Deuteronomy 1:1-30 ▼

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

2 It is eleven days from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.

3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, that Moses spoke to the sons of Israel according to all that YHWH had commanded him concerning them,

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

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

6 YHWH our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: “You? have dwelt long enough at this mountain.

7 Turn and set out for yourselves, and go to the mountains of the Amorite and to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the hill country, and in the Shephelah, and in the Negev, and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanite, and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.

8 See, I have set before you? the land. Go in and possess the land that YHWH swore to your? fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them and to their seed after them.”

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

10 YHWH your? God has multiplied you?, and behold, today you are as the stars of the heavens in multitude.

11 May YHWH, God of your? fathers, add to you? as a thousand times, and bless you? as He has promised to you?.

12 How can I bear alone your? troubles and your? burdens and your? disputes?

13 Choose for yourselves men, wise and understanding and knowledgeable, from among your? tribes, and I will appoint them as your? heads.”

14 And you? answered me and said, “Good is the thing that you have told us to do.”

15 And I took the heads of your? tribes, men wise and knowledgeable, and I appointed them heads over you?—leaders of thousands, and leaders of hundreds, and leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens, and officers for your? tribes.

16 And I commanded your? judges at that time, saying, “Listen between your? brothers and judge righteously between a man and between his brother or the sojourner who is with him.

17 You? shall not discern faces in judgment; the small as well as the great you? shall hear. You? shall not be afraid of the face of any man, for the judgment, it is unto God. And the case that is too hard for you?, bring to me, and I will hear it.”

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

19 And we departed from Horeb and went through all that great and fearful wilderness, which you? saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorite, as YHWH our God had commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea,

20 and I said to you?, “You? have come to the hill country of the Amorite, which YHWH our God is giving to us.

21 See, YHWH your God has set before you the land. Go up, possess it, as YHWH, God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not be afraid or be discouraged.”

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

23 And the plan was good in my eyes, and I took from among you? twelve men, one man per tribe.

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

25 And they took in their hands of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and they brought back to us word and said, “Good is the land that YHWH our God is giving to us.”

26 And you? would not go up, and you? rebelled against the mouth of YHWH your? God,

27 and you? murmured in your? tents and said, “Because YHWH hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite, to destroy us.

28 Where can we go up? Our brothers have discouraged our hearts, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to the heavens. And moreover, we have seen the sons of Anak there.’”

29 And I said to you?, “Do not be terrified and do not be afraid of them.

30 YHWH your? God goes before you?. He will fight for you? according to all that He did for you? in Egypt before your? eyes,