Deuteronomy 1
1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—in the Arabah opposite Suph—between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
This is the record of what Moses told all the Israelites during their time in the desert to the east of the Jordan. They were in the Arabah near Suph, between Paran on the one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.
2 It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir.
(It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by the road that passes Mount Seir.)
3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them.
On the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year, Moses recounted to the Israelites everything that the Lord had instructed him to tell them.
4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
This happened after he defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and then at Edrei after he defeated Og king of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.
5 On the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:
Speaking on the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain these instructions, saying:
6 The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough.
The Lord our God told us at Horeb: “You have remained here beside this mountain for long enough.
7 Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the Negev, and along the seacoast to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates.
Continue your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites and all their neighbors, into the Jordan Valley, into the hill country, into the foothills, into the Negev, and along the coast to the country of the Canaanites up to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates.
8 See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.”
Look, I'm giving this land to you. Go and take ownership of the land that the Lord promised he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants who would follow them.”
9 At that time I said to you, “I cannot carry the burden for you alone.
That's when I told you, “I can't take responsibility for all of you by myself.
10 The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
The Lord your God has increased your numbers so much that today there are as many of you as there are stars in the sky.
11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times over and bless you as He has promised.
May the Lord, the God of your forefathers, multiply you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised.
12 But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes all by myself?
But how can I take on all your troubles, burdens, and arguments just by myself?
13 Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
You must choose for yourselves wise, experienced men with good judgment from each of your tribes, and I will put them in charge as your leaders.”
14 And you answered me and said, “What you propose to do is good.”
You replied to me, saying, “Your proposal is a good one.”
15 So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.
So I summoned your tribal leaders, men with good judgment, and put them in charge of you, as commanders and officials for your tribes. Some were responsible for thousands, some for hundreds, some for fifties, and some for tens.
16 At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.
At the same time I gave strict instructions to your judges: “Hear the cases brought between your brothers, and make sure you are fair when you judge between a man and his brother or a foreigner living among you.
17 Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
Don't show any favoritism when you judge—treat the powerful and the common people just the same. Don't let anyone intimidate you, because judgment is done on God's behalf. Bring me any case that is too hard for you, and I will hear it.”
18 And at that time I commanded you all the things you were to do.
This was also the time I instructed you about everything you had to do.
19 And just as the LORD our God had commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites, through all the vast and terrifying wilderness you have seen. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,
Following the orders of the Lord our God, we left Horeb and set off towards the hill country of the Amorites, passing through the whole of the large and terrifying desert that you yourselves have experienced. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,
20 I said: “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.
I explained to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving to us.
21 See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
Look, the Lord your God has given you the land! Go and take ownership of the land as the Lord, the God of your forefathers, has told you. Don't be frightened or terrified.”
22 Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.”
Then you all came to me and suggested, “Let's send men on ahead to explore the land and report back to us about what route to take and which towns we'll come across.”
23 The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.
It seemed like a good plan to me, so I chose twelve of your men, one from each tribe.
24 They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied out the land.
They set off and went up into the hill country as far as the Valley of Eshcol, exploring the land.
25 They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us word: “It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.”
They brought back some of the country's fruit, carrying it down to us, and gave us the report: “The Lord our God is giving us good land.”
26 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.
But you didn't want to go. You rebelled against the instructions of the Lord your God.
27 You grumbled 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 be annihilated.
You complained while you were in your tents and said, “It's because the Lord hates us that he led us out of Egypt in order to hand us over to the Amorites to be wiped out.
28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
Where are we going? Our brothers terrified us because they told us: ‘The people are bigger and taller than us; the towns are large, with high walls that reach the sky. We even saw the descendants of the giant Anak there!’”
29 So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them!
So I told you, “Don't be frightened or scared of them!
30 The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt
The Lord your God who leads your way will fight for you in the same way you saw him do for you in Egypt.
31 and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.”
He did the same in the desert—you saw how the Lord your God carried you like a father carries his son during your whole journey until you arrived here.”
32 But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,
Despite all this, you didn't trust the Lord your God,
33 who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.
who led you on the journey, present in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, looking to find a place for you to camp and to show you the way to go.
34 When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying,
When the Lord heard what you were saying, he got angry and swore an oath:
35 “Not one of the men of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your fathers,
“Not a single one of this evil generation will see the good land I promised to give your forefathers,
36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.”
except Caleb, son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he explored, because he was completely committed to the Lord.”
37 The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.
The Lord also got angry with me because of you. He told me, “Even you won't enter the country.
38 Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.
However, Joshua, son of Nun, your assistant, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will help Israel to occupy the land.
39 And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.
Your small children that you claimed would become prisoners, your children who at the time didn't know good from evil, they will be the ones to enter the land that I will give them, and they will occupy it.
40 But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”
But now turn around and head back into the desert on the road that leads to the Red Sea.”
41 “We have sinned against the LORD,” you replied. “We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God has commanded us.” Then each of you put on his weapons of war, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.
But you answered and told me, “We have sinned against the Lord! We will go and we will fight and we will do everything the Lord our God has ordered us to do.” Then you all picked up your weapons and prepared for battle thinking it would be easy to go and fight in the hill country.
42 But the LORD said to me, “Tell them not to go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from defeat by your enemies.”
But the Lord instructed me, “Order them not to go and fight because I won't be with you to prevent you from being defeated by your enemies.”
43 So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.
I told you this, but you refused to listen. You defied the instructions of the Lord and arrogantly went to fight in the hill country.
44 Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah.
Then the Amorites living there in the hills came and attacked you. They chased after you like a swarm of bees, killing you all the way from Seir to Hormah.
45 And you returned and wept before the LORD, but He would not listen to your voice or give ear to you.
You came back to camp and wept before the Lord, but he refused to listen to what you said or to pay attention to you.
46 For this reason you stayed in Kadesh for a long time—a very long time.
You stayed there in Kadesh for a long time.
