Deuteronomy 31:19
New International Version
“Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them.

New Living Translation
“So write down the words of this song, and teach it to the people of Israel. Help them learn it, so it may serve as a witness for me against them.

English Standard Version
“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.

King James Bible
Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

New King James Version
“Now therefore, write down 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.

New American Standard Bible
“Now then, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.

NASB 1995
“Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.

NASB 1977
“Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, in order that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
“So now, write this song for yourselves and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.

Amplified Bible
“Now then, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it in their mouth, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; have them sing it, so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the Israelites.

American Standard Version
Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore write to them this song and teach it to the children of Israel and put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a testimony to me among the children of Israel.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And now write the words of this song, and teach it to the children of Israel, and ye shall put it into their mouth, that this song may witness for me among the children of Israel to their face.

Contemporary English Version
Moses and Joshua, I am going to give you the words to a new song. Write them down and teach the song to the Israelites. If they learn it, they will know what I want them to do, and so they will have no excuse for not obeying me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now therefore write you this canticle, and teach the children of Israel: that they may know it by heart, and sing it by mouth, and this song may be unto me for a testimony among the children of Israel.

English Revised Version
Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Write down this song, teach it to the Israelites, and have them sing it. This song will be a witness for me against the Israelites.

Good News Translation
"Now, write down this song. Teach it to the people of Israel, so that it will stand as evidence against them.

International Standard Version
"Now write this song and teach it to the Israelis. Put this song in their very mouths, so that it will be a witness for me against the Israelis,

JPS Tanakh 1917
Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel.

Literal Standard Version
And now, write this song for yourselves, and teach it [to] the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song is to Me for a witness against the sons of Israel.

Majority Standard Bible
Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.

New American Bible
Now, write out this song for yourselves. Teach it to the Israelites and have them recite it, so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.

NET Bible
Now write down for yourselves the following song and teach it to the Israelites. Put it into their very mouths so that this song may serve as my witness against the Israelites!

New Revised Standard Version
Now therefore write this song, and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, in order that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.

New Heart English Bible
"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.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now therefore write ye this song for you, 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.

World English Bible
“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.

Young's Literal Translation
'And now, write for you this song, and teach it the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song is to Me for a witness against the sons of Israel,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Commissions Joshua
18And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. 19Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them. 20When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 31:18
And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.

Deuteronomy 31:22
So that very day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites.

Psalm 102:18
Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

Now therefore write you this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

this song

Deuteronomy 31:22,30
Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel…

Deuteronomy 32:1,44,45
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth…

and teach it

Deuteronomy 4:9,10
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; …

Deuteronomy 6:7
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 11:19
And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

put it in their

Exodus 4:15
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

2 Samuel 14:3
And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Isaiah 51:16
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

a witness

Deuteronomy 31:21,26
And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware…

Ezekiel 2:5
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Matthew 10:18
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

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Children Israel Israelites Lips Mouths Sing Song Teach Teaching Witness Write Yourselves
Deuteronomy 31
1. Moses encourages the people
7. He encourages Joshua
9. He delivers the law unto the priests to be read in the seventh year
14. God gives a charge to Joshua
19. and a song to testify against the people
24. Moses delivers the book of the law to the Levites to keep
28. He makes a protestation














(19) Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness.--This method of perpetuating the truth was even better adapted to the times and to the condition of the people than the delivery of a written law. It was not possible to multiply copies of the law among them to any great extent; but the rhythmical form of the song would make it easy to be retained in their memories. There is reason to believe that Samuel, the first person who (so far as we know) effected anything of importance towards the establishment of a system of religious education in Israel, employed the same means for the purpose, viz., psalms and spiritual songs. The first companies of prophets were evidently singers and minstrels (see 1Samuel 10:5-6; 1Samuel 19:20-24); hence their remarkable influence over Saul. And if they taught the psalms to the people, as they learnt them under Samuel and David--especially historical psalms, like the 78th, 105th, and 106th--a very efficacious means of spreading the knowledge of God in Israel was in their hands.

Verse 19. - Write ye this song. This refers to the song which follows in next chapter. Moses and Joshua were both to write this song, Moses probably as the author, Joshua as his amanuensis, because both of them were to do their endeavor to keep the people from that apostasy which God had foretold.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now therefore,
וְעַתָּ֗ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

write down
כִּתְב֤וּ (kiṯ·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

for yourselves
לָכֶם֙ (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

this
הַזֹּ֔את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

song
הַשִּׁירָ֣ה (haš·šî·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7892: A song, singing

and teach
וְלַמְּדָ֥הּ (wə·lam·mə·ḏāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3925: To exercise in, learn

it to the Israelites;
בְּנֵי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

have them recite
שִׂימָ֣הּ (śî·māh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

it,
בְּפִיהֶ֑ם (bə·p̄î·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

so that
לְמַ֨עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

[it]
הַזֹּ֛את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

may be
תִּהְיֶה־ (tih·yeh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a witness
לְעֵ֖ד (lə·‘êḏ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5707: A witness, testimony, a recorder, prince

for Me
לִּ֜י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

against [them].
בִּבְנֵ֥י (biḇ·nê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 31:19 Now therefore write you this song (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 31:18
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