Deuteronomy 1

¹ These are the words which Moses addressed to al Israel beyond the Jordan, in the desert, in theArabah facing Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab.

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

³ It was in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, that Moses told the Israeliteseverything that Yahweh had ordered him to tel them.

⁴ He had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who livedat Ashtaroth and Edrei.

⁵ There, in Moab beyond the Jordan, Moses resolved to expound this Law. He said:

⁶ 'Yahweh our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain.

⁷ Move on, continue your journey, go to the highlands of the Amorites, to al those who live in the Arabah,in the highlands, in the lowlands, in the Negeb and in the coastland; go into Canaan and to Lebanon as far asthe great River Euphrates.

⁸ Look, that is the country I have given you; go and take possession of the country that Yahweh promisedon oath to give to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to their descendants after them."

⁹ 'At the same time, I told you, "I cannot be responsible for you by myself.

¹⁰ Yahweh your God has increased your numbers, until you are now as numerous as the stars ofheaven.

¹¹ And Yahweh your God is going to increase you a thousand times more, and bless you as he haspromised you.

¹² So how can I cope by myself with the bitter burden that you are, and with your bickering?

¹³ From each of your tribes pick wise, shrewd and experienced men for me to make your leaders."

¹⁴ You replied, "Your plan is good."

¹⁵ So I took your tribal leaders, wise, experienced men, and appointed them to lead you, as captains ofthousands, hundreds, fifties, tens, and as scribes for your tribes.

¹⁶ At that same time I told your judges, "You must give your brothers a fair hearing and see justice donebetween one person and his brother or the foreigner living with him.

¹⁷ You must be impartial in judgement and give an equal hearing to small and great alike. Do not beafraid of any human person, for the verdict is God's. Should a case be too difficult, bring it for me to hear.

¹⁸ And on that occasion I gave you instructions about everything you were to do."

¹⁹ 'So, as Yahweh our God had ordered, we left Horeb and made our way through that vast and terribledesert, which you saw on the way to the Amorite highlands, and arrived at Kadesh-Barnea.

²⁰ I then said, "You have now reached the Amorite highlands, which Yahweh our God has given us.

²¹ Look, Yahweh your God has given you this country. March in, take possession of it as Yahweh, theGod of your ancestors, has said; do not be afraid or discouraged."

²² Then you al came to me and said, "Let us send men ahead of us to explore the country; they shalreport to us which way we ought to take and what towns we shal come to."

²³ This seemed good advice to me and I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

²⁴ These men made towards the highlands and went up into them; they reached the Val ey of Eshcol andreconnoitred it.

²⁵ They col ected some of the produce of the country and brought it down to us; and they made us thisreport, "Yahweh our God has given us a fine country."

²⁶ You, however, refused to go up there and rebelled against the voice of Yahweh your God.

²⁷ You muttered in your tents, saying, "Yahweh hates us, and that is why he has brought us out of Egypt,to put us into the Amorites' power and so destroy us.

²⁸ What kind of place are we making for? Our brothers have discouraged us by saying that the peopleare stronger and tal er than we are, the cities immense, with wal s reaching to the sky. And we have seenAnakim there too."

²⁹ 'And I said to you, "Do not take fright, do not be afraid of them.

³⁰ Yahweh your God goes ahead of you and wil be fighting on your side, just as you saw him act inEgypt.

³¹ You have seen him in the desert too: Yahweh your God continued to support you, as a man supportshis son, al along the road you followed until you arrived here."

³² But for al this, you put no faith in Yahweh your God,

³³ going ahead of you on the journey to find you a camping ground, by night in the fire to light your path,and in the cloud by day.

³⁴ 'Yahweh heard what you were saying and in his anger swore this oath,

³⁵ "Not one of these people, this perverse generation, will see the fine country I swore to give yourancestors,

³⁶ except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He wil see it. To him and to his children I shal give the land he hasset foot on, for he has been perfectly obedient to Yahweh."

³⁷ Yahweh was angry with me too, because of you. "You wil not go in either," he said.

³⁸ "Your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will be the one to enter. Encourage him, since he is to bring Israelinto possession of the country.

³⁹ And your little ones too, who, you said, would be seized as booty, these children of yours who do notyet know good from evil, they wil go in; I shall give it to them and they wil own it.

⁴⁰ But, as regards yourselves, turn round, go back into the desert, towards the Sea of Suph."

⁴¹ 'In reply, you then said to me, "We have sinned against Yahweh our God. We shall go up and fight justas Yahweh our God has ordered us." And each one of you buckled on his arms and equipped himself to marchup into the highlands.

⁴² But Yahweh said to me, "Tel them this: Do not go up and fight. I am not with you. Do not letyourselves be defeated by your enemies."

⁴³ So I told you, but you would not listen, and you rebel ed against the voice of Yahweh; presumptuouslyyou marched into the highlands.

⁴⁴ The Amorites, who live in that country of hil s, came swarming out against you like bees, pursued youand beat you from Seir to Hormah.

⁴⁵ On your return, you wept in Yahweh's presence, but he would not listen to your cries or pay attention.

⁴⁶ That was why you had to stay at Kadesh as long as you did.'