Add parallel Print Page Options

Moses Talks to the Israelites

This is the message Moses gave the people of Israel. They were in the desert east of the Jordan River. They were in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran and the towns of Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab.

(The trip from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea on the Mount Edom road takes 11 days.) But it was now 40 years after the Israelites had left Egypt. On the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people. He told them everything the Lord had commanded him to tell them. This was after the Lord had defeated Sihon and Og. Sihon was king of the Amorite people and lived in Heshbon. Og was king of Bashan and lived in Ashteroth and Edrei.

Now the Israelites were east of the Jordan River in the land of Moab. There Moses began to explain what God had commanded. Moses said:

The Lord our God spoke to us at Mount Sinai. He said, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Get ready. Go to the mountain country of the Amorites. Go to all the places around there—the Jordan Valley, the mountains, the western slopes, the southern area, the seacoast, the land of Canaan and Lebanon. Go as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take it for yourselves. The Lord promised it to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants.”

Moses Appoints Leaders

At that time I said, “I am not able to take care of you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has made you grow in number. There are as many of you as there are stars in the sky. 11 I pray that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, will give you a thousand times more people. That’s what he promised. 12 But I cannot take care of your problems, your troubles and your arguments by myself. 13 So choose some men from each tribe. Choose wise men who have understanding and experience. I will make them leaders over you.”

14 And you said, “That’s a good thing to do.”

15 So I took the wise and experienced leaders of your tribes. And I made them your leaders. I appointed commanders over 1,000 people, over 100 people, over 50 people and over 10 people. I made them officers over your tribes. 16 Then I told your judges, “Listen to the arguments between your people. Judge fairly between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner. 17 When you judge, be fair to everyone. Don’t act as if one person is more important than another. Don’t be afraid of anyone, because your decision comes from God. Bring the hard cases to me. I will judge them.” 18 At that time I told you everything you must do.

Spies Enter the Land

19 Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai. We went toward the mountain country of the Amorite people. We went through that large and terrible desert you saw. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have now come to the mountain country of the Amorites. The Lord our God will give us this land. 21 Look, there it is! Go up. Take it. The Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you to do this. So don’t be afraid. Don’t worry.”

22 Then all of you came to me. You said, “Let’s send men before us to spy out the land. They can come back and tell us the way we should go. They can tell us about the cities we will find.”

23 I thought that was a good idea. So I chose 12 of your men, 1 for each tribe. 24 They left and went up to the mountains. They came to the Valley of Eshcol and explored it. 25 They took some of the fruit from that land. And they brought it down to us. They said, “It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.”

Israel Refuses to Enter

26 But you refused to go. You would not obey the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents. You said, “The Lord hates us. He brought us out of Egypt just to give us to the Amorites. They will destroy us. 28 Where can we go now? The spies we sent have made us afraid. They said, ‘The people there are bigger and taller than we are. The cities are big. They have walls up to the sky. And we saw the Anakites there!’”

29 Then I said to you, “Don’t be frightened. Don’t be afraid of those people. 30 The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will fight for you as he did in Egypt. You saw him do it. 31 And in the desert you saw how the Lord your God carried you. He was like a man carrying his son. And he has brought you safely all the way to this place.”

32 But you still did not trust the Lord your God. 33 As you moved, he went before you. He found places for you to camp. He went before you in a fire at night and in a cloud during the day. He showed you which way to go.

34 When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry. He made a promise. He said, 35 “I promised a good land to your ancestors. But none of you evil people will see it. 36 Only Caleb son of Jephunneh will see it. I will give him and his descendants the land he walked on. I will do this because he followed me completely.”

37 Because of you, the Lord was also angry with me. He said to me, “You won’t enter the land either. 38 But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will go there. Encourage Joshua, because he will lead Israel to take the land for their own.”

39 The Lord said to us, “You said your babies would be captured. But they will go into the land. They are too young to know right from wrong. So I will give the land to them. And they will take it for their own. 40 But you must turn around. Follow the desert road toward the Gulf of Aqaba.”

41 Then you said to me, “We have sinned against the Lord. But now we will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” Then all of you put on weapons. You thought it would be easy to go into the mountains.

42 But the Lord said to me, “Tell them not to go up there and fight. I will not be with them. Their enemies will defeat them.”

43 So I told you, but you would not listen. You would not obey the Lord’s command. You were proud. So you went on up into the mountains. 44 The Amorites who lived there came out and fought you. They chased you like bees. They defeated you from Edom to Hormah. 45 So you came back and cried to the Lord. But the Lord did not hear you. He refused to listen to you. 46 So you stayed in Kadesh a long time.

The Command to Leave Horeb

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan(A)—that is, in the Arabah(B)—opposite Suph, between Paran(C) and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb(D) to Kadesh Barnea(E) by the Mount Seir(F) road.)(G)

In the fortieth year,(H) on the first day of the eleventh month,(I) Moses proclaimed(J) to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. This was after he had defeated Sihon(K) king of the Amorites,(L) who reigned in Heshbon,(M) and at Edrei had defeated Og(N) king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.(O)

East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab,(P) Moses began to expound this law, saying:

The Lord our God said to us(Q) at Horeb,(R) “You have stayed long enough(S) at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites;(T) go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah,(U) in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev(V) and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites(W) and to Lebanon,(X) as far as the great river, the Euphrates.(Y) See, I have given you this land(Z).(AA) Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore(AB) he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

The Appointment of Leaders

At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden(AC) for me to carry alone.(AD) 10 The Lord your God has increased(AE) your numbers(AF) so that today you are as numerous(AG) as the stars in the sky.(AH) 11 May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase(AI) you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!(AJ) 12 But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?(AK) 13 Choose some wise, understanding and respected men(AL) from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

14 You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

15 So I took(AM) the leading men of your tribes,(AN) wise and respected men,(AO) and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders(AP) of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.(AQ) 16 And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge(AR) fairly,(AS) whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.(AT) 17 Do not show partiality(AU) in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone,(AV) for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”(AW) 18 And at that time I told you everything you were to do.(AX)

Spies Sent Out

19 Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites(AY) through all that vast and dreadful wilderness(AZ) that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.(BA) 20 Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession(BB) of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid;(BC) do not be discouraged.”(BD)

22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy(BE) out the land(BF) for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”

23 The idea seemed good to me; so I selected(BG) twelve of you, one man from each tribe. 24 They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol(BH) and explored it. 25 Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported,(BI) “It is a good land(BJ) that the Lord our God is giving us.”(BK)

Rebellion Against the Lord

26 But you were unwilling to go up;(BL) you rebelled(BM) against the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled(BN) in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller(BO) than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites(BP) there.’”

29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid(BQ) of them.(BR) 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight(BS) for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried(BT) you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”(BU)

32 In spite of this,(BV) you did not trust(BW) in the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day,(BX) to search(BY) out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

34 When the Lord heard(BZ) what you said, he was angry(CA) and solemnly swore:(CB) 35 “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land(CC) I swore to give your ancestors, 36 except Caleb(CD) son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.(CE)

37 Because of you the Lord became angry(CF) with me also and said, “You shall not enter(CG) it, either. 38 But your assistant, Joshua(CH) son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage(CI) him, because he will lead(CJ) Israel to inherit(CK) it. 39 And the little ones that you said would be taken captive,(CL) your children who do not yet know(CM) good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. 40 But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.[a](CN)

41 Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

42 But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”(CO)

43 So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. 44 The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees(CP) and beat you down from Seir(CQ) all the way to Hormah.(CR) 45 You came back and wept before the Lord,(CS) but he paid no attention(CT) to your weeping and turned a deaf ear(CU) to you. 46 And so you stayed in Kadesh(CV) many days—all the time you spent there.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 1:40 Or the Sea of Reeds

Ito ang mga salitang sinabi ni Moises sa buong Israel sa kabila ng Jordan sa ilang, sa Araba na katapat ng Suf, sa pagitan ng Paran at ng Tofel, Laban, Haserot, at Di-zahab.

Iyon ay labing-isang araw na lakbayin mula sa Horeb kung daraan sa bundok ng Seir hanggang sa Kadesh-barnea.

Nang unang araw ng ikalabing-isang buwan ng ikaapatnapung taon, nagsalita si Moises sa mga anak ni Israel ayon sa lahat ng iniutos ng Panginoon sa kanya para sa kanila.

Ito(A) ay pagkatapos niyang talunin si Sihon na hari ng mga Amoreo, na naninirahan sa Hesbon, at si Og na hari ng Basan, na naninirahan sa Astarot at sa Edrei.

Sa kabila ng Jordan sa lupain ng Moab, pinasimulan ni Moises na ipaliwanag ang kautusang ito gaya ng sumusunod:

“Ang Panginoon nating Diyos ay nagsalita sa atin sa Horeb, na nagsasabi, ‘Kayo'y matagal nang naninirahan sa bundok na ito.

Ipagpatuloy ninyo ang inyong paglalakbay at pumunta kayo sa lupaing maburol ng mga Amoreo, at sa lahat nitong kalapit na lugar, sa Araba na lupaing maburol at sa kapatagan, sa Negeb, at sa baybayin ng dagat, sa lupain ng mga Cananeo, sa Lebanon, hanggang sa malaking ilog ng Eufrates.

Tingnan ninyo, inilagay ko na ang lupain sa harapan ninyo. Pasukin ninyo at angkinin ang lupain na ipinangako ng Panginoon sa inyong mga ninuno, kina Abraham, Isaac, at Jacob, na ibibigay sa kanila at sa kanilang mga anak pagkamatay nila.’

Humirang si Moises ng mga Hukom(B)

“At ako'y nagsalita sa inyo nang panahong iyon na sinasabi, ‘Hindi ko kayo kayang dalhing mag-isa.

10 Pinarami kayo ng Panginoon ninyong Diyos, at kayo ngayon ay gaya ng mga bituin sa langit sa dami.

11 Ang Panginoon na Diyos ng inyong mga ninuno, nawa'y paramihin kayo ng makalibong ulit kaysa ngayon, at kayo nawa'y pagpalain ng gaya ng ipinangako niya sa inyo!

12 Paano ko madadalang mag-isa ang mabigat na pasan ninyo at ng inyong mga alitan?

13 Pumili kayo ng mga lalaking matatalino, may pang-unawa at may karanasan mula sa inyong mga lipi, at sila'y aking itatalaga bilang mga pinuno ninyo.’

14 At kayo'y sumagot sa akin at nagsabi, ‘Ang bagay na iyong sinabi ay mabuting gawin natin.’

15 Kaya't kinuha ko ang mga pinuno ng inyong mga lipi, mga taong matatalino at may karanasan, at inilagay sila bilang mga pinuno ninyo, na mga pinuno ng libu-libo, mga pinuno ng daan-daan, mga pinuno ng lima-limampu, mga pinuno ng sampu-sampu, at mga pinuno sa inyong mga lipi.

16 Inutusan ko ang inyong mga hukom nang panahong iyon: ‘Pakinggan ninyo ang mga usapin ng inyong mga kapatid, at hatulan ng matuwid ang tao at ang kanyang kapatid, at ang dayuhan na kasama niya.

17 Huwag kayong magtatangi ng tao sa paghatol; inyong parehong papakinggan ang hamak at ang dakila; huwag kayong matatakot sa mukha ng tao; sapagkat ang paghatol ay sa Diyos, at ang bagay na napakahirap sa inyo ay inyong dadalhin sa akin, at aking papakinggan.’

18 Kaya't nang panahong iyon, aking iniutos sa inyo ang lahat ng mga bagay na inyong gagawin.

Nagsugo ng mga Espiya mula sa Kadesh-barnea(C)

19 “Pagkatapos, tayo ay naglakbay mula sa Horeb at ating tinahak ang malawak at nakakatakot na ilang na inyong nakita, sa daang patungo sa lupaing maburol ng mga Amoreo, na gaya ng iniutos ng Panginoon nating Diyos sa atin, at tayo'y dumating sa Kadesh-barnea.

20 Aking sinabi sa inyo, ‘Inyong narating ang lupaing maburol ng mga Amoreo na ibinibigay sa atin ng Panginoon nating Diyos.

21 Tingnan mo, ibinibigay ng Panginoon mong Diyos ang lupain sa harapan mo. Akyatin mo, angkinin mo, na gaya ng sinabi sa iyo ng Panginoong Diyos ng iyong mga ninuno; huwag kang matakot, o mangamba.’

22 At lahat kayo'y lumapit sa akin, bawat isa sa inyo, at nagsabi, ‘Tayo'y magsugo ng mga lalaki upang mauna sa atin, upang lihim nilang siyasatin ang lupain, at ibalita sa atin ang daang dapat nating tahakin, at ang mga lunsod na ating daratnan!’

23 Ang panukala ay minabuti ko at ako'y kumuha ng labindalawang lalaki sa inyo, isang lalaki sa bawat lipi.

24 Sila'y pumihit at umahon sa lupaing maburol at dumating sa libis ng Escol, at kanilang lihim na siniyasat.

25 At sila'y kumuha ng bunga ng lupain at ibinaba iyon sa atin, at ibinalita, ‘Ang lupaing ibinibigay sa atin ng Panginoon ay mabuti.’

Hindi Nanampalataya ang Kapulungan

26 “Gayunma'y(D) hindi kayo umakyat, kundi naghimagsik kayo laban sa utos ng Panginoon ninyong Diyos,

27 at kayo'y nagbulung-bulungan sa inyong mga tolda, at sinabi, ‘Dahil kinapootan tayo ng Panginoon, kanyang inilabas tayo sa lupain ng Ehipto upang tayo'y ibigay sa kamay ng mga Amoreo upang tayo'y lipulin.

28 Saan tayo aahon? Pinapanghina ng ating mga kapatid ang ating puso, na sinasabi, “Nakita namin doon ang mga taong malalaki at matataas kaysa atin. Ang mga bayan ay malalaki at may pader hanggang sa langit, gayundin nakita namin ang mga anak ng Anakim roon.”’

29 Nang magkagayo'y sinabi ko sa inyo, ‘Huwag kayong mangilabot ni matakot sa kanila.

30 Ang Panginoon ninyong Diyos, na nangunguna sa inyo ay siyang makikipaglaban para sa inyo, gaya ng kanyang ginawa para sa inyo sa Ehipto sa inyong harapan,[a]

31 at(E) sa ilang, na doon ay inyong nakita kung paanong dinala kayo ng Panginoon ninyong Diyos, na gaya ng pagdadala ng tao sa kanyang anak, sa lahat ng daang inyong nilakaran hanggang sa makarating kayo sa dakong ito.’

32 Gayunma'y(F) sa kabila ng bagay na ito ay hindi kayo sumampalataya sa Panginoon ninyong Diyos,

33 na nanguna sa inyo sa daan, upang ihanap kayo ng dakong mapagtatayuan ng inyong mga tolda na nasa apoy kapag gabi, at nasa ulap kapag araw, upang ituro sa inyo ang daang dapat ninyong lakaran.

Pinarusahan ng Panginoon ang Israel(G)

34 “Nang(H) marinig ng Panginoon ang inyong mga salita, siya ay nagalit at sumumpa na sinasabi,

35 ‘Wala ni isa man sa mga taong mula sa masamang salinlahing ito ang makakakita ng mabuting lupain na aking ipinangakong ibibigay sa inyong mga ninuno,

36 maliban kay Caleb na anak ni Jefone. Makikita niya iyon at ibibigay ko sa kanya at sa mga anak niya ang lupain na kanyang nilakaran, sapagkat siya'y lubos na sumunod sa Panginoon.’

37 Ang Panginoon ay nagalit din sa akin, dahil sa inyo, na nagsasabi, ‘Ikaw man ay hindi papasok doon.

38 Si Josue na anak ni Nun, na iyong lingkod,[b] ay siyang papasok doon. Palakasin mo ang kanyang loob, sapagkat siya ang mangunguna upang ito ay manahin ng Israel.

39 Bukod dito, ang inyong mga bata na inyong sinasabing magiging biktima, at ang inyong mga anak na sa araw na ito ay hindi nakakaalam ng mabuti o ng masama, ay siyang papasok doon, at sa kanila'y aking ibibigay, at ito'y kanilang aangkinin.

40 Ngunit tungkol sa inyo, bumalik kayo at maglakbay sa ilang sa daang patungo sa Dagat na Pula.’

41 “At kayo ay sumagot at sinabi sa akin, ‘Kami ay nagkasala laban sa Panginoon, kami ay aahon at lalaban, ayon sa iniutos sa amin ng Panginoon naming Diyos.’ At bawat isa sa inyo ay nagsakbat ng kanya-kanyang sandatang pandigma, at inyong inakalang madaling akyatin ang lupaing maburol.

42 Kaya't sinabi sa akin ng Panginoon, ‘Sabihin mo sa kanila, Huwag kayong umakyat, ni lumaban, sapagkat ako'y wala sa inyong kalagitnaan. Baka kayo'y matalo sa harapan ng inyong mga kaaway.’

43 Gayon ang sinabi ko sa inyo, ngunit hindi kayo nakinig kundi kayo'y naghimagsik laban sa utos ng Panginoon, at naghambog at umakyat sa lupaing maburol.

44 Ang mga Amoreo na naninirahan sa lupaing maburol na iyon ay lumabas laban sa inyo, at kayo'y hinabol, na gaya ng ginagawa ng mga pukyutan, at kayo'y tinalo sa Seir hanggang sa Horma.

45 Kayo'y bumalik at umiyak sa harapan ng Panginoon, ngunit hindi dininig ng Panginoon ang inyong tinig, ni pinakinggan kayo.

46 Kaya't kayo'y nanatili nang maraming araw sa Kadesh, ayon sa mga araw na inyong inilagi roon.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomio 1:30 Sa Hebreo ay sa harapan ng inyong mga mata .
  2. Deuteronomio 1:38 Sa Hebreo ay na nakatayo sa harapan mo .

The first heading: Introducing Deuteronomy

These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan River, in the desert, on the plain across from Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. (It is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea along the Mount Seir route.) It was in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, that Moses spoke to the Israelites precisely what the Lord had commanded him for them. (This was after the defeat of Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and Og, Bashan’s king, who ruled in Ashtaroth and[a] Edrei.) Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this Instruction. He said the following:

Leaving Mount Horeb

At Horeb, the Lord our God told us: You’ve been at this mountain long enough. Get going! Enter the hills of the Amorites and the surrounding areas in the desert, the highlands, the lowlands, the arid southern region, and the seacoast—the land of the Canaanites—and the Lebanon range, all the way to the great Euphrates River. Look, I have laid the land before you. Go and possess the land that I[b] promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as to their descendants after them.

At that same time, I told you: I can’t handle all of you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has multiplied your number—you are now as countless as the stars in the sky. 11 May the Lord, your ancestors’ God, continue to multiply you—a thousand times more! And may God bless you, just as he promised. 12 But how can I handle all your troubles, burdens, and disputes by myself? 13 Now, for each of your tribes, choose wise, discerning, and well-regarded individuals. I will appoint them as your leaders.

14 You answered me: “What you have proposed is a good idea.”

15 So I took leading individuals from your tribes, people who were wise and well-regarded, and I set them up as your leaders. There were commanders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, as well as officials for each of your tribes.

16 At that same time, I commanded your judges: Listen to your fellow tribe members and judge fairly, whether the dispute is between one fellow tribe member or between a tribe member and an immigrant. 17 Don’t show favoritism in a decision. Hear both sides out, whether the person is important or not. Don’t be afraid of anyone because the ruling belongs to God. Any dispute that is too difficult for you to decide, bring to me and I will take care of it.

18 So at that time, I commanded you concerning everything you were to do.

The spy disaster

19 We left Horeb and journeyed through that vast and terrifying desert you saw, on the way to the hills of the Amorites, exactly as the Lord our God commanded us. Then we arrived at Kadesh-barnea. 20 I said to you: You have come to the hills of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving to us. 21 Look! The Lord your God has laid out the land before you. Go up and take it, just as the Lord, your ancestors’ God, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be frightened!

22 Then all of you approached me, saying, “Let’s send spies ahead of us—they can check out the land for us. Then they can return with word about the route we should use and bring a report about the cities that we’ll be entering.”

23 This idea seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men, one from each tribe. 24 These set out and went up into the hills, going as far as the Cluster[c] ravine. They walked all around that area. 25 They took some of the land’s fruit and then came back down to us. They reported to us: “The land that the Lord our God is giving to us is wonderful!” 26 But you weren’t willing to go up. You rejected the Lord your God’s instruction. 27 You complained in your tents, saying things like, “The Lord hates us! That’s why he brought us out of Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites, to destroy us! 28 What are we doing? Our brothers have made our hearts sick by saying, ‘People far stronger and much taller than we live there, and the cities are huge, with walls sky-high! Worse still, we saw the descendants of the Anakites there!’”

29 But I said to you: Don’t be terrified! Don’t be afraid of them! 30 The Lord your God is going before you. He will fight for you just as he fought for you in Egypt while you watched, 31 and as you saw him do in the desert. Throughout your entire journey, until you reached this very place, the Lord your God has carried you just as a parent carries a child.

32 But you had no faith in the Lord your God about this matter, 33 even though he went ahead of you, scouting places where you should camp, in fire by night, so you could see the road you were taking, and in cloud during the daytime.

34 The Lord heard what you said. He was angry and he swore: 35 Not even one of these people—this wicked generation!—will see the wonderful land that I promised to give to your ancestors. 36 The only exception is Caleb, Jephunneh’s son. He will see it. I will give the land he walked on to him and his children for this reason: he was completely devoted to the Lord.

(37 The Lord was even angry with me because of what you did. “You won’t enter the land either,” God said. 38 “But Nun’s son Joshua, your assistant, will enter it. Strengthen him because he’s the one who will help Israel inherit the land.”)

39 Now as for your toddlers, those you said would be taken in war, and your young children who don’t yet know right and wrong—they will enter the land. I will give it to them. They will possess it! 40 But you all must now turn around. Head back toward the wilderness along the route of the Reed Sea.[d]

41 You replied to me: “We’ve sinned against the Lord! We will go up! We will fight, just as the Lord our God commanded.” Each one of you grabbed your weapons. You thought it would be easy[e] to go up into the hills. 42 But the Lord told me: Tell them: Don’t go up! Don’t fight because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.

43 I reported this to you but you wouldn’t listen. You disobeyed the Lord’s instruction. Hotheadedly, you went up into the hills. 44 And the Amorites who lived in those hills came out to meet you in battle. They chased you like bees give chase! They gave you a beating from Seir all the way to Hormah. 45 When you came back, you cried before the Lord, but he wouldn’t respond to your tears or give you a hearing.

46 And so you stayed in Kadesh-barnea for quite some time.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 1:4 LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT lacks and.
  2. Deuteronomy 1:8 Sam, LXX; MT the Lord
  3. Deuteronomy 1:24 Heb Eshcol means bunch, a cluster (of grapes); cf Num 13:23-24; 32:9.
  4. Deuteronomy 1:40 Or Red Sea
  5. Deuteronomy 1:41 Heb uncertain