1 T hese are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suf, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, 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 I t is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.

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

3 I n the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that Yahweh had given him in commandment to 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 struck Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, at 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 B eyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law, saying,

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

6 “ Yahweh our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain.

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

7 T urn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all the places near there, in the Arabah, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the seashore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as 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 Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring 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 I spoke to 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 Y ahweh your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude.

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

11 Y ahweh, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he has 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 problems, your burdens, and your strife?

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

13 T ake wise men of understanding and well known according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.”

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

14 Y ou answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good 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 heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to 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 I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living 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 ou shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to 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 I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

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

19 W e traveled from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw, by the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as Yahweh 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 I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which Yahweh our God gives to 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, Yahweh your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”

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 Y ou came near to me, everyone of you, and said, “Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which 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 T he thing pleased me well. I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe.

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

24 T hey turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

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

25 T hey took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, “It is a good land which Yahweh our God gives to 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 Y et you wouldn’t go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God.

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

27 Y ou murmured in your tents, and said, “Because Yahweh hated us, he has brought us 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 here are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart melt, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim 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 to you, “Don’t dread, neither be afraid of them.

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

30 Y ahweh your God who goes before you, he will 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 you have seen how that Yahweh your God bore you, as a man does bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to 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 you didn’t believe Yahweh your God,

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

33 w ho went before you on the way, to seek out a place for you to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the 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 Y ahweh heard the voice of your words, and was angry, and swore, saying,

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

35 “ Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land, which I swore to give to 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 e xcept Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it. I will give the land that he has trodden on to him, and to his children, because he has wholly followed Yahweh.”

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 Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, saying, “You also shall not go in there.

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

38 J oshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. 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, whom you said should be captured or killed, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there, and I will give it to, 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, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to 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 you answered and said to me, “We have sinned against Yahweh, we will go up and fight, according to all that Yahweh our God commanded us.” Every man of you put on his weapons of war, and presumed to go up into the hill country.

“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 Y ahweh said to me, “Tell them, ‘Don’t go up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest you be struck 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 spoke to you, and you didn’t listen; but you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill country.

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 T he Amorites, who lived in that hill country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even to 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 Y ou returned and wept before Yahweh; but Yahweh didn’t listen to your voice, nor turn his ear to 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 you stayed in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you remained.

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