1 T hese be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

2 ( There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.)

It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.

3 A nd it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them;

Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them,

4 a fter he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:

after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.

5 o n this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying,

6 T he Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

“The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.

7 t urn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.

8 B ehold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’ Tribal Leaders Appointed

9 A nd I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:

“And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am not able to bear you.

10 t he Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.

11 ( The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)

May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you!

12 H ow can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints?

13   Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’

14 A nd ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.

And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’

15 S o I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.

16 A nd I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

“Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him.

17 Y e shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

18 A nd I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do. Israel’s Refusal to Enter the Land

19 A nd when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

“So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the Lord our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea.

20 A nd I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth give unto us.

And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.

21 B ehold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’

22 A nd ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.

“And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’

23 A nd the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

“The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.

24 a nd they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.

And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

25 A nd they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the Lord our God doth give us.

They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘ It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.’

26 N otwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God:

“Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God;

27 a nd ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

28 W hither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’

29 T hen I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them.

30 T he Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

31 a nd in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’

32 Y et in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God,

Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God,

33 w ho went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.

who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day. The Penalty for Israel’s Rebellion

34 A nd the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

“And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying,

35 S urely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,

‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers,

36 s ave Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord.

except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the Lord.’

37 A lso the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there.

38 B ut Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

39 M oreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

‘Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.

40 B ut as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

But as for you, turn and take your journey into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.’

41 T hen ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.

“Then you answered and said to me, ‘We have sinned against the Lord; we will go up and fight, just as the Lord our God commanded us.’ And when everyone of you had girded on his weapons of war, you were ready to go up into the mountain.

42 A nd the Lord said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.

“And the Lord said to me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; lest you be defeated before your enemies.”

43 S o I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hill.

So I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the Lord, and presumptuously went up into the mountain.

44 A nd the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.

And the Amorites who dwelt in that mountain came out against you and chased you as bees do, and drove you back from Seir to Hormah.

45 A nd ye returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.

Then you returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord would not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.

46 S o ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.

“So you remained in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you spent there.