Was it Joshua or Levites who were to recite the blessings and curses?

Question

When they were about to cross the Jordan, Moses instructs the Israelites that the Levites shall recite to the people the blessings and the curses at Mount Gerizim and Ebal respectively

Deuteronomy 27:12-14 NIV

12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.14 The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

But when they had crossed the Jordan, it is Joshua who seems to recite the blessings and curses.

Joshua 8:34-35 NIV

34 Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Incidentally, Joshua is from the tribe of Ephraim, of which Moses had said nothing concerning these blessings and curses.

So how is it that Joshua recites them before the people?

Answer 1

There are two separate things in view here:

• Deut 27:11-27 discusses the recitation of the curses by requiring the Levites to pronounce the 12 curses to which all the people respond, "Amen".
• Josh 8:30-35 record the reading of the entire "Law" (presumably the book of Deuteronomy, as it was what "Moses Commanded"). I assume that when they came to the 12 curses as recorded in Deut 27:11-27, they were recited as instructed.

Thus, I see no conflict between the two passages of Scripture.

Answer 2

The recitation of the curses had been done as written in Joshua 8:33

33 All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel. (NIV)

After the recitation, Joshua read all the words of the law, the law Moses received from the Lord on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:12-18), as Joshua 8:34 read

34 Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them. (NIV)

So it was the Levites recited the curses, and afterward, Joshua read the whole book of the law.