I AM" statements of Isaiah and Jesus (John 8:58).
I kill and I make alive: Absolute sovereignty over life and death, blessing and curse. He is the ultimate cause behind both, and no one can thwart his purpose.

Bible references

Isaiah 44:6: 'Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god."' (The same powerful declaration of exclusive deity).
1 Samuel 2:6: 'The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.' (Hannah's song mirrors this theme of absolute sovereignty).
Revelation 1:17-18: '..."Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades."' (The resurrected Christ claims this exclusive divine authority).

Cross references

Judg 10:14 (go and cry out to your gods), Isa 45:7 (I make well-being and create calamity), John 11:25 (I am the resurrection and the life).

Deuteronomy 32:40-43

For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh... Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods... For he will avenge the blood of his children and take vengeance on his adversaries; he will atone for his land and people.

In-depth-analysis

I lift up my hand... and swear: The most solemn oath formula possible. Since God cannot swear by a higher authority, He swears by His own eternal existence.
Atone for his land and people (Heb. kipper): The song ends with atonement. God’s final act is not just punishing enemies but purifying and cleansing His own land and His own people, restoring the relationship.
v. 43, Textual Variant: As with v. 8, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (LXX) provide a fuller text. The LXX includes the line: "Rejoice, O nations, with his people... and let all the angels of God worship him." This addition has huge New Testament significance.

Bible references

Hebrews 1:6: 'And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."' (The author of Hebrews quotes the LXX version of Deut 32:43 and applies it directly to the cosmic enthronement of Jesus Christ).
Romans 15:10: 'And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."' (Paul quotes the LXX version to prove that the inclusion of Gentiles was always part of God's plan).
Revelation 19:2: 'For his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute... and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.' (The final heavenly song of victory directly echoes the language of vengeance and vindication from this verse).

Cross references

Rev 6:10 (avenge our blood), Isa 1:24 (I will get relief from my foes), Rom 11:26-27 (the Deliverer will come from Zion).

Deuteronomy chapter 32 analysis

Covenant Lawsuit: The entire song follows the structure of an ancient Near Eastern covenant lawsuit:
1. Summons to Witnesses: v. 1 (Heavens and Earth).
2. Statement of the Plaintiff’s Case: vv. 2-14 (God's righteousness and benevolent care).
3. Indictment of the Defendant: vv. 15-18 (Israel's apostasy).
4. Pronouncement of Sentence: vv. 19-33 (Judgment and curses).
5. Ultimate Hope / Verdict: vv. 34-43 (God's final vengeance and vindication for His own name's sake).
The Rock (Tsur) as Leitmotif: God is "the Rock" four times (vv. 4, 15, 18, 30) and the "Rock" that gave them birth (v. 18). The idols of the nations are also called a "rock" (vv. 31, 37) to create a powerful, dismissive contrast.
The Divine Council & Cosmic Geography: Verse 8 (in its original reading) presents a worldview derived from Genesis 11. The Most High ('Elyon) partitioned the nations among the "sons of God," but Yahweh specifically claimed Israel. The song is therefore a narrative of the King of kings dealing with His uniquely treasured, yet rebellious, portion of humanity.
Foundation for Gentile Inclusion: Verse 21, "I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people," becomes a cornerstone for the Apostle Paul’s theology of Gentile inclusion in Romans 9-11. God's judgment on Israel becomes the very mechanism for bringing salvation to the Gentiles, which in turn is intended to provoke Israel back to God.

Deuteronomy 32 summary

The Song of Moses is a prophetic legal testimony against Israel, recited to be remembered for all time. It contrasts the unwavering faithfulness of God, "The Rock," with Israel's predictable cycle of prosperity-induced apostasy. The song foretells divine judgment, carried out through foreign nations, but reveals that God’s ultimate motive for restraining total destruction and eventually restoring His people is to protect His own global reputation and vindicate His holy name. It concludes with God's absolute sovereignty and a final promise of atonement for His land and people.

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Deuteronomy chapter 32 kjv

¹ Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
² My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
³ Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
⁴ He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
⁵ They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
⁶ Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?
⁷ Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
⁸ When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
⁹ For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
¹⁰ He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
¹¹ As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
¹² So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
¹³ He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
¹⁴ Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.
¹⁵ But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
¹⁶ They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
¹⁷ They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
¹⁸ Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
¹⁹ And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.
²⁰ And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
²¹ They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
²² For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
²³ I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
²⁴ They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
²⁵ The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.
²⁶ I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
²⁷ Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.
²⁸ For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.
²⁹ O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
³⁰ How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
³¹ For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
³² For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
³³ Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
³⁴ Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
³⁵ To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
³⁶ For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
³⁷ And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
³⁸ Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
³⁹ See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
⁴⁰ For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
⁴¹ If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
⁴² I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.
⁴³ Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
⁴⁴ And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.
⁴⁵ And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:
⁴⁶ And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
⁴⁷ For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
⁴⁸ And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
⁴⁹ Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
⁵⁰ And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
⁵¹ Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of MeribahKadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
⁵² Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy chapter 32 nkjv

¹ "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
² Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass.
³ For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God.
⁴ He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.
⁵ "They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation.
⁶ Do you thus deal with the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?
⁷ "Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you:
⁸ When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel.
⁹ For the LORD's portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
¹⁰ "He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.
¹¹ As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings,
¹² So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him.
¹³ "He 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;
¹⁴ Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs; And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, With the choicest wheat; And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.
¹⁵ "But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
¹⁶ They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
¹⁷ They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.
¹⁸ Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
¹⁹ "And when the LORD saw it, He spurned them, Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters.
²⁰ And He said: 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith.
²¹ They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
²² For a 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 heap disasters on them; I will spend My arrows on them.
²⁴ They shall be wasted with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, With the poison of serpents of the dust.
²⁵ The 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 I would have said, "I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,"
²⁷ Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand, Lest they should say, "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 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!
³⁰ How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had surrendered them?
³¹ For their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves being judges.
³² For their vine is of the vine of Sodom And of the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of gall, Their clusters are bitter.
³³ Their wine is the poison of serpents, And the cruel venom of cobras.
³⁴ 'Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures?
³⁵ Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.'
³⁶ "For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
³⁷ He will say: 'Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge?
³⁸ Who 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 I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
⁴⁰ For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, "As I live forever,
⁴¹ If 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.
⁴² I 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, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people."
⁴⁴ So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.
⁴⁵ Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel,
⁴⁶ and he said to them: "Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe?all the words of this law.
⁴⁷ For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess."
⁴⁸ Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying:
⁴⁹ "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;
⁵⁰ and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;
⁵¹ because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.
⁵² Yet 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."

Deuteronomy chapter 32 niv

¹ Listen, you heavens, and I will speak; hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
² Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
³ I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
⁴ He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
⁵ They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.
⁶ Is this the way you repay the LORD, you foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?
⁷ Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.
⁸ When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
⁹ For the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
¹⁰ In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
¹¹ like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.
¹² The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him.
¹³ He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag,
¹⁴ with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat. You drank the foaming blood of the grape.
¹⁵ Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior.
¹⁶ They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols.
¹⁷ They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God? gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear.
¹⁸ You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.
¹⁹ The LORD saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters.
²⁰ "I will hide my face from them," he said, "and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.
²¹ They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.
²² For a fire will be kindled by my wrath, one that burns down to the realm of the dead below. It will devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains.
²³ "I will heap calamities on them and spend my arrows against them.
²⁴ I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.
²⁵ In the street the sword will make them childless; in their homes terror will reign. The young men and young women will perish, the infants and those with gray hair.
²⁶ I said I would scatter them and erase their name from human memory,
²⁷ but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, 'Our hand has triumphed; the LORD has not done all this.'?"
²⁸ They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them.
²⁹ If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!
³⁰ How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
³¹ For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.
³² Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison, and their clusters with bitterness.
³³ Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.
³⁴ "Have I not kept this in reserve and sealed it in my vaults?
³⁵ It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."
³⁶ The LORD will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.
³⁷ He will say: "Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in,
³⁸ the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter!
³⁹ "See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.
⁴⁰ I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear: As surely as I live forever,
⁴¹ when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.
⁴² I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders."
⁴³ Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people.
⁴⁴ Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.
⁴⁵ When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel,
⁴⁶ he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.
⁴⁷ They are not just idle words for you?they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."
⁴⁸ On that same day the LORD told Moses,
⁴⁹ "Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession.
⁵⁰ There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.
⁵¹ This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.
⁵² Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."

Deuteronomy chapter 32 esv

¹ "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
² May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb.
³ For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!
⁴ "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
⁵ They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation.
⁶ Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?
⁷ Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.
⁸ When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
⁹ But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
¹⁰ "He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
¹¹ Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions,
¹² the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him.
¹³ He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock.
¹⁴ Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Bashan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat ? and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.
¹⁵ "But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
¹⁶ They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger.
¹⁷ They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.
¹⁸ You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth.
¹⁹ "The LORD saw it and spurned them, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.
²⁰ And he said, 'I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.
²¹ They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
²² For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
²³ "'And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them;
²⁴ they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence; I will send the teeth of beasts against them, with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.
²⁵ Outdoors the sword shall bereave, and indoors terror, for young man and woman alike, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
²⁶ I would have said, "I will cut them to pieces; I will wipe them from human memory,"
²⁷ had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, "Our hand is triumphant, it was not the LORD who did all this."'
²⁸ "For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them.
²⁹ If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!
³⁰ How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?
³¹ For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves.
³² For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter;
³³ their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps.
³⁴ "'Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries?
³⁵ Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.'
³⁶ For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free.
³⁷ Then he will say, 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge,
³⁸ who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection!
³⁹ "'See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
⁴⁰ For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever,
⁴¹ if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me.
⁴² I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh ? with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the enemy.'
⁴³ "Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land."
⁴⁴ Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun.
⁴⁵ And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel,
⁴⁶ he said to them, "Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.
⁴⁷ For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess."
⁴⁸ That very day the LORD spoke to Moses,
⁴⁹ "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession.
⁵⁰ And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people,
⁵¹ because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel.
⁵² For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel."

Deuteronomy chapter 32 nlt

¹ "Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!
Hear, O earth, the words that I say!
² Let my teaching fall on you like rain;
let my speech settle like dew.
Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,
like gentle showers on young plants.
³ I will proclaim the name of the LORD;
how glorious is our God!
⁴ He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.
Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong;
how just and upright he is!
⁵ "But they have acted corruptly toward him;
when they act so perversely,
are they really his children?
They are a deceitful and twisted generation.
⁶ Is this the way you repay the LORD,
you foolish and senseless people?
Isn't he your Father who created you?
Has he not made you and established you?
⁷ Remember the days of long ago;
think about the generations past.
Ask your father, and he will inform you.
Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.
⁸ When the Most High assigned lands to the nations,
when he divided up the human race,
he established the boundaries of the peoples
according to the number in his heavenly court.
⁹ "For the people of Israel belong to the LORD;
Jacob is his special possession.
¹⁰ He found them in a desert land,
in an empty, howling wasteland.
He surrounded them and watched over them;
he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.
¹¹ Like an eagle that rouses her chicks
and hovers over her young,
so he spread his wings to take them up
and carried them safely on his pinions.
¹² The LORD alone guided them;
they followed no foreign gods.
¹³ He let them ride over the highlands
and feast on the crops of the fields.
He nourished them with honey from the rock
and olive oil from the stony ground.
¹⁴ He fed them yogurt from the herd
and milk from the flock,
together with the fat of lambs.
He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats,
together with the choicest wheat.
You drank the finest wine,
made from the juice of grapes.
¹⁵ "But Israel soon became fat and unruly;
the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed!
Then they abandoned the God who had made them;
they made light of the Rock of their salvation.
¹⁶ They stirred up his jealousy by worshiping foreign gods;
they provoked his fury with detestable deeds.
¹⁷ They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God,
to gods they had not known before,
to new gods only recently arrived,
to gods their ancestors had never feared.
¹⁸ You neglected the Rock who had fathered you;
you forgot the God who had given you birth.
¹⁹ "The LORD saw this and drew back,
provoked to anger by his own sons and daughters.
²⁰ He said, 'I will abandon them;
then see what becomes of them.
For they are a twisted generation,
children without integrity.
²¹ They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God;
they have provoked my anger with their useless idols.
Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people;
I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles.
²² For my anger blazes forth like fire
and burns to the depths of the grave.
It devours the earth and all its crops
and ignites the foundations of the mountains.
²³ I will heap disasters upon them
and shoot them down with my arrows.
²⁴ I will weaken them with famine,
burning fever, and deadly disease.
I will send the fangs of wild beasts
and poisonous snakes that glide in the dust.
²⁵ Outside, the sword will bring death,
and inside, terror will strike
both young men and young women,
both infants and the aged.
²⁶ I would have annihilated them,
wiping out even the memory of them.
²⁷ But I feared the taunt of Israel's enemy,
who might misunderstand and say,
"Our own power has triumphed!
The LORD had nothing to do with this!"'
²⁸ "But Israel is a senseless nation;
the people are foolish, without understanding.
²⁹ Oh, that they were wise and could understand this!
Oh, that they might know their fate!
³⁰ How could one person chase a thousand of them,
and two people put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
unless the LORD had given them up?
³¹ But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock,
as even they recognize.
³² Their vine grows from the vine of Sodom,
from the vineyards of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are poison,
and their clusters are bitter.
³³ Their wine is the venom of serpents,
the deadly poison of cobras.
³⁴ "The LORD says, 'Am I not storing up these things,
sealing them away in my treasury?
³⁵ I will take revenge; I will pay them back.
In due time their feet will slip.
Their day of disaster will arrive,
and their destiny will overtake them.'
³⁶ "Indeed, the LORD will give justice to his people,
and he will change his mind about his servants,
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free.
³⁷ Then he will ask, 'Where are their gods,
the rocks they fled to for refuge?
³⁸ Where now are those gods,
who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their offerings?
Let those gods arise and help you!
Let them provide you with shelter!
³⁹ Look now; I myself am he!
There is no other god but me!
I am the one who kills and gives life;
I am the one who wounds and heals;
no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!
⁴⁰ Now I raise my hand to heaven
and declare, "As surely as I live,
⁴¹ when I sharpen my flashing sword
and begin to carry out justice,
I will take revenge on my enemies
and repay those who reject me.
⁴² I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
and my sword will devour flesh ?
the blood of the slaughtered and the captives,
and the heads of the enemy leaders."'
⁴³ "Rejoice with him, you heavens,
and let all of God's angels worship him.
Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles,
and let all the angels be strengthened in him.
For he will avenge the blood of his children ;
he will take revenge against his enemies.
He will repay those who hate him
and cleanse his people's land."
⁴⁴ So Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song to the people.
⁴⁵ When Moses had finished reciting all these words to the people of Israel,
⁴⁶ he added: "Take to heart all the words of warning I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of these instructions.
⁴⁷ These instructions are not empty words ? they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordan River."
⁴⁸ That same day the LORD said to Moses,
⁴⁹ "Go to Moab, to the mountains east of the river, and climb Mount Nebo, which is across from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own special possession.
⁵⁰ Then you will die there on the mountain. You will join your ancestors, just as Aaron, your brother, died on Mount Hor and joined his ancestors.
⁵¹ For both of you betrayed me with the Israelites at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. You failed to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel there.
⁵² So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."