New King James Version

New Living Translation

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 the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.

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

2Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.

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,

3But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the LORD had commanded him to say.

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

4This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

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

5While the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully explained the LORD’s instructions as follows. The Command to Leave Sinai

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

6“When we were at Mount Sinai, the LORD our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough.

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.

7It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, and all the way to the great Euphrates River.

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.’

8Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’” Moses Appoints Leaders from Each Tribe

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

9Moses continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all 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 increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars!

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!

11And may the LORD, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised!

12How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints?

12But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering?

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

13Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

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

14“Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’

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 wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.

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.

16“At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions

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.’

17and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’

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

18“At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do. Scouts Explore the Land

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, just as the LORD our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness, as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amorites. When we arrived at Kadesh-barnea,

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

20I said to you, ‘You have now reached the hill country of the Amorites that 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.’

21Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’

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.’

22“But you all came to me and said, ‘First, let’s send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.’

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

23“This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose twelve scouts, one from each of your tribes.

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

24They headed for the hill country and came to the valley of Eshcol and explored it.

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.’

25They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, ‘The land the LORD our God has given us is indeed a good land.’ Israel’s Rebellion against the LORD

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

26“But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to go in.

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.

27You complained in your tents and said, ‘The LORD must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered.

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 can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’

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

29“But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked 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 is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.

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 you saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’

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

32“But even after all he did, you refused to trust 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 goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

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

34“When the LORD heard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly 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 you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,

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 son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the LORD completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’

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

37“And the LORD was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land!

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

38Instead, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Israel as they take possession of 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.

39I will give the land to your little ones—your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it.

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

40As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward 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 confessed, ‘We have sinned against the LORD! We will go into the land and fight for it, as the LORD our God has commanded us.’ So your men strapped on their weapons, thinking it would be easy to attack 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.” ’

42“But the LORD told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by 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.

43“This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against the LORD’s command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight.

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.

44But the Amorites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Seir to Hormah.

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

45Then you returned and wept before the LORD, but he refused to listen.

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

46So you stayed there at Kadesh for a long time.

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

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.