וַיְצַ֤ו מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם נֹ֥שְׂאֵ֛י אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

Moses commanded the Levites, bearers of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, saying:

לָקֹ֗חַ אֵ֣ת סֵ֤פֶר הַתּוֹרָה֙ הַזֶּ֔ה וְשַׂמְתֶּ֣ם אֹת֔וֹ מִצַּ֛ד אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָֽיָה־שָׁ֥ם בְּךָ֖ לְעֵֽד׃

Take this book of the Torah, and place it at the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, near the Tablets of the Covenant, and it, the book, will be there as a witness for you.

כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶֽת־מֶרְיְךָ֔ וְאֶֽת־עָרְפְּךָ֖ הַקָּשֶׁ֑ה הֵ֣ן בְּעוֹדֶנִּי֩ חַ֨י עִמָּכֶ֜ם הַיּ֗וֹם מַמְרִ֤ים הֱיִתֶם֙ עִם־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְאַ֖ף כִּי־אַחֲרֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי׃

Moses addresses the people: For I know your defiance, and your stiff neck; behold, although all of you know and fear me, nevertheless, while I am still alive with you today, you have been defiant with the Lord, as you are not fully obedient to the word of God, and so too, all the more so after my death. You already show a tendency to defy the will of God. Certainly in more comfortable times you will be unable to resist the greatest temptation that the people of Israel will face throughout its generations, of the quest for normalcy, which in effect results in the abandonment of God. It is therefore best for you to prepare yourselves beforehand for different times.

הַקְהִ֧ילוּ אֵלַ֛י אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֥י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶ֑ם וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה בְאָזְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֔ם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, and I will speak these words in their ears, and I will call the heavens and the earth to testify for them. They must hear the matters that will be spoken before the heavens and the earth, which are the everlasting witnesses.

כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי אַחֲרֵ֤י מוֹתִי֙ כִּֽי־הַשְׁחֵ֣ת תַּשְׁחִת֔וּן וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתִי אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְקָרָ֨את אֶתְכֶ֤ם הָֽרָעָה֙ בְּאַחֲרִ֣ית הַיָּמִ֔ים כִּֽי־תַעֲשׂ֤וּ אֶת־הָרַע֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לְהַכְעִיס֖וֹ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיכֶֽם׃

For I know that after my death you will act corruptly, and you will deviate from the path that I commanded you and evil will befall you at the end of days, in a later period, because you will do that which is evil in the eyes of the Lord, to anger Him with your handiwork.

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֗ה בְּאָזְנֵי֙ כָּל־קְהַ֣ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עַ֖ד תֻּמָּֽם׃ (פ)

Moses spoke in the ears of the entire assembly of Israel the words of this song, until their conclusion.