Devarim 1:6-4:49
Orthodox Jewish Bible
6 Hashem Eloheinu spoke unto us in Chorev, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough at this mountain;
7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the Har HaEmori (hill country of the Amorites), and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the Aravah, in the hills, in the Shefelah, and in the Negev, and by the seacoast, to the Eretz HaKena’ani (Land of the Canaanites), and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
8 See, I have set ha’aretz (the land) before you; go in and possess ha’aretz which Hashem swore unto Avoteichem, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov, to give unto them and to their zera after them.
9 And I spoke unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear the burden of you by myself alone;
10 Hashem Eloheichem hath multiplied you, and, see, ye are today as numerous as the kokhavei HaShomayim.
11 (Hashem Elohei Avoteichem increase you a thousand times over and bless you, as He hath promised you!)
12 How can I myself alone bear your problems, and your massa and your strife?
13 Take you anashim chachamim, men of wisdom and understanding, who are known among your tribes, and I will set them over you.
14 And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is tov for us to do.
15 So I took the leaders of your tribes, anashim chachamim, men of understanding, and made them heads over you, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens, shoterim among your tribes.
16 And I charged your shofetim at that time, saying, Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the ger that is with him.
17 Ye shall not respect persons in mishpat but ye shall hear the katon as well as the gadol; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the mishpat is Elohim’s: and the case that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.
19 And when we departed from Chorev, we went through all that great and terrible midbar, which ye saw on the way to the Har HaEmori, just as Hashem Eloheinu commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-Barnea.
20 And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the Har HaEmori which Hashem Eloheinu doth give unto us.
21 See, Hashem Eloheicha hath set ha’aretz before thee; go up and possess it, as Hashem Elohei Avoteicha hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
22 And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, Let us send anashim ahead of us, and they shall spy out ha’aretz, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what towns we shall come.
23 And the proposal pleased me well; and I took Shneym Asar, (Twelve) of you, one of each shevet (tribe);
24 And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came unto the Eshkol Valley, and explored it.
25 And they took of the pri ha’aretz in their hands, brought it down unto us, brought us word, and said, It is a tovah ha’aretz which Hashem Eloheinu doth give us.
26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Hashem Eloheichem;
27 And ye murmured in your oholim, and said, Because Hashem hated us, He hath brought us forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, to deliver us into the hand of HaEmori, to destroy us.
28 Where shall we go up? Our brethren have discouraged levavenu (our hearts), saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to Shomayim; moreover we have seen the Bnei Anakim there.
29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
30 Hashem Eloheichem which goeth before you, He shall fight for you, according to all that He did for you in Mitzrayim before your eyes;
31 And in the midbar, where thou hast seen how that Hashem Eloheicha did bear thee, as a man doth carry his ben, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.
32 Yet in this thing ye were not ma’aminim (believers) in Hashem Eloheichem,
33 Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in eish by lailah, to show you by what way ye should go, and in an anan (cloud) by day.
34 And Hashem heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and on oath, said,
35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this dor harah see ha’aretz hatovah, which I swore to give unto Avoteichem.
36 Except Kalev ben Yephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give ha’aretz that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed Hashem.
37 Also Hashem was angry with me because of you, saying, Thou also shalt not go in there.
38 But Yehoshua ben Nun, the one assisting thee, he shall go in there; encourage him, for he shall cause Yisroel to inherit it.
39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said would be taken captive, and your children, which as yet do not have knowledge between tov and rah, they shall go in there, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
40 But as for you, turn, take your journey into the midbar by the way of the Yam Suf.
41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against Hashem; we will go up and fight, according to all that Hashem Eloheinu did command us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye made light of going up into the hill country.
42 And Hashem said unto me, Say unto them. Go not up, neither fight; for I am not in your midst; lest ye be struck down before your enemies.
43 So I spoke unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of Hashem, and went presumptuously up into the hill country.
44 And HaEmori, which dwelt in that hill country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Chormah.
45 And ye returned and wept before Hashem; but Hashem would not listen to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
46 That is why ye abode in Kadesh as long as ye did.
2 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Yam Suf, as Hashem spoke unto me; and we circled Mt Seir yamim rabbim (many days).
2 And Hashem spoke unto me, saying,
3 Ye have circled hahar hazeh (this mountain) long enough; turn you northward.
4 And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the territory of your brethren the Bnei Esav, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you; be shomer me’od of yourselves therefore:
5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a regel (foot) breadth; because I have given Mt Seir unto Esav for a yerushah (possession, inheritance).
6 Ye shall get by trade okhel (food) of them for kesef, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy mayim of them for kesef, that ye may drink.
7 For Hashem Eloheicha hath bestowed a brocha on thee in all the works of thy hand; He knoweth thy walking through this midbar hagadol (great wilderness); these arba’im shanim Hashem Eloheicha hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
8 And when we went on past our brethren the Bnei Esav, who dwell in Seir, through the road of the Aravah from Eilat, and from Etzyon-Gever, we turned and passed by on the road through the midbar of Moav.
9 And Hashem said unto me, Harass not the Moavim, neither provoke them to milchamah for I will not give thee of their land for a yerushah; because I have given Ar unto the Bnei Lot for a yerushah.
10 The Emim dwelt therein in times past, a people great, many, and tall, as the Anakim;
11 Which also were accounted Refa’im, as the Anakim; but the Moavim called them Emim.
12 The Chorim also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the Bnei Esav succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their place; as Yisroel did unto the eretz of his yerushah Hashem gave unto them.
13 Now rise up, and get you over the Wadi Zered. And we went over the Wadi Zered.
14 And the space in which we came from Kadesh-Barnea, until we were come over the Wadi Zered, was 38 shanim; until all the generation of the anshei hamilchamah had been consumed from the machaneh, as Hashem had sworn unto them.
15 For indeed the yad Hashem was against them, to destroy them from among the machaneh, until they were consumed.
16 So it came to pass, when kol anshei hamilchamah were consumed and dead from among HaAm (the People),
17 That Hashem spoke unto me, saying,
18 Thou art to pass over the border of Moav at Ar today;
19 And when thou comest opposite the Bnei Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them; for I will not give thee of the Eretz Bnei Ammon any yerushah; because I have given it unto the Bnei Lot for a yerushah.
20 (That also was accounted a land of Refa’im; Refa’im dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonim call them Zamzummim;
21 A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Hashem destroyed them before them; and they [the Ammonim] dispossessed them, and dwelt in their place:
22 As He did to the Bnei Esav, which dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed the Chori from before them; and they succeeded them, dwelling in their place even to this day;
23 And the Avim which dwelt in villages, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorim, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their place.)
24 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the Wadi Arnon: see, I have given into thine hand the Emori, Sichon Melech Cheshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in milchamah (battle, war).
25 Hayom hazeh will I begin to put the pachad (dread) of thee and the fear of thee upon the ammim (peoples) that are under Kol HaShomayim, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.
26 And I sent malachim out of the midbar Kedemot unto Sichon Melech Cheshbon with divrei shalom, saying,
27 Let me pass through thy land on the derech; I will go along on the derech; I will neither turn unto the yamin nor to the semol (left).
28 Thou shalt sell me okhel for kesef, that I may eat; and give me mayim for kesef, that I may drink; only I will pass through on foot;
29 (As the Bnei Esav which dwell in Seir, and the Moavim which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Yarden into the land which Hashem Eloheinu giveth us.
30 But Sichon Melech Cheshbon would not let us pass by him; for Hashem Eloheicha hardened and made stubborn his ruach, and made his lev obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand, as indeed hayom hazeh.
31 And Hashem said unto me, See, I have begun to give Sichon and his land before thee; begin the occupation, that thou mayest take possession to inherit his land.
32 Then Sichon came out against us, he and all his people, to make milchamah (battle, war) at Yachatz.
33 And Hashem Eloheinu delivered him before us; and we struck him, and his banim, and all his people.
34 And we took all his towns at that time, and in cherem utterly destroyed them, and of the nashim, and the little ones, of every town, we left no remnant;
35 Only the behemah we took for booty unto ourselves, and the plunder of the towns which we took.
36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of Wadi Arnon, and from the town that is by the wadi, even unto Gil‘ad, there was not one town too strong for us; Hashem Eloheinu delivered all unto us:
37 Only unto the Eretz Bnei Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the Wadi Yabok, nor unto the towns in the hills, in accordance with the command of Hashem Eloheinu.
3 Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan; and Og Melech HaBashan came out against us, he and all his people, to engage in milchamah at Edrei.
2 And Hashem said unto me, Fear him not; for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sichon Melech HaEmori which dwelt at Cheshbon.
3 So Hashem Eloheinu delivered into our hands also Og Melech HaBashan, and all his people; and we struck him until no remnant was left to him.
4 And we took all his towns at that time; there was not a kiryah (town, city) which we took not from them, threescore towns, all the region of Argov, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
5 All these towns were walled with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns harbeh me’od (very many).
6 And in cherem we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sichon Melech Cheshbon, in cherem utterly destroying the men, nashim, and little ones, of every town.
7 But all the behemah (livestock), and the plunder of the towns, we took for booty to ourselves.
8 And we took at that time out of the hand of the two melachim of the Emori the land that was on this side [i.e., east of the] Yarden, from the Wadi Arnon unto Mt Chermon;
9 (Which Chermon the Tzidonim call Siryon; and the Emori call it Senir;)
10 All the towns of the plain, and all Gil‘ad, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, towns of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11 For only Og Melech HaBashan remained of the remnant of Refa’im; hinei, his bedstead was a bedstead of barzel. Is it not in Rabbah of the Bnei Amon? Nine regular cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it.
12 And ha’aretz hazot, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the Wadi Arnon, and half way up the hill country of Gil‘ad, and the towns thereof, gave I unto the Reuveni and Gadi.
13 And the rest of Gil‘ad, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Menasheh; all the region of Argov, with all Bashan, which was called Eretz Refa’im.
14 Yair ben Menasheh took all the region of Argov unto the border of Geshuri and Maachati, and called them after shmo (his own name), HaBashan Havot Yair, unto hayom hazeh.
15 And I gave Gil‘ad unto Machir.
16 And unto the Reuveni and unto the Gadi I gave from Gil`ad even unto the Wadi Arnon with the middle of the valley as the border even unto the Wadi Yabok, which is the border of the Bnei Amon;
17 The Aravah also, and Yarden, and the coast thereof, from Kinneret even unto the yam of the Aravah, even the Dead Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah to the east.
18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, Hashem Eloheichem hath given you this land to possess it; ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the Bnei Yisroel, all bnei chayil (valiant men, men fit for military service).
19 But your nashim, and your little ones, and your livestock (for I know that ye have much livestock,) shall abide in your towns which I have given you;
20 Until Hashem have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess ha’aretz which Hashem Eloheichem hath given them beyond Yarden; and then shall ye return every man unto his yerushah (possession, inheritance), which I have given you.
21 And I commanded Yehoshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that Hashem Eloheichem hath done unto these two melachim; so shall Hashem do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.
22 Ye shall not fear them; for Hashem Eloheichem He shall fight for you.
[V’ESCHANAN]
23 And I besought Hashem at that time, saying,
24 O Adonoi Hashem, Thou hast begun to show Thy eved Thy greatness, and Thy mighty hand; for what El (G-d) is there in Shomayim or on Ha’Aretz, that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy might?
25 Ah, let me go over, and see ha’aretz hatovah that is beyond Yarden, that fine hill country, and the Levanon.
26 But Hashem was angry with me for your sakes, and would not hear me; and Hashem said unto me, Enough from thee; speak no more unto Me of this matter.
27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and see it with thine eyes; for thou shalt not go over this Yarden.
28 But commission Yehoshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit ha’aretz which thou shalt see.
29 So we abode in the valley over against Beit-Peor.
4 Now therefore shema, Yisroel, unto the chukkim and unto the mishpatim, which I melammed (teach) you, to do them, in order that ye may live, and go in and possess ha’aretz which Hashem Elohei Avoteichem giveth you.
2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye take anything from it, that ye may be shomer mitzvot of the commandments of Hashem Eloheichem which I command you.
3 Your eyes have seen what Hashem did because of Baal Peor; for all the men that followed Baal Peor, Hashem Eloheicha hath destroyed them from among you.
4 But ye that did have deveykus (cleaving) unto Hashem Eloheichem are alive every one of you today.
5 Behold, I have taught you chukkim and mishpatim, even as Hashem Elohai commanded me, that ye should do so in ha’aretz whither ye go to possess it.
6 Be shomer therefore and do them; for this is your chochmah and your binah in the sight of the peoples, which shall hear all these chukkim, and say, Surely HaGoy HaGadol is a wise and understanding people.
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath elohim so near unto them, as Hashem Eloheinu is in all things for which we call upon Him?
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath chukkim and mishpatim tzaddikim as all this torah, which I set before you today?
9 Only be shomer over thyself, and be shomer over thy nefesh diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy lev kol yamim of thy life; but teach them to thy banim, and the banim of thy banim;
10 Specially the yom that thou stoodest before Hashem Eloheicha in Chorev, when Hashem said unto me, Gather Me the people together, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me kol hayamim that they shall live upon ha’adamah and that they may teach their children.
11 And ye came near and stood at the foot of the mountain; the mountain burned with eish unto the midst of Shomayim, with choshech, and anan, and thick darkness.
12 And Hashem spoke unto you out of the midst of the eish; ye heard the voice of the devarim, but saw no temunah (form, semblance); only ye heard a voice.
13 And He declared unto you His Brit, which He commanded you to do, even Aseres HaDevarim; and He wrote them upon shnei luchot avanim (two tablets of stone).
14 And Hashem commanded me at that time to teach you chukkim and mishpatim, that ye might do them in ha’aretz whither ye go over to possess it.
15 Be shomer over yourselves, therefore; for ye saw no manner of temunah on the yom that Hashem spoke unto you in Chorev out of the midst of the eish;
16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a pesel, the temunah of any semel, the likeness of zachar or nekevah,
17 The likeness of any behemah that is on ha’aretz, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
18 The likeness of anything that creepeth on the adamah, the likeness of any dag (fish) that is in the waters below;
19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto Shomayim, and when thou seest the shemesh, and the yarei’ach, and the kokhavim, even all the tz’va HaShomayim, shouldest be driven to hishtachaveh (bow down, worship) them, and serve them which Hashem Eloheicha hath divided unto kol HaGoyim under kol HaShomayim.
20 But Hashem hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Mitzrayim, to be unto Him an Am Nachalah (a people of inheritance), as ye are yom hazeh.
21 Furthermore Hashem was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over Yarden, and that I should not go in unto that ha’aretz hatovah, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah (inheritance);
22 But I must die in this land, I must not go over Yarden; but ye shall go over, and possess that ha’aretz hatovah.
23 Be shomer over yourselves, lest ye forget the Brit Hashem Eloheichem, which He cut with you, and make you a pesel (idol, image), or the likeness of anything, which Hashem Eloheicha hath forbidden thee.
24 For Hashem Eloheicha is a consuming eish, even an El Kannah.
25 When thou shalt father banim, and bnei banim, and ye shall have remained long in Ha’Aretz, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a pesel, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of Hashem Eloheicha, to provoke Him to anger;
26 I call Shomayim and HaAretz to witness against you today, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off Ha’Aretz whereunto ye go over Yarden to possess it; ye shall not prolong your yamim upon it, but shall be utterly shmad.
27 And Hashem shall scatter you among the amim; ye shall be left few in number among the Goyim, whither Hashem shall lead you.
28 And there ye shall serve elohim, the work of men’s hands, etz (wood) and even (stone), which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 But if from thence thou shalt seek Hashem Eloheicha, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy lev and with all thy nefesh.
30 When thou art in tzar (tribulation), and all these things are come upon thee, even in the acharit hayamim, if thou turn to Hashem Eloheicha and shalt be obedient unto His voice;
31 For Hashem Eloheicha is an El Rachum; He will not abandon thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the Brit Avoteicha which He swore unto them.
32 For ask now of the yamim that are past, which were before thee, since the yom that Elohim bara man upon Ha’Aretz, and ask from the one side of Shomayim unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
33 Did ever people hear the kol Elohim speaking out of the midst of the eish, as thou hast heard, and live?
34 Or hath Elohim tried to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by massot (trials), by otot, by mofetim, by milchamah, by a yad chazakah, by an out- stretched zero’a, by great terrors, according to all that Hashem Eloheicha did for you in Mitzrayim before your eyes?
35 Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that Hashem He is HaElohim; there is none else beside Him.
36 Out of Shomayim He made thee to hear His voice, that He might discipline thee; upon Ha’Aretz He showed thee His eish hagedolah; and thou heardest His devarim out of the midst of the eish.
37 And because He loved Avoteicha, therefore He chose their zera after them, and brought thee out in His sight with His ko’ach hagadol out of Mitzrayim;
38 To drive out Goyim from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for a nachalah, as it is yom hazeh.
39 Know therefore today, and consider it in thine lev, that Hashem He is HaElohim in Shomayim above, and upon Ha’Aretz beneath: there is no other.
40 Thou shalt be shomer over His chukkim, therefore, and His mitzvot, which I command thee today, that it may go well with thee, and with thy banim after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy yamim upon Ha’Aretz, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee, kol hayamim.
41 Then Moshe separated and set apart three towns on this side of the Yarden toward the rising of the shemesh;
42 That the rotze’ach might flee thither, which should kill his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these towns he might live:
43 Namely, Betzer in the midbar, in the flatland, of the Reuveni; and Ramot in Gil‘ad, of the Gadi; and Golan in Bashan, of the Menashi.
44 And this is the torah which Moshe set before the Bnei Yisroel;
45 These are the edot, and the chukkim, and the mishpatim, which Moshe spoke unto the Bnei Yisroel, after they came forth out of Mitzrayim.
46 On this side of the Yarden, in the valley over against Beit Peor, in Eretz Sichon Melech HaEmori, who dwelt at Cheshbon, whom Moshe and the Bnei Yisroel struck down, after they were come forth out of Mitzrayim;
47 And they possessed his land, and Eretz Og Melech HaBashan, two melachim of HaEmori, which were on this side of the Yarden toward the rising of the shemesh;
48 From Aroer, which is by the edge of the Wadi Arnon, even unto Mt Siyon, which is Chermon,
49 And all the Aravah on this side of the Yarden eastward, even unto the Dead Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah.
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