Chapter 1

These [be] the words which Moses spake¹⁴ unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red ⁵⁴⁸⁸ [sea], between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

([There are] eleven ⁶²⁴⁰ days' [journey] from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh ⁶²⁴⁰ month, on the first [day] of the month, [that] Moses spake¹⁴ unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment¹⁴ unto them;

After he had slain⁵³ Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt⁶ in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt⁶ at Astaroth in Edrei:

On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began⁵² Moses to declare¹⁵ this law, saying,²

The LORD our God spake¹⁴ unto us in Horeb, saying,² Ye have dwelt² long enough in this mount:

Turn³ you, and take your journey,³ and go³ 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.

Behold,³ I have set¹ the land before you: go in³ and possess³ the land which the LORD sware⁸ unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give² unto them and to their seed after them.

And I spake⁴ unto you at that time, saying,² I am not able⁴ to bear² you myself alone:

The LORD your God hath multiplied⁵² you, and, behold, ye [are] this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as⁵⁵ ye [are], and bless¹⁷ you, as he hath promised¹⁴ you!)

How can I myself alone bear⁴ your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

Take³ you wise men, and understanding,¹² and known⁷ among your tribes, and I will make⁴ them rulers over you.

And ye answered⁴ me, and said,⁴ The thing which thou hast spoken¹⁴ [is] good [for us] to do.²

So I took⁴ the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known,⁷ and made⁴ them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers⁶ among your tribes.

And I charged¹⁷ your judges⁶ at that time, saying,² Hear² [the causes] between your brethren, and judge¹ righteously between [every] man and his brother, and the stranger [that is] with him.

Ye shall not respect⁵⁵ persons in judgment; [but] ye shall hear⁴ the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid⁴ of the face of man; for the judgment [is] God's: and the cause that is too hard⁴ for you, bring⁵⁵ [it] unto me, and I will hear¹ it.

And I commanded¹⁷ you at that time all the things which ye should do.⁴

And when we departed⁴ from Horeb, we went⁴ through all that great and terrible¹² wilderness, which ye saw¹ by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded¹⁴ us; and we came⁴ to Kadeshbarnea.

And I said⁴ unto you, Ye are come¹ unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give⁶ unto us.

Behold,³ the LORD thy God hath set¹ the land before thee: go up³ [and] possess³ [it], as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said¹⁴ unto thee; fear⁴ not, neither be discouraged.¹¹

And ye came near⁴ unto me every one of you, and said,⁴ We will send⁴ men before us, and they shall search us out⁴ the land, and bring us word again⁵⁵ by what way we must go up,⁴ and into what cities we shall come.⁴

And the saying pleased⁴ me well: and I took⁴ twelve ⁶²⁴⁰ men of you, one of a tribe: ⁷⁶²⁶

And they turned⁴ and went up⁴ into the mountain, and came⁴ unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.¹⁷

And they took⁴ of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought [it] down⁵⁵ unto us, and brought us word again,⁵⁵ and said,⁴ [It is] a good land which the LORD our God doth give⁶ us.

Notwithstanding ye would¹ not go up,² but rebelled⁵⁵ against the commandment of the LORD your God:

And ye murmured¹¹ in your tents, and said,⁴ Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth⁵² out of the land of Egypt, to deliver² us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy⁵³ us.

Whither shall we go up?⁶ our brethren have discouraged⁵² our heart, saying,² The people [is] greater and taller⁶ than we; the cities [are] great and walled up⁷ to heaven; and moreover we have seen¹ the sons of the Anakims there.

Then I said⁴ unto you, Dread⁴ not, neither be afraid⁴ of them.

The LORD your God which goeth⁶ before you, he shall fight¹¹ for you, according to all that he did¹ for you in Egypt before your eyes;

And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen¹ how that the LORD thy God bare¹ thee, as a man doth bear⁴ his son, in all the way that ye went,¹ until ye came² into this place.

Yet in this thing ye did not believe⁵⁶ the LORD your God,

Who went⁶ in the way before you, to search² you out a place to pitch your tents² [in], in fire by night, to shew⁵³ you by what way ye should go,⁴ and in a cloud by day.

And the LORD heard⁴ the voice of your words, and was wroth,⁴ and sware,¹¹ saying,²

Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see⁴ that good land, which I sware⁸ to give² unto your fathers,

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see⁴ it, and to him will I give⁴ the land that he hath trodden¹ upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly¹⁴ followed the LORD.

Also the LORD was angry⁹⁸ with me for your sakes, saying,² Thou also shalt not go in⁴ thither.

[But] Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth⁶ before thee, he shall go in⁴ thither: encourage¹⁶ him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit⁵⁵ it.

Moreover your little ones, which ye said¹ should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge¹ between good and evil, they shall go in⁴ thither, and unto them will I give⁴ it, and they shall possess⁴ it.

But [as for] you, turn³ you, and take your journey³ into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

Then ye answered⁴ and said⁴ unto me, We have sinned¹ against the LORD, we will go up⁴ and fight,⁸ according to all that the LORD our God commanded¹⁴ us. And when ye had girded⁴ on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready⁵⁵ to go up² into the hill.

And the LORD said⁴ unto me, Say³ unto them, Go not up,⁴ neither fight;¹¹ for I [am] not among you; lest ye be smitten¹¹ before your enemies.⁶

So I spake¹⁷ unto you; and ye would not hear,¹ but rebelled⁵⁵ against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously⁵⁵ up⁴ into the hill.

And the Amorites, which dwelt⁶ in that mountain, came out⁴ against² you, and chased⁴ you, as bees do,⁴ and destroyed⁵⁵ you in Seir, [even] unto Hormah.

And ye returned⁴ and wept⁴ before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken¹ to your voice, nor give ear⁵² unto you.

So ye abode⁴ in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode¹ [there].