Deuteronomy — Chapter 1

1These 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.

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

3And 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;

4After 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:

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

6The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

7Turn 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.

8Behold, 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.

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

10The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for 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!)

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

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

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

15So 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.

16And 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.

17Ye 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.

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

19And 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.

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

21Behold, 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.

22And 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.

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

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

25And 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.

26Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:

27And 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.

28Whither 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.

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

30The 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;

31And 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.

32Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,

33Who 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.

34And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

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

36Save 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.

37Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

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

39Moreover 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.

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

41Then 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.

42And 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.

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

44And 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.

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

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

1These are the words which Moses spake unto all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab.

2It is eleven days` [journey] from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.

3And 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 Jehovah had given him in commandment unto them;

4after he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.

5Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

6Jehovah our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain:

7turn you, and take your journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites, and unto all [the places] nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the sea-shore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

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

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

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

11Jehovah, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!

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

13Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

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

15So 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.

16And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the sojourner that is with him.

17Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; 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 ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.

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

19And we journeyed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as Jehovah our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

20And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the hill-country of the Amorites, which Jehovah our God giveth unto us.

21Behold, Jehovah thy God hath set the land before thee: go up, take possession, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.

22And ye came near unto me every one 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 unto which we shall come.

23And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

24and they turned and went up into the hill-country, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

25And 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 Jehovah our God giveth unto us.

26Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God:

27and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because Jehovah 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.

28Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

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

30Jehovah your God who goeth before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

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

32Yet in this thing ye did not believe Jehovah your God,

33who went before you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.

34And Jehovah heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

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

36save 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 Jehovah.

37Also Jehovah was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither:

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

39Moreover your little ones, that ye said should be a prey, and your children, that this day have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

40But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

41Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against Jehovah, we will go up and fight, according to all that Jehovah our God commanded us. And ye girded on every man his weapons of war, and were forward to go up into the hill-country.

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

43So I spake unto you, and ye hearkened not; but ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill-country.

44And the Amorites, that dwelt in that hill-country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even unto Hormah.

45And ye returned and wept before Jehovah; but Jehovah hearkened not to your voice, nor gave ear unto you.

46So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode [there].

1This is what Moses said to all of Israel in the Transjordanian wilderness, the arid rift valley opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab.

2Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir.

3However, it was not until the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year that Moses addressed the Israelites just as the Lord had instructed him to do.

4This took place after the defeat of King Sihon of the Amorites, whose capital was in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was in Ashtaroth, specifically in Edrei.

5So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words:

6The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed in the area of this mountain long enough.

7Head out and resume your journey. Enter the Amorite hill country, and all its neighboring areas, including the rift valley, the hill country, the foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain—all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates.

8Look! I have already given the land to you. Go, occupy the territory that I, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants.”

9I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself.

10The Lord your God has increased your population to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky.

11Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you just as he said he would!

12But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife?

13Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.”

14You replied to me that what I had said to you was good.

15So I chose as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials.

16I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one person and a native Israelite or a resident foreigner.

17They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.

18So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do.

19Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea.

20Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country, which the Lord our God is about to give us.

21Look, he has placed the land in front of you! Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”

22So all of you approached me and said, “Let’s send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.”

23I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

24They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, which they scouted out.

25Then they took some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”

26You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God.

27You complained among yourselves privately and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us!

28What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage by describing people who are more numerous and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven itself! Moreover, they said they saw Anakites there.”

29So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified of them!

30The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt

31and in the wilderness, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.”

32However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God,

33who would go before you on the way to find places for you to camp, appearing in a fire at night and in a cloud by day to show you the way you ought to go.

34When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow:

35“Not a single person of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors!

36The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.”

37As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there.

38However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land.

39Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it.

40But as for you, turn back and head for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

41Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country.

42But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’”

43I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord and recklessly went up to the hill country.

44The Amorite inhabitants of that area confronted you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah.

45Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to you whatsoever.

46Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time—indeed, for the full time.

1These 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.

2It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.

3In 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;

4after 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.

5Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law, saying,

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

7Turn, 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, in the lowland, in the South, by the seashore, in the land of the Canaanites, and in Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

8Behold, 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.’”

9I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you myself alone.

10Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude.

11Yahweh, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he has promised you!

12How can I myself alone bear your problems, your burdens, and your strife?

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

14You answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good to do.”

15So 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.

16I 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.

17You 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.”

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

19We 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.

20I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which Yahweh our God gives to us.

21Behold, 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.”

22You 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.”

23The thing pleased me well. I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe.

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

25They 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.”

26Yet you wouldn’t go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God.

27You 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.

28Where 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!’”

29Then I said to you, “Don’t dread, neither be afraid of them.

30Yahweh your God who goes before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

31and 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.”

32Yet in this thing you didn’t believe Yahweh your God,

33who 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.

34Yahweh heard the voice of your words, and was angry, and swore, 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,

36except 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.”

37Also Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, saying, “You also shall not go in there.

38Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

39Moreover your little ones, whom you said would be captured or killed, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, shall go in there. I will give it to them, and they shall possess it.

40But as for you, turn, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

41Then 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.

42Yahweh said to me, “Tell them, ‘Don’t go up and don’t fight; for I am not among you; lest you be struck before your enemies.’”

43So 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.

44The 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.

45You returned and wept before Yahweh; but Yahweh didn’t listen to your voice, nor turn his ear to you.

46So you stayed in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you remained.