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Deuteronomy 1-4
New King James Version

The Previous Command to Enter Canaan

1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel (A)on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the [a]plain opposite [b]Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir (B)to Kadesh Barnea. 3 Now it came to pass (C)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, 4 (D)after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth (E)in[c] Edrei.

5 On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying, 6 “The Lord our God spoke to us (F)in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long (G)enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the [d]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. 8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord [e]swore to your fathers—to (H)Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’

Tribal Leaders Appointed(I)

9 “And (J)I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I [f]alone am not able to bear you. 10 The Lord your God has multiplied you, (K)and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude. 11 (L)May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you (M)as He has promised you! 12 (N)How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints? 13 Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them [g]heads over you.’ 14 And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’ 15 So I took (O)the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and [h]made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.

16 “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and (P)judge righteously between a man and his (Q)brother or the stranger who is with him. 17 (R)You 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 (S)the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, (T)bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

Israel’s Refusal to Enter the Land(U)

19 “So we departed from Horeb, (V)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 (W)we came to Kadesh Barnea. 20 And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 Look, 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; (X)do not fear or 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.’

23 “The plan pleased me well; so (Y)I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe. 24 (Z)And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. 25 They 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 (AA)good land which the Lord our God is giving us.’

26 (AB)“Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; 27 and you (AC)complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the Lord (AD)hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where can we go up? Our brethren have [i]discouraged our hearts, saying, (AE)“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 (AF)Anakim there.” ’

29 “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, (AG)or afraid of them. 30 (AH)The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a (AI)man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet, for all that, (AJ)you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 (AK)who went in the way before you (AL)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.

The Penalty for Israel’s Rebellion(AM)

34 “And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry, (AN)and took an oath, saying, 35 (AO)‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I [j]swore to give to your fathers, 36 (AP)except 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 (AQ)he [k]wholly followed the Lord.’ 37 (AR)The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there. 38 (AS)Joshua the son of Nun, (AT)who stands before you, he shall go in there. (AU)Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

39 (AV)‘Moreover your little ones and your children, who (AW)you say will be victims, who today (AX)have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. 40 (AY)But as for you, turn and take your journey into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.’

41 “Then you answered and said to me, (AZ)‘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.

42 “And the Lord said to me, ‘Tell them, (BA)“Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; lest you be defeated before your enemies.” ’ 43 So I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but (BB)rebelled against the command of the Lord, and (BC)presumptuously[l] went up into the mountain. 44 And the Amorites who dwelt in that mountain came out against you and chased you (BD)as bees do, and drove you back from Seir to Hormah. 45 Then you returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord would not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.

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

The Desert Years

2 “Then we turned and (BF)journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, (BG)as the Lord spoke to me, and we [m]skirted Mount Seir for many days.

2 “And the Lord spoke to me, saying: 3 ‘You have skirted this mountain (BH)long enough; turn northward. 4 And command the people, saying, (BI)“You are about to pass through the territory of (BJ)your brethren, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore watch yourselves carefully. 5 Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep, (BK)because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.

7 “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your [n]trudging through this great wilderness. (BL)These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” ’

8 “And when we passed beyond our brethren, the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir, away from the road of the plain, away from (BM)Elath and Ezion Geber, we (BN)turned and passed by way of the Wilderness of Moab. 9 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given (BO)Ar to (BP)the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ ”

10 (BQ)(The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as (BR)the Anakim. 11 They were also regarded as [o]giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 (BS)The Horites formerly dwelt in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their [p]place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the Lord gave them.)

13 “ ‘Now rise and cross over (BT)the [q]Valley of the Zered.’ So we crossed over the Valley of the Zered. 14 And the time we took to come (BU)from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, (BV)until all the generation of the men of war [r]was consumed from the midst of the camp, (BW)just as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they [s]were consumed.

16 “So it was, when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, 17 that the Lord spoke to me, saying: 18 ‘This day you are to cross over at Ar, the boundary of Moab. 19 And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to (BX)the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ ”

20 (That was also regarded as a land of [t]giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them (BY)Zamzummim, 21 (BZ)a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place, 22 just as He had done for the descendants of Esau, (CA)who dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed (CB)the Horites from before them. They dispossessed them and dwelt in their place, even to this day. 23 And (CC)the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza—(CD)the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.)

24 “ ‘Rise, take your journey, and (CE)cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand (CF)Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin [u]to possess it, and engage him in battle. 25 (CG)This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations [v]under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall (CH)tremble and be in anguish because of you.’

King Sihon Defeated(CI)

26 “And I (CJ)sent messengers from the Wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon, (CK)with words of peace, saying, 27 (CL)‘Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the road, and I will turn neither to the right nor to the left. 28 You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; (CM)only let me pass through on foot, 29 (CN)just as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord our God is giving us.’

30 (CO)“But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for (CP)the Lord your God (CQ)hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day.

31 “And the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to (CR)give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to possess it, that you may inherit his land.’ 32 (CS)Then Sihon and all his people came out against us to fight at Jahaz. 33 And (CT)the Lord our God delivered him [w]over to us; so (CU)we defeated him, his sons, and all his people. 34 We took all his cities at that time, and we (CV)utterly destroyed the men, women, and little ones of every city; we left none remaining. 35 We took only the livestock as plunder for ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we took. 36 (CW)From Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and from (CX)the city that is in the ravine, as far as Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; (CY)the Lord our God delivered all to us. 37 Only you did not go near the land of the people of Ammon—anywhere along the River (CZ)Jabbok, or to the cities of the mountains, or (DA)wherever the Lord our God had forbidden us.

King Og Defeated(DB)

3 “Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan; and (DC)Og king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle (DD)at Edrei. 2 And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to (DE)Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’

3 “So the Lord our God also delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan, with all his people, and we [x]attacked him until he had no survivors remaining. 4 And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, (DF)all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many rural towns. 6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king (DG)of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city. 7 But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as booty for ourselves.

8 “And at that time we took the (DH)land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount (DI)Hermon 9 (the Sidonians call (DJ)Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir), 10 (DK)all the cities of the plain, all Gilead, and (DL)all Bashan, as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

11 (DM)“For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of (DN)the [y]giants. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. (Is it not in (DO)Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit.

The Land East of the Jordan Divided(DP)

12 “And this (DQ)land, which we possessed at that time, (DR)from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and (DS)its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites. 13 (DT)The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. (All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the [z]giants. 14 (DU)Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, (DV)as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and (DW)called Bashan after his own name, [aa]Havoth Jair, to this day.)

15 “Also I gave (DX)Gilead to Machir. 16 And to the Reubenites (DY)and the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the River Arnon, the middle of the river as the border, as far as the River Jabbok, (DZ)the border of the people of Ammon; 17 the plain also, with the Jordan as the border, from Chinnereth (EA)as far as the east side of the Sea of the Arabah (EB)(the Salt Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.

18 “Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. (EC)All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel. 19 But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, 20 until the Lord has given (ED)rest to your brethren as to you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may (EE)return to his possession which I have given you.’

21 “And (EF)I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. 22 You must not fear them, for (EG)the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’

Moses Forbidden to Enter the Land

23 “Then (EH)I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: 24 ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant (EI)Your greatness and Your [ab]mighty hand, for (EJ)what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? 25 I pray, let me cross over and see (EK)the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’

26 “But the Lord (EL)was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. 27 (EM)Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. 28 But (EN)command[ac] Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’

29 “So we stayed in (EO)the valley opposite Beth Peor.

Moses Commands Obedience

4 “Now, O Israel, listen to (EP)the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and [ad]possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. 2 (EQ)You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at (ER)Baal Peor; for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

5 “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is (ES)your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

7 “For (ET)what great nation is there that has (EU)God[ae] so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently (EV)keep yourself, lest you (EW)forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And (EX)teach them to your children and your grandchildren, 10 especially concerning (EY)the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

11 “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 (EZ)And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no [af]form; (FA)you only heard a voice. 13 (FB)So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, (FC)the Ten Commandments; and (FD)He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 And (FE)the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might [ag]observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

Beware of Idolatry

15 (FF)“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no (FG)form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest you (FH)act corruptly and (FI)make for yourselves a carved image in the [ah]form of any figure: (FJ)the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 19 And take heed, lest you (FK)lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, (FL)all the host of heaven, you feel driven to (FM)worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has [ai]given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. 20 But the Lord has taken you and (FN)brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be (FO)His people, an inheritance, as you are this day. 21 Furthermore (FP)the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that (FQ)I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 But (FR)I must die in this land, (FS)I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and [aj]possess (FT)that good land. 23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, (FU)and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For (FV)the Lord your God is a consuming fire, (FW)a jealous God.

25 “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and (FX)do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 (FY)I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not [ak]prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the Lord (FZ)will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And (GA)there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, (GB)which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. 29 (GC)But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in [al]distress, and all these things come upon you in the (GD)latter days, when you (GE)turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor (GF)destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

32 “For (GG)ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask (GH)from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. 33 (GI)Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? 34 Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, (GJ)by trials, (GK)by signs, by wonders, by war, (GL)by a mighty hand and (GM)an outstretched arm, (GN)and by great [am]terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; (GO)there is none other besides Him. 36 (GP)Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. 37 And because (GQ)He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their [an]descendants after them; and (GR)He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, 38 (GS)driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. 39 Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that (GT)the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. 40 (GU)You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that [ao]it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may [ap]prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

Cities of Refuge East of the Jordan

41 Then Moses (GV)set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 42 (GW)that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: 43 (GX)Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.

Introduction to God’s Law

44 Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. 45 These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, 46 on this side of the Jordan, (GY)in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel (GZ)defeated[aq] after they came out of Egypt. 47 And they took possession of his land and the land (HA)of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, toward the [ar]rising of the sun, 48 (HB)from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, even to Mount [as]Sion (that is, (HC)Hermon), 49 and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the (HD)slopes of Pisgah.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 1:1 Heb. arabah
  2. Deuteronomy 1:1 One LXX ms., Tg., Vg. Red Sea
  3. Deuteronomy 1:4 LXX, Syr., Vg. and; cf. Josh. 12:4
  4. Deuteronomy 1:7 Heb. arabah
  5. Deuteronomy 1:8 promised
  6. Deuteronomy 1:9 am not able to bear you by myself
  7. Deuteronomy 1:13 rulers
  8. Deuteronomy 1:15 appointed
  9. Deuteronomy 1:28 Lit. melted
  10. Deuteronomy 1:35 promised
  11. Deuteronomy 1:36 fully
  12. Deuteronomy 1:43 willfully
  13. Deuteronomy 2:1 circled around
  14. Deuteronomy 2:7 Lit. goings
  15. Deuteronomy 2:11 Heb. rephaim
  16. Deuteronomy 2:12 stead
  17. Deuteronomy 2:13 Wadi or Brook
  18. Deuteronomy 2:14 perished
  19. Deuteronomy 2:15 perished
  20. Deuteronomy 2:20 Heb. rephaim
  21. Deuteronomy 2:24 to take possession
  22. Deuteronomy 2:25 everywhere under the heavens
  23. Deuteronomy 2:33 Lit. before us
  24. Deuteronomy 3:3 struck
  25. Deuteronomy 3:11 Heb. rephaim
  26. Deuteronomy 3:13 Heb. rephaim
  27. Deuteronomy 3:14 Lit. Towns of Jair
  28. Deuteronomy 3:24 strong
  29. Deuteronomy 3:28 charge
  30. Deuteronomy 4:1 take possession of
  31. Deuteronomy 4:7 Or a god
  32. Deuteronomy 4:12 similitude
  33. Deuteronomy 4:14 do or perform
  34. Deuteronomy 4:16 similitude
  35. Deuteronomy 4:19 divided
  36. Deuteronomy 4:22 take possession of
  37. Deuteronomy 4:26 live long on it
  38. Deuteronomy 4:30 tribulation
  39. Deuteronomy 4:34 calamities
  40. Deuteronomy 4:37 Lit. seed
  41. Deuteronomy 4:40 you may prosper
  42. Deuteronomy 4:40 live long
  43. Deuteronomy 4:46 struck
  44. Deuteronomy 4:47 east
  45. Deuteronomy 4:48 Syr. Sirion
Listen to Deuteronomy 1-4
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Deuteronomy 1-4
New International Version

The Command to Leave Horeb

1 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. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb(D) to Kadesh Barnea(E) by the Mount Seir(F) road.)(G)

3 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. 4 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)

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

6 The Lord our God said to us(Q) at Horeb,(R) “You have stayed long enough(S) at this mountain. 7 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) 8 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

9 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.

Wanderings in the Wilderness

2 Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea,[b](CW) as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.(CX)

2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 “You have made your way around this hill country long enough;(CY) now turn north. 4 Give the people these orders:(CZ) ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau,(DA) who live in Seir.(DB) They will be afraid(DC) of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own.(DD) 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”

7 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched(DE) over your journey through this vast wilderness.(DF) These forty years(DG) the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.(DH)

8 So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from(DI) the Arabah(DJ) road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber,(DK) and traveled along the desert road of Moab.(DL)

9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar(DM) to the descendants of Lot(DN) as a possession.”

10 (The Emites(DO) used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.(DP) 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites,(DQ) but the Moabites called them Emites. 12 Horites(DR) used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did(DS) in the land the Lord gave them as their possession.)

13 And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.(DT)” So we crossed the valley.

14 Thirty-eight years(DU) passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea(DV) until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation(DW) of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.(DX) 15 The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated(DY) them from the camp.

16 Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar.(DZ) 19 When you come to the Ammonites,(EA) do not harass them or provoke them to war,(EB) for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.(EC)”

20 (That too was considered a land of the Rephaites,(ED) who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. 21 They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites.(EE) The Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. 22 The Lord had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir,(EF) when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day. 23 And as for the Avvites(EG) who lived in villages as far as Gaza,(EH) the Caphtorites(EI) coming out from Caphtor[c](EJ) destroyed them and settled in their place.)

Defeat of Sihon King of Heshbon

24 “Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge.(EK) See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite,(EL) king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage(EM) him in battle. 25 This very day I will begin to put the terror(EN) and fear(EO) of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble(EP) and be in anguish because of you.”

26 From the Desert of Kedemoth(EQ) I sent messengers to Sihon(ER) king of Heshbon offering peace(ES) and saying, 27 “Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left.(ET) 28 Sell us food to eat(EU) and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot(EV)— 29 as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us—until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.” 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord(EW) your God had made his spirit stubborn(EX) and his heart obstinate(EY) in order to give him into your hands,(EZ) as he has now done.

31 The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”(FA)

32 When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle(FB) at Jahaz, 33 the Lord our God delivered(FC) him over to us and we struck him down,(FD) together with his sons and his whole army. 34 At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed[d](FE) them—men, women and children. We left no survivors. 35 But the livestock(FF) and the plunder(FG) from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. 36 From Aroer(FH) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead,(FI) not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave(FJ) us all of them. 37 But in accordance with the command of the Lord our God,(FK) you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites,(FL) neither the land along the course of the Jabbok(FM) nor that around the towns in the hills.

Defeat of Og King of Bashan

3 Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan(FN) with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei.(FO) 2 The Lord said to me, “Do not be afraid(FP) of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.”

3 So the Lord our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down,(FQ) leaving no survivors.(FR) 4 At that time we took all his cities.(FS) There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og’s kingdom(FT) in Bashan.(FU) 5 All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. 6 We completely destroyed[e] them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying[f](FV) every city—men, women and children. 7 But all the livestock(FW) and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves.

8 So at that time we took from these two kings of the Amorites(FX) the territory east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon.(FY) 9 (Hermon is called Sirion(FZ) by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.)(GA) 10 We took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salekah(GB) and Edrei, towns of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. 11 (Og king of Bashan was the last of the Rephaites.(GC) His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide.[g] It is still in Rabbah(GD) of the Ammonites.)

Division of the Land

12 Of the land that we took over at that time, I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory north of Aroer(GE) by the Arnon Gorge, including half the hill country of Gilead, together with its towns. 13 The rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh.(GF) (The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites.(GG) 14 Jair,(GH) a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maakathites;(GI) it was named(GJ) after him, so that to this day Bashan is called Havvoth Jair.[h]) 15 And I gave Gilead to Makir.(GK) 16 But to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge (the middle of the gorge being the border) and out to the Jabbok River,(GL) which is the border of the Ammonites. 17 Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah,(GM) from Kinnereth(GN) to the Sea of the Arabah(GO) (that is, the Dead Sea(GP)), below the slopes of Pisgah.

18 I commanded you at that time: “The Lord your God has given(GQ) you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites.(GR) 19 However, your wives,(GS) your children and your livestock(GT) (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, 20 until the Lord gives rest to your fellow Israelites as he has to you, and they too have taken over the land that the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan. After that, each of you may go back to the possession I have given you.”

Moses Forbidden to Cross the Jordan

21 At that time I commanded Joshua: “You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22 Do not be afraid(GU) of them;(GV) the Lord your God himself will fight(GW) for you.”

23 At that time I pleaded(GX) with the Lord: 24 “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness(GY) and your strong hand. For what god(GZ) is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works(HA) you do?(HB) 25 Let me go over and see the good land(HC) beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.(HD)”

26 But because of you the Lord was angry(HE) with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah(HF) and look west and north and south and east.(HG) Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross(HH) this Jordan.(HI) 28 But commission(HJ) Joshua, and encourage(HK) and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across(HL) and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” 29 So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.(HM)

Obedience Commanded

4 Now, Israel, hear the decrees(HN) and laws I am about to teach(HO) you. Follow them so that you may live(HP) and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add(HQ) to what I command you and do not subtract(HR) from it, but keep(HS) the commands(HT) of the Lord your God that I give you.

3 You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor.(HU) The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, 4 but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

5 See, I have taught(HV) you decrees and laws(HW) as the Lord my God commanded(HX) me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering(HY) to take possession of it. 6 Observe(HZ) them carefully, for this will show your wisdom(IA) and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”(IB) 7 What other nation is so great(IC) as to have their gods near(ID) them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws(IE) as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

9 Only be careful,(IF) and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach(IG) them to your children(IH) and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb,(II) when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn(IJ) to revere(IK) me as long as they live in the land(IL) and may teach(IM) them to their children.” 11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain(IN) while it blazed with fire(IO) to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.(IP) 12 Then the Lord spoke(IQ) to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form;(IR) there was only a voice.(IS) 13 He declared to you his covenant,(IT) the Ten Commandments,(IU) which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws(IV) you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Idolatry Forbidden

15 You saw no form(IW) of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb(IX) out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,(IY) 16 so that you do not become corrupt(IZ) and make for yourselves an idol,(JA) an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,(JB) 18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. 19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,(JC) the moon and the stars(JD)—all the heavenly array(JE)—do not be enticed(JF) into bowing down to them and worshiping(JG) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. 20 But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace,(JH) out of Egypt,(JI) to be the people of his inheritance,(JJ) as you now are.

21 The Lord was angry with me(JK) because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. 22 I will die in this land;(JL) I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.(JM) 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant(JN) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol(JO) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,(JP) a jealous God.(JQ)

25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt(JR) and make any kind of idol,(JS) doing evil(JT) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses(JU) against you(JV) this day that you will quickly perish(JW) from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter(JX) you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive(JY) among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made gods(JZ) of wood and stone,(KA) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.(KB) 29 But if from there you seek(KC) the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart(KD) and with all your soul.(KE) 30 When you are in distress(KF) and all these things have happened to you, then in later days(KG) you will return(KH) to the Lord your God and obey him. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful(KI) God; he will not abandon(KJ) or destroy(KK) you or forget(KL) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

The Lord Is God

32 Ask(KM) now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth;(KN) ask from one end of the heavens to the other.(KO) Has anything so great(KP) as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of God[i] speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?(KQ) 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation,(KR) by testings,(KS) by signs(KT) and wonders,(KU) by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,(KV) or by great and awesome deeds,(KW) like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.(KX) 36 From heaven he made you hear his voice(KY) to discipline(KZ) you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. 37 Because he loved(LA) your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,(LB) 38 to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance,(LC) as it is today.

39 Acknowledge(LD) and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.(LE) 40 Keep(LF) his decrees and commands,(LG) which I am giving you today, so that it may go well(LH) with you and your children after you and that you may live long(LI) in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.

Cities of Refuge(LJ)

41 Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, 42 to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if they had unintentionally(LK) killed a neighbor without malice aforethought. They could flee into one of these cities and save their life. 43 The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth(LL) in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

Introduction to the Law

44 This is the law Moses set before the Israelites. 45 These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt 46 and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon(LM) king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. 47 They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 48 This land extended from Aroer(LN) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion[j](LO) (that is, Hermon(LP)), 49 and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea,[k] below the slopes of Pisgah.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 1:40 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Deuteronomy 2:1 Or the Sea of Reeds
  3. Deuteronomy 2:23 That is, Crete
  4. Deuteronomy 2:34 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  5. Deuteronomy 3:6 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  6. Deuteronomy 3:6 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  7. Deuteronomy 3:11 That is, about 14 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 4 meters long and 1.8 meters wide
  8. Deuteronomy 3:14 Or called the settlements of Jair
  9. Deuteronomy 4:33 Or of a god
  10. Deuteronomy 4:48 Syriac (see also 3:9); Hebrew Siyon
  11. Deuteronomy 4:49 Hebrew the Sea of the Arabah
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