Deuteronomy 31:17

¹⁵ Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.

¹⁶ And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.

On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’

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

¹⁹ 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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’
KJV: 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?
WEB: 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 come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’
ASV: 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 come upon them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?
DARBY: And 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, and they will say in that day, Have not these evils befallen me because my God is not in my midst?
BLB: And My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they will be devoured, and many evils and distresses will find them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Is [it] not because that my God is not in my midst [that] these evils have found me?’

ÅB: Den dag skal min vrede tennes opp mot dem, og jeg vil forlate dem og skjule mitt åsyn for dem, så de går til grunne, og mangfoldige ulykker og trengsler kommer over dem. Og de skal si på den dag: Er det ikke fordi min Gud ikke er med meg at disse ulykker er kommet over meg?
OTB: Den dagen vil Min vrede bli opptent mot dem, og Jeg vil forlate dem og skjule Mitt ansikt for dem, og de vil bli fortært. Mange ulykker og katastrofer vil komme over dem, og de vil si: ‘Har ikke disse ulykkene kommet over oss fordi vår Gud ikke er med oss?’
B1930: Den dag skal min vrede optendes mot dem, og jeg vil forlate dem og skjule mitt åsyn for dem, så de går til grunne, og mangfoldige ulykker og trengsler kommer over dem. Og de skal si på den dag: Er det ikke fordi min Gud ikke er med mig at disse ulykker er kommet over mig?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Judges 6:13
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
Read in context
Isaiah 8:17
I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
Read in context
Numbers 14:42
Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 15:2
So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
Read in context
Psalms 104:29
When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.
Read in context
Isaiah 64:7
No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 29:24–27
So all the nations will ask, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’
Read in context
Ezekiel 39:23–24
And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity, because they were unfaithful to Me. So I hid My face from them and delivered them into the hands of their enemies, so that they all fell by the sword.
Read in context