New King James Version

English Standard Version

1These 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.

1These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

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

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

3Now 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,

3In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them,

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

4after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei.

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

5Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying,

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

6“The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.

7Turn 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.

7Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

8See, 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.’

8See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’

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

9“At that time I said to you, ‘I am not able to bear you by myself.

10The LORD your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.

10The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven.

11May the LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you!

11May the LORD, 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 alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints?

12How can I bear by myself the weight and burden of you and your strife?

13Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’

13Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.’

14And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’

14And you answered me, ‘The thing that you have spoken is good for us to do.’

15So 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.

15So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes.

16“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.

16And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.

17You 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.’

17You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

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

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

19“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.

19“Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea.

20And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.

20And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.

21Look, 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.’

21See, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’

22“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.’

22Then all of you came near me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.’

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

23The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe.

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

24And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out.

25They 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.’

25And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, ‘It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.’

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

26“Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.

27and 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.

27And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

28Where 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.” ’

28Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’

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

29Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them.

30The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

30The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

31and 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.’

31and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’

32Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God,

32Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God,

33who 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.

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

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

34“And the LORD heard your words and was angered, and he swore,

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

35‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers,

36except 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.’

36except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the LORD!’

37The LORD was also angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there.

37Even with me the LORD was angry on your account and said, ‘You also shall not go in there.

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

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

39‘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.

39And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.

40But as for you, turn and take your journey into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.’

40But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.’

41“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.

41“Then you answered me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD. We ourselves will go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.’ And every one of you fastened on his weapons of war and thought it easy to go up into the hill country.

42“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.” ’

42And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not in your midst, lest you be defeated before your enemies.’

43So I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the LORD, and presumptuously went up into the mountain.

43So I spoke to you, and you would not listen; but you rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.

44And 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.

44Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do and beat you down in Seir as far as Hormah.

45Then you returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD would not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.

45And you returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD did not listen to your voice or give ear to you.

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

46So you remained at Kadesh many days, the days that you remained there.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.