Joshua to Succeed Moses

31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: ² “I am now a hundred and twenty years old^(A) and I am no longer able to lead you.^(B) The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’^{(C) 3} The Lord your God himself will cross^(D) over ahead of you.^(E) He will destroy these nations^(F) before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross^(G) over ahead of you, as the Lord said. ⁴ And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og,^(H) the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. ⁵ The Lord will deliver^(I) them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous.^(J) Do not be afraid or terrified^(K) because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;^(L) he will never leave you^(M) nor forsake^(N) you.”

⁷ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said^(O) to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them,^(P) and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. ⁸ The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;^(Q) he will never leave you nor forsake you.^(R) Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Public Reading of the Law

⁹ So Moses wrote^(S) down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried^(T) the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. ¹⁰ Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts,^(U) during the Festival of Tabernacles,^{(V) 11} when all Israel comes to appear^(W) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,^(X) you shall read this law^(Y) before them in their hearing. ¹² Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn^(Z) to fear^(AA) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. ¹³ Their children,^(AB) who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Israel’s Rebellion Predicted

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your death^(AC) is near. Call Joshua^(AD) and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.^(AE)” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.^(AF)

¹⁵ Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.^{(AG) 16} And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors,^(AH) and these people will soon prostitute^(AI) themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake^(AJ) me and break the covenant I made with them. ¹⁷ And in that day I will become angry^(AK) with them and forsake^(AL) them; I will hide^(AM) my face^(AN) from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters^(AO) and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’^{(AP) 18} And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.

¹⁹ “Now write^(AQ) down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness^(AR) for me against them. ²⁰ When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors,^(AS) and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods^(AT) and worship them,^(AU) rejecting me and breaking my covenant.^{(AV) 21} And when many disasters and calamities come on them,^(AW) this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do,^(AX) even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” ²² So Moses wrote^(AY) down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

²³ The Lord gave this command^(AZ) to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous,^(BA) for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”

²⁴ After Moses finished writing^(BB) in a book the words of this law^(BC) from beginning to end, ²⁵ he gave this command to the Levites who carried^(BD) the ark of the covenant of the Lord: ²⁶ “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.^{(BE) 27} For I know how rebellious^(BF) and stiff-necked^(BG) you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! ²⁸ Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them.^{(BH) 29} For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt^(BI) and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster^(BJ) will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.”

The Song of Moses

³⁰ And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:

Psalm 137

Paul’s Trial Before Festus

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus^(A) went up from Caesarea^(B) to Jerusalem, ² where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.^{(C) 3} They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.^{(D) 4} Festus answered, “Paul is being held^(E) at Caesarea,^(F) and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court^(G) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.^{(H) 7} When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,^(I) but they could not prove them.^(J)

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple^(K) or against Caesar.”

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,^(L) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”^(M)

¹⁰ Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,^(N) as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”^(O)

¹² After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

Festus Consults King Agrippa

¹³ A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea^(P) to pay their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.^{(Q) 15} When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him^(R) and asked that he be condemned.

¹⁶ “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.^{(S) 17} When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.^{(T) 18} When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. ¹⁹ Instead, they had some points of dispute^(U) with him about their own religion^(V) and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. ²⁰ I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.^{(W) 21} But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”^(X)

²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”

He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”^(Y)

Paul Before Agrippa^(Z)

²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice^(AA) came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community^(AB) has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.^{(AC) 25} I found he had done nothing deserving of death,^(AD) but because he made his appeal to the Emperor^(AE) I decided to send him to Rome. ²⁶ But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. ²⁷ For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”^(AF)

So Paul motioned with his hand^(AG) and began his defense: ² “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you^(AH) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,^{(AI) 3} and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs^(AJ) and controversies.^(AK) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,^(AL) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time^(AM) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect^(AN) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.^{(AO) 6} And now it is because of my hope^(AP) in what God has promised our ancestors^(AQ) that I am on trial today. ⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes^(AR) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.^(AS) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.^{(AT) 8} Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?^(AU)

⁹ “I too was convinced^(AV) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose^(AW) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^{(AX) 10} And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people^(AY) in prison,^(AZ) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.^{(BA) 11} Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,^(BB) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

¹² “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice^(BC) saying to me in Aramaic,^[a](BD) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

¹⁵ “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.^(BE) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.^{(BF) 17} I will rescue you^(BG) from your own people and from the Gentiles.^(BH) I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes^(BI) and turn them from darkness to light,^(BJ) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins^(BK) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’^(BL)

¹⁹ “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient^(BM) to the vision from heaven. ²⁰ First to those in Damascus,^(BN) then to those in Jerusalem^(BO) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,^(BP) I preached that they should repent^(BQ) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.^{(BR) 21} That is why some Jews seized me^(BS) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.^{(BT) 22} But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen^(BU)— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer^(BV) and, as the first to rise from the dead,^(BW) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”^(BX)

²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,^(BY) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning^(BZ) is driving you insane.”

²⁵ “I am not insane, most excellent^(CA) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things,^(CB) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”^(CC)

²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”^(CD)

³⁰ The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice^(CE) and those sitting with them. ³¹ After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”^(CF)

³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free^(CG) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”^(CH)