Deuteronomy 1

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

2From Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea is eleven days.

3It took place in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, that Moses spoke to the sons of Israel according to everything Yahweh had commanded him concerning them.

4After he struck Sihon king of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.

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

6Yahweh our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, "You have stayed long enough on this mountain."

7Turn and set out and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring places—in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowlands, in the Negev, by the seashore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon—as far as the great river, the Euphrates.

8See, I have placed the land before you; go in and take possession of the land that Yahweh swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them and their descendants after them.

9I said to you at that time, "I cannot bear you by myself."

10Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and see, you are today as numerous as the stars of the heavens.

11May Yahweh, God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times as you are and bless you, as he has spoken to you.

12How can I by myself bear your troubles, your burdens, and your disputes?

13Give yourselves wise and discerning men known in your tribes, and I will appoint them as heads over you.

14You answered me and said, "The word you spoke is good to do."

15I took the heads of your tribes—wise and reputable men—and appointed 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 charged your judges at that time, saying, "Hear attentively between your brothers, and judge justly between a man and his brother, and the sojourner with him."

17In judgment show no partiality; hear the humble as the prominent; do not fear any man, for judgment belongs to God, and the case that is too hard for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it.

18At that time I charged you with all the matters you were to do.

19We journeyed from Horeb and went through all that great and dreadful wilderness you saw by the way to the mountain 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 us."

21See, Yahweh your God has placed the land before you; go up and possess it, as Yahweh the God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear, nor be dismayed.

22All of you approached me and said, "Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us and bring us back a report on the route we will take into it and the cities we will enter."

23The matter was good in my eyes, and I took twelve men from you, one man per tribe.

24They turned and climbed into the hill country, reached the valley of Eshcol, and scouted it.

25They took fruit from the land in their hands, brought it down to us, and returned a report to us, saying, "The land is good, which Yahweh our God gives us."

26But you refused to go up and rebelled against the command of Yahweh your God.

27You grumbled in your tents and said, "Because Yahweh hated us, he brought us out from the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorite's power, to annihilate us."

28Where are we going up? Our brothers have melted our heart, saying, "A people greater and taller than us, cities vast and fortified to the heavens—and moreover, the sons of the Anakim we have seen there."

29I said to you, "Do not be terrified, and do not fear them."

30Yahweh your God, who goes before you—he will fight for you, according to everything he did with you in Egypt before your eyes.

31In the wilderness, where you saw how Yahweh your God carried you, as a man carries his son, along the entire way that you went until you reached this place.

32Yet in this matter you did not trust Yahweh your God.

33who went ahead of you along the road to scout a place for you to camp, in fire by night to show you the path on which you should travel, and in the cloud by day.

34Yahweh heard the sound of your words, grew angry, and swore, saying,

35Not one of these men of this evil generation will see the good land I swore to give your fathers.

36except Caleb son of Jephunneh—he shall see it, and I will give the land that he has trodden to him and his children, because he has fully followed Yahweh.

37Yahweh was also angry with me because of you, saying, "You also shall not enter there."

38Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter there—strengthen him, for he will give it to Israel as an inheritance.

39And your little children, whom you said would become plunder, and your sons who today do not know good or evil, they will enter there, and I will give it to them, and they will possess it.

40You, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

41You answered me, "We have sinned against Yahweh—we will go up and fight, just as Yahweh our God commanded us in everything." Every man of you then girded on his weapons of war and prepared to ascend the hill.

42Yahweh said to me, "Tell them, 'Do not go up, nor fight, for I am not among you, lest you be defeated before your enemies.'"

43I spoke to you, but you did not heed; you rebelled against Yahweh's command, acted with insolence, and went up the mountain.

44The Amorites dwelling in that hill country came out against you, chased you as bees do, and crushed you in Seir all the way to Hormah.

45You returned and wept before Yahweh, but Yahweh did not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.

46You lived in Kadesh many days, like the days that you lived.