Deuteronomy 31:16 kjv — And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring…

King James Version

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them."

— Deuteronomy 31:16, King James Version

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Deuteronomy 31:16 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • ASV

    “And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and play the harlot after the strange gods of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. ”

  • WEB

    “Yahweh said to Moses, "Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers; and 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.”

  • NET

    “Then the LORD said to Moses,“You are about to die, and then these people will begin to prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land into which they are going. They will reject me and break my covenant that I have made with them.”

  • DRB

    “And the Lord said to Moses: Behold thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people rising up will go a fornicating after strange gods in the land, to which it goeth in to dwell: there will they forsake me, and will make void the covenant, which I have made with them,”

  • BBE

    “And the Lord said to Moses, Now you are going to rest with your fathers; and this people will be false to me, uniting themselves to the strange gods of the land where they are going; they will be turned away from me and will not keep the agreement I have made with them.”

  • KJVA

    “And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.”

Deuteronomy 31 — Context

13

And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

14

And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

15

And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

16

And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

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 befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

18

And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

19

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.

Deuteronomy 31:16 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Deuteronomy 31:16 say?
Deuteronomy 31:16 in the King James Version reads: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.”
Where is Deuteronomy 31:16 in the Bible?
Deuteronomy 31:16 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 31, verse 16.
Who wrote Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). Largely framed as Moses' farewell speeches; the closing chapter narrating his death was likely added by Joshua or a later editor. It was written c. 1406 BC.
What is the book of Deuteronomy about?
Deuteronomy is Moses' final sermons to Israel before they enter the Promised Land — a renewed call to love and obey the LORD. It re-states the Law, rehearses Israel's history, and lays before the people blessing for obedience and curse for rebellion.
What are the major themes of Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy explores themes including Covenant, Love, Obedience, Remembrance, Blessing & Curse. These themes shape the meaning and context of Deuteronomy 31:16.
What translation should I read Deuteronomy 31:16 in?
Deuteronomy 31:16 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Deuteronomy 31:16?
Deuteronomy 31:16 reads (KJV): “And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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