Bible in 90 Days
20 Then Moses replied,[a] “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, 21 and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord’s sight.
23 “But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned[b] against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out. 24 So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said[c] you would do.”
25 So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the Lord’s presence, just as my lord says.”
28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 29 Moses said to them: “If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the Lord’s presence, and you conquer the land,[d] then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.” 31 Then the Gadites and the Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has spoken.[e] 32 We will cross armed in the Lord’s presence into the land of Canaan, and then the possession of our inheritance that we inherit will be ours on this side of the Jordan River.”[f]
Land Assignment
33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the realm of King Sihon of the Amorites, and the realm of King Og of Bashan, the entire land with its cities and the territory surrounding them.[g] 34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and constructed pens for their flocks. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal Meon (with a change of name), and Sibmah. They renamed[h] the cities they built.
39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he lived there.[i] 41 Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair.[j] 42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
Wanderings from Egypt to Sinai
33 [k] These are the journeys of the Israelites, who went out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the authority[l] of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses recorded their departures[m] according to their journeys, by the commandment[n] of the Lord; now these are their journeys according to their departures. 3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after[o] the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly[p] in plain sight[q] of all the Egyptians. 4 Now the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them; the Lord also executed judgments on their gods.
5 The Israelites traveled from Rameses and camped in Sukkoth.
6 They traveled from Sukkoth, and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the desert. 7 They traveled from Etham, and turned again to Pi Hahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon; and they camped before Migdal. 8 They traveled from Pi Hahiroth,[r] and passed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and camped in Marah. 9 They traveled from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there are twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there.
10 They traveled from Elim, and camped by the Red Sea. 11 They traveled from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 They traveled from the wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah. 13 And they traveled from Dophkah, and camped in Alush.
14 They traveled from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 They traveled from Rephidim and camped in the desert of Sinai.
Wanderings in the Wilderness
16 They traveled from the desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. 17 They traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They traveled from Hazeroth and camped in Rithmah. 19 They traveled from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They traveled from Rimmon Perez and camped in Libnah. 21 They traveled from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They traveled from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. 23 They traveled from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They traveled from Mount Shepher and camped in Haradah. 25 They traveled from Haradah and camped in Makheloth. 26 They traveled from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They traveled from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They traveled from Terah and camped in Mithcah. 29 They traveled from Mithcah and camped in Hashmonah. 30 They traveled from Hashmonah and camped in Moseroth. 31 They traveled from Moseroth and camped in Bene Jaakan. 32 They traveled from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. 33 They traveled from Hor Haggidgad and camped in Jotbathah. 34 They traveled from Jotbathah and camped in Abronah. 35 They traveled from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. 36 They traveled from Ezion Geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.
Wanderings from Kadesh to Moab
37 They traveled from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor at the edge of the land of Edom. 38 Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the command[s] of the Lord, and he died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt on the first day of the fifth month. 39 Now Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 The king of Arad, the Canaanite king who lived in the south of the land of Canaan, heard about the approach of the Israelites.
41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah. 42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped in Punon. 43 They traveled from Punon and camped in Oboth. 44 They traveled from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab. 45 They traveled from Iim[t] and camped in Dibon Gad. 46 They traveled from Dibon Gad and camped in Almon Diblathaim. 47 They traveled from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo. 48 They traveled from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the rift valley plains[u] by Moab along the Jordan River[v] across from Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth as far as Abel Shittim in the rift valley plains of Moab.
At the Border of Canaan
50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the rift valley plains of Moab along the Jordan, across from Jericho. He said: 51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images,[w] and demolish their high places. 53 You must dispossess the inhabitants of the land and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it. 54 You must divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families. To a larger group you must give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group you must give a smaller inheritance. Everyone’s inheritance must be in the place where his lot falls. You must inherit according to your ancestral[x] tribes. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living. 56 And what I intended to do to them I will do to you.’”
The Southern Border of the Land
34 [y] Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Give these instructions[z] to the Israelites, and tell them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that has been assigned to you as an inheritance,[aa] the land of Canaan with its borders, 3 your southern border[ab] will extend from the wilderness of Zin along the Edomite border, and your southern border will run eastward to the extremity of the Salt Sea, 4 and then the border will turn from the south to the Scorpion Ascent,[ac] continue to Zin, and then its direction[ad] will be from the south to Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and pass over to Azmon. 5 There the border will turn from Azmon to the Stream of Egypt, and then its direction is to the sea.[ae]
The Western Border of the Land
6 “‘And for a western border[af] you will have the Great Sea.[ag] This will be your western border.
The Northern Border of the Land
7 “‘And this will be your northern border: From the Great Sea you will draw a line to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor you will draw a line to Lebo Hamath,[ah] and the direction of the border will be to Zedad. 9 The border will continue to Ziphron, and its direction will be to Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.
The Eastern Border of the Land
10 “‘For your eastern border you will draw a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The border will run down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain, and the border will descend and reach the eastern side of the Sea of Kinnereth.[ai] 12 Then the border will continue down the Jordan River[aj] and its direction will be to the Salt Sea. This will be your land by its borders that surround it.’”
13 Then Moses commanded the Israelites: “This is the land that you will inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to be given[ak] to the nine-and-a-half tribes, 14 because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families,[al] the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 The two-and-a-half tribes have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”
Appointed Officials
16 The Lord said to Moses: 17 “These are the names of the men who are to allocate the land to you as an inheritance:[am] Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 You must take one leader from every[an] tribe to assist in allocating the land as an inheritance.[ao] 19 These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 20 from the tribe of the Simeonites, Shemuel son of Ammihud; 21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Kislon; 22 and from the tribe of the Danites, a leader, Bukki son of Jogli. 23 From the Josephites, Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh; 24 from the tribe of the Ephraimites, a leader, Kemuel son of Shiphtan; 25 from the tribe of the Zebulunites, a leader, Elizaphan son of Parnach; 26 from the tribe of the Issacharites, a leader, Paltiel son of Azzan; 27 from the tribe of the Asherites, a leader, Ahihud son of Shelomi; 28 and from the tribe of the Naphtalites, a leader, Pedahel son of Ammihud.” 29 These are the ones whom the Lord commanded to divide up the inheritance among the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
The Levitical Cities
35 [ap] Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the rift valley plains[aq] of Moab along the Jordan near Jericho. He said: 2 “Instruct the Israelites to give[ar] the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites[as] will possess. You must also give the Levites grazing land around the towns. 3 Thus they will have towns in which to live, and their grazing lands will be for their cattle, for their possessions, and for all their animals. 4 The grazing lands around the towns that you will give to the Levites must extend to a distance of 500 yards[at] from the town wall.
5 “You must measure[au] from outside the wall of the town on the east 1,000 yards,[av] and on the south side 1,000 yards, and on the west side 1,000 yards, and on the north side 1,000 yards, with the town in the middle.[aw] This territory must belong to them as grazing land for the towns. 6 Now from these towns that you will give to the Levites you must select six towns of refuge to which a person who has killed someone may flee.[ax] And you must give them forty-two other towns.
7 “So the total of the towns you will give the Levites is forty-eight. You must give these together with their grazing lands. 8 The towns you will give must be from the possession of the Israelites. From the larger tribes you must give more; and from the smaller tribes fewer. Each must contribute some of its own towns to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance allocated to each.
The Cities of Refuge
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River[ay] into the land of Canaan, 11 you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee. 12 And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community. 13 These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge.
14 “‘You must give three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the land of Canaan; they must be towns of refuge. 15 These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the resident foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.
16 “‘But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies,[az] he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 17 If he strikes him by throwing a stone large enough that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon so that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 19 The avenger[ba] of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.
20 “‘But if he strikes him out of hatred or throws something at him intentionally[bb] so that he dies, 21 or with enmity he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death, for he is a murderer. The avenger of blood must kill the murderer when he meets him.
22 “But if he strikes him suddenly, without enmity, or throws anything at him unintentionally, 23 or with any stone large enough that a man could die, without seeing him, and throws it at him, and he dies, even though he was not his enemy nor sought his harm, 24 then the community must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these decisions. 25 The community must deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the community must restore him to the town of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there[bc] until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the consecrated oil. 26 But if the slayer at any time goes outside the boundary of the town to which he had fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the town of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood, 28 because the slayer[bd] should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions. 29 So these things must be a statutory ordinance[be] for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live.
30 “Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony[bf] of witnesses, but one witness cannot[bg] testify against any person to cause him to be put to death. 31 Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death. 32 And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.[bh]
33 “‘You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it. 34 Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.’”
Women and Land Inheritance
36 Then the heads of the family groups[bi] of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses[bj] and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families.[bk] 2 They said, “The Lord commanded my lord to give[bl] the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Now if they should be married to one of the men[bm] from another Israelite tribe, their inheritance would be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry.[bn] As a result, it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the Jubilee of the Israelites is to take place,[bo] their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.”[bp]
Moses’ Decision
5 Then Moses gave a ruling[bq] to the Israelites by the word[br] of the Lord: “What the tribe of the Josephites is saying is right. 6 This is what[bs] the Lord has commanded for Zelophehad’s daughters: ‘Let them marry[bt] whomever they think best,[bu] only they must marry within the family of their father’s tribe. 7 In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred[bv] from tribe to tribe. But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any of the tribes of the Israelites must become the wife of a man from any family in her father’s tribe, so that every Israelite[bw] may retain the inheritance of his fathers. 9 No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe. But every one of the tribes of the Israelites must retain its inheritance.’”
10 As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did. 11 For the daughters of Zelophehad—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah—were married to the sons of their uncles.[bx] 12 They were married into the families of the Manassehites, the descendants of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.
13 These are the commandments and the decisions that the Lord commanded the Israelites through the authority[by] of Moses, in the rift valley plains[bz] by Moab along the Jordan River[ca] opposite Jericho.
The Covenant Setting
1 This is what[cb] Moses said to all of Israel in the Transjordanian[cc] wilderness, the arid rift valley opposite[cd] Suph,[ce] between[cf] Paran[cg] and Tophel,[ch] Laban,[ci] Hazeroth,[cj] and Di Zahab.[ck] 2 Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey[cl] from Horeb[cm] to Kadesh Barnea[cn] by way of Mount Seir.[co] 3 However, it was not until[cp] the first day of the eleventh month[cq] of the fortieth year[cr] that Moses addressed the Israelites just as[cs] the Lord had instructed him to do. 4 This took place after the defeat[ct] of King Sihon[cu] of the Amorites, whose capital was[cv] in Heshbon,[cw] and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was[cx] in Ashtaroth,[cy] specifically in Edrei.[cz] 5 So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words:[da]
Events at Horeb
6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed[db] in the area of this mountain long enough. 7 Head out[dc] and resume your journey. Enter the Amorite hill country, and all its neighboring areas, including the rift valley,[dd] the hill country, the foothills,[de] the Negev,[df] and the coastal plain—all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates. 8 Look! I have already given the land to you.[dg] Go, occupy the territory that I,[dh] the Lord, promised[di] to give to your ancestors[dj] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants.”[dk] 9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your population[dl] to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky.[dm] 11 Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you[dn] just as he said he would! 12 But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife? 13 Select wise and practical[do] men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.” 14 You replied to me that what I had said to you was good. 15 So I chose[dp] as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials. 16 I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they[dq] should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens[dr] and judge fairly,[ds] whether between one person and a native Israelite[dt] or a resident foreigner.[du] 17 They[dv] must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly[dw] and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.
Instructions at Kadesh Barnea
18 So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. 19 Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country, which the Lord our God is about to give[dx] us. 21 Look, he[dy] has placed the land in front of you![dz] Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!” 22 So all of you approached me and said, “Let’s send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.” 23 I thought this was a good idea,[ea] so I sent[eb] twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 24 They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley,[ec] which they scouted out. 25 Then they took[ed] some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”
Disobedience at Kadesh Barnea
26 You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God.[ee] 27 You complained among yourselves privately[ef] and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! 28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage[eg] by describing people who are more numerous[eh] and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven[ei] itself! Moreover, they said they saw[ej] Anakites[ek] there.” 29 So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified[el] of them! 30 The Lord your God is about to go[em] ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt[en] 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw him[eo] carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.” 32 However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, 33 who would go before you on the way to find places for you to camp, appearing in a fire at night and in a cloud by day to show you the way you ought to go.
Judgment at Kadesh Barnea
34 When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow:[ep] 35 “Not a single person[eq] of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors! 36 The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh;[er] he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.”[es] 37 As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there. 38 However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant,[et] will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land.[eu] 39 Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way,[ev] and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad,[ew] will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it. 40 But as for you,[ex] turn back and head for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”[ey]
Unsuccessful Conquest of Canaan
41 Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country. 42 But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’” 43 I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord[ez] and recklessly went up to the hill country. 44 The Amorite inhabitants of that area[fa] confronted[fb] you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah.[fc] 45 Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he[fd] paid no attention to you whatsoever.[fe] 46 Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time—indeed, for the full time.[ff]
The Journey from Kadesh Barnea to Moab
2 Then we turned and set out toward the wilderness on the way to the Red Sea[fg] just as the Lord told me to do, detouring around Mount Seir for a long time. 2 At this point the Lord said to me, 3 “You have circled around this mountain long enough; now turn north. 4 Instruct[fh] these people as follows: ‘You are about to cross the border of your relatives[fi] the descendants of Esau,[fj] who inhabit Seir. They will be afraid of you, so watch yourselves carefully. 5 Do not be hostile toward them, because I am not giving you any of their land, not even a footprint, for I have given Mount Seir[fk] as an inheritance for Esau. 6 You may purchase[fl] food to eat and water to drink from them. 7 All along the way I, the Lord your God,[fm] have blessed your every effort.[fn] I have[fo] been attentive to[fp] your travels through this great wilderness. These forty years I have[fq] been with you; you have lacked nothing.’”
8 So we turned away from our relatives[fr] the descendants of Esau, the inhabitants of Seir, turning from the route of the rift valley[fs] which comes up from[ft] Elat[fu] and Ezion Geber,[fv] and traveling the way of the wilderness of Moab. 9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass Moab and provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as your territory. This is because I have given Ar[fw] to the descendants of Lot[fx] as their possession. 10 (The Emites[fy] used to live there, a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakites. 11 These people, as well as the Anakites, are also considered Rephaites;[fz] the Moabites call them Emites. 12 Previously the Horites[ga] lived in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed and destroyed them and settled in their place, just as Israel did to the land it came to possess, the land the Lord gave them.)[gb] 13 Now, get up and cross the Wadi Zered.”[gc] So we did so.[gd] 14 Now the length of time it took for us to go from Kadesh Barnea to the crossing of Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, time for all the military men of that generation to die, just as the Lord had vowed to them. 15 Indeed, it was the very hand of the Lord that eliminated them from within[ge] the camp until they were all gone.
Instructions Concerning Ammon
16 So it was that after all the military men had been eliminated from the community,[gf] 17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are going to cross the border of Moab, that is, of Ar.[gg] 19 But when you come close to the Ammonites, do not harass or provoke them because I am not giving you any of the Ammonites’ land as your possession; I have already given it to Lot’s descendants[gh] as their possession.”
20 (That also is considered to be a land of the Rephaites.[gi] The Rephaites lived there originally; the Ammonites call them Zamzummites.[gj] 21 They are a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakites. But the Lord destroyed the Rephaites[gk] in advance of the Ammonites,[gl] so they dispossessed them and settled down in their place. 22 This is exactly what he did for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir when he destroyed the Horites before them so that they could dispossess them and settle in their area to this very day. 23 As for the Avvites[gm] who lived in settlements as far west as Gaza, Caphtorites[gn] who came from Crete[go] destroyed them and settled down in their place.)
24 “Get up, make your way across Wadi Arnon. Look, I have already delivered over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon,[gp] and his land. Go ahead—take it! Engage him in war! 25 This very day I will begin to fill all the people of the earth[gq] with dread and to terrify them when they hear about you. They will shiver and shake in anticipation of your approach.”[gr]
Defeat of Sihon, King of Heshbon
26 Then I sent messengers from the Kedemoth[gs] wilderness to King Sihon of Heshbon with an offer of peace: 27 “Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the roadway.[gt] I will not turn aside to the right or the left. 28 Sell me food for cash[gu] so that I can eat and sell me water to drink.[gv] Just allow me to go through on foot, 29 just as the descendants of Esau who live at Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan to the land the Lord our God is giving us.” 30 But King Sihon of Heshbon was unwilling to allow us to pass near him because the Lord our[gw] God had made him obstinate[gx] and stubborn[gy] so that he might deliver him over to you[gz] this very day. 31 The Lord said to me, “Look! I have already begun to give over Sihon and his land to you. Start right now to take his land as your possession.” 32 When Sihon and all his troops[ha] emerged to encounter us in battle at Jahaz,[hb] 33 the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, along with his sons[hc] and everyone else.[hd] 34 At that time we seized all his cities and put every one of them[he] under divine judgment,[hf] including even the women and children; we left no survivors. 35 We kept only the livestock and plunder from the cities for ourselves. 36 From Aroer,[hg] which is at the edge of Wadi Arnon (it is the city in the wadi),[hh] all the way to Gilead there was not a town able to resist us—the Lord our God gave them all to us. 37 However, you did not approach the land of the Ammonites, the Wadi Jabbok,[hi] the cities of the hill country, or any place else forbidden by the Lord our God.
Defeat of King Og of Bashan
3 Next we set out on[hj] the route to Bashan,[hk] but King Og of Bashan and his whole army[hl] came out to meet us in battle at Edrei.[hm] 2 The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army,[hn] and his land to you. You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.” 3 So the Lord our God did indeed give over to us King Og of Bashan and his whole army, and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left.[ho] 4 We captured all his cities at that time—there was not a town we did not take from them—sixty cities, all the region of Argob,[hp] the dominion of Og in Bashan. 5 All of these cities were fortified by high walls, gates, and locking bars;[hq] in addition there were a great many open villages.[hr] 6 We put all of these under divine judgment[hs] just as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon—every occupied city,[ht] including women and children. 7 But all the livestock and plunder from the cities we kept for ourselves. 8 So at that time we took the land of the two Amorite kings in the Transjordan from Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon[hu] 9 (the Sidonians[hv] call Hermon Sirion[hw] and the Amorites call it Senir),[hx] 10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah[hy] and Edrei,[hz] cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy[ia] that his sarcophagus[ib] was made of iron.[ic] Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath[id] of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet[ie] long and 6 feet[if] wide according to standard measure.)[ig]
Distribution of the Transjordanian Allotments
12 This is the land we brought under our control at that time: The territory extending from Aroer[ih] by the Wadi Arnon and half the Gilead hill country with its cities I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites.[ii] 13 The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh.[ij] (All the region of Argob,[ik] that is, all Bashan, is called the land of Rephaim. 14 Jair, son of Manasseh, took all the Argob region as far as the border with the Geshurites[il] and Maacathites[im]—namely Bashan—and called it by his name, Havvoth Jair,[in] which it retains to this very day.) 15 I gave Gilead to Machir.[io] 16 To the Reubenites and Gadites I allocated the territory extending from Gilead as far as Wadi Arnon (the exact middle of the wadi was a boundary) all the way to the Wadi Jabbok, the Ammonite border. 17 The rift valley[ip] and the Jordan River[iq] were also a border, from the Sea of Kinnereth[ir] to the sea of the rift valley (that is, the Salt Sea),[is] beneath the slopes[it] of Pisgah[iu] to the east.
Instructions to the Transjordanian Tribes
18 At that time I instructed you as follows: “The Lord your God has given you this land for your possession. You warriors are to cross over equipped for battle before your fellow Israelites.[iv] 19 But your wives, children, and livestock (of which I know you have many) may remain in the cities I have given you. 20 You must fight[iw] until the Lord gives your countrymen victory[ix] as he did you and they take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them on the other side of the Jordan River. Then each of you may return to his own territory that I have given you.” 21 I also commanded Joshua at the same time, “You have seen everything the Lord your God did to these two kings; he[iy] will do the same to all the kingdoms where you are going.[iz] 22 Do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God will personally fight for you.”
Denial to Moses of the Promised Land
23 Moreover, at that time I pleaded with the Lord, 24 “O, Sovereign Lord,[ja] you have begun to show me[jb] your greatness and strength.[jc] (What god in heaven or earth can rival your works and mighty deeds?) 25 Let me please cross over to see the good land on the other side of the Jordan River—this good hill country and the Lebanon!”[jd] 26 But the Lord was angry at me because of you and would not listen to me. Instead, he[je] said to me, “Enough of that![jf] Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and take a good look to the west, north, south, and east,[jg] for you will not be allowed to cross the Jordan. 28 Commission[jh] Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people over and will enable them to inherit the land you will see.” 29 So we settled down in the valley opposite Beth Peor.[ji]
The Privileges of the Covenant
4 Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances[jj] I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors,[jk] is giving you. 2 Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to[jl] you. 3 You have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor,[jm] how he[jn] eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor.[jo] 4 But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you. 5 Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in[jp] the land you are about to enter and possess. 6 So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding[jq] to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise[jr] people.” 7 In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? 8 And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just[js] as this whole law[jt] that I am about to share with[ju] you today?
Reminder of the Horeb Covenant
9 Again, however, pay very careful attention,[jv] lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. 10 You[jw] stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he[jx] said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands.[jy] Then they will learn to revere me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.” 11 You approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, a mountain ablaze to the sky above it[jz] and yet dark with a thick cloud.[ka] 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the middle of the fire; you heard speech but you could not see anything—only a voice was heard.[kb] 13 And he revealed to you the covenant[kc] he has commanded you to keep, the Ten Commandments,[kd] writing them on two stone tablets. 14 Moreover, at that same time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to keep in the land that you are about to enter and possess.[ke]
The Nature of Israel’s God
15 Be very careful,[kf] then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 16 I say this[kg] so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female, 17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls[kh] on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters under the earth.[ki] 19 When you look up[kj] to the sky[kk] and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly creation[kl]—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them,[km] for the Lord your God has assigned[kn] them to all the people[ko] of the world.[kp] 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace,[kq] to be his special people[kr] as you are today. 21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he[ks] is about to give you.[kt] 22 So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that[ku] good land. 23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he[kv] has forbidden[kw] you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God.[kx]
Threat and Blessing following Covenant Disobedience
25 After you have produced children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time,[ky] if you become corrupt and make an image of any kind[kz] and do other evil things before the Lord your God that enrage him,[la] 26 I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you[lb] today that you will surely and swiftly be removed[lc] from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be[ld] annihilated. 27 Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you[le] among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 There you will worship gods made by human hands—wood and stone that can neither see, hear, eat, nor smell. 29 But if you seek the Lord your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul.[lf] 30 In your distress when all these things happen to you in future days, if you return to the Lord your God and obey him[lg] 31 (for he[lh] is a merciful God), he will not let you down[li] or destroy you, for he cannot[lj] forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.
The Uniqueness of Israel’s God
32 Indeed, ask about the distant past, starting from the day God created humankind[lk] on the earth, and ask[ll] from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has ever been such a great thing as this, or even a rumor of it. 33 Have a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the middle of fire, as you yourselves have, and lived to tell about it? 34 Or has God[lm] ever before tried to deliver[ln] a nation from the middle of another nation, accompanied by judgments,[lo] signs, wonders, war, strength, power,[lp] and other very terrifying things like the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 35 You have been taught that the Lord alone is God—there is no other besides him. 36 From heaven he spoke to you in order to teach you, and on earth he showed you his great fire from which you also heard his words.[lq] 37 Moreover, because he loved[lr] your ancestors, he chose their[ls] descendants who followed them and personally brought you out of Egypt with his great power 38 to dispossess nations greater and stronger than you and brought you here this day to give you their land as your property.[lt] 39 Today realize and carefully consider that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below—there is no other! 40 Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth[lu] today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession.”
The Narrative Concerning Cities of Refuge
41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone[lv] without hating him at the time of the accident[lw] could flee to one of those cities and be safe. 43 These cities are Bezer, in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.
The Setting and Introduction of the Covenant
44 This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites.[lx] 45 These are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that Moses spoke to the Israelites after he had brought them out of Egypt, 46 in the Transjordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. (It is he whom Moses and the Israelites attacked after they came out of Egypt. 47 They possessed his land and that of King Og of Bashan—both of whom were Amorite kings in the Transjordan, to the east. 48 Their territory extended[ly] from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon valley as far as Mount Siyon[lz]—that is, Hermon— 49 including all the rift valley of the Transjordan in the east to the sea of the rift valley,[ma] beneath the slopes[mb] of Pisgah.)
The Opening Exhortation
5 Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them:[mc] “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them! 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 He[md] did not make this covenant with our ancestors[me] but with us, we who are here today, all of us living now. 4 The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire. 5 (I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal the Lord’s message to you, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:
The Ten Commandments
6 “I am the Lord your God—he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery.
7 “You must not have any other gods[mf] besides me.[mg]
8 “You must not make for yourself an image[mh] of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath.[mi] 9 You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish[mj] the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject[mk] me,[ml] 10 but I show covenant faithfulness[mm] to the thousands[mn] who choose[mo] me and keep my commandments.
11 “You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes,[mp] for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way.[mq]
12 “Be careful to observe[mr] the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 You are to work and do all your tasks in six days, 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath[ms] of the Lord your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the resident foreigner who lives with you,[mt] so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest. 15 Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by strength and power.[mu] That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe[mv] the Sabbath day.
16 “Honor[mw] your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he[mx] is about to give you.
17 “You must not murder.[my]
18 “You must not commit adultery.
19 “You must not steal.
20 “You must not offer false testimony against another.[mz] 21 You must not desire[na] another man’s[nb] wife, nor should you crave his[nc] house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.”[nd]
The Narrative of the Sinai Revelation and Israel’s Response
22 The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said.[ne] Then he inscribed the words[nf] on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 23 Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me. 24 You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great glory,[ng] and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us[nh] that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living. 25 But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us? If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die! 26 Who is there from the entire human race[ni] who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived? 27 You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he[nj] says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.” 28 When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he[nk] said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you—they have spoken well. 29 If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey[nl] all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever. 30 Go and tell them, ‘Return to your tents!’ 31 But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments,[nm] statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.”[nn] 32 Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left! 33 Walk just as he[no] has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long[np] in the land you are going to possess.
Exhortation to Keep the Covenant Principles
6 Now these are the commandments,[nq] statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed[nr] 2 and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments[ns] that I am giving[nt] you—you, your children, and your grandchildren—all your lives, to prolong your days. 3 Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number[nu]—as the Lord, the God of your ancestors,[nv] said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey.
The Essence of the Covenant Principles
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one![nw] 5 You must love[nx] the Lord your God with your whole mind,[ny] your whole being,[nz] and all your strength.[oa]
Exhortation to Teach the Covenant Principles
6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach[ob] them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road,[oc] as you lie down, and as you get up. 8 You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm[od] and fasten them as symbols[oe] on your forehead. 9 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.[of]
Exhortation to Worship the Lord Exclusively
10 Then when the Lord your God brings you to the land he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you—a land with large, fine cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with choice things you did not accumulate, hewn-out cisterns you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—and you eat your fill, 12 be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, that place of slavery.[og] 13 You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name. 14 You must not go after other gods, those[oh] of the surrounding peoples, 15 for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a jealous God—his anger will erupt against you and remove you from the land.[oi]
Exhortation to Obey the Lord Exclusively
16 You must not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.[oj] 17 Keep his[ok] commandments very carefully,[ol] as well as the stipulations and statutes he commanded you to observe. 18 Do whatever is proper[om] and good before the Lord so that it may go well with you and that you may enter and occupy the good land that he[on] promised your ancestors, 19 and that you may drive out all your enemies just as the Lord said.
Exhortation to Remember the Past
20 When your children[oo] ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?” 21 you must say to them,[op] “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt in a powerful way.[oq] 22 And he[or] brought signs and great, devastating wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on his whole family[os] before our very eyes. 23 He delivered us from there so that he could give us the land he had promised our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him[ot] so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day. 25 We will be innocent if we carefully keep all these commandments[ou] before the Lord our God, just as he demands.”[ov]
The Dispossession of Nonvassals
7 When the Lord your God brings you to the land that you are going to occupy and forces out many nations before you—Hittites,[ow] Girgashites,[ox] Amorites,[oy] Canaanites,[oz] Perizzites,[pa] Hivites,[pb] and Jebusites,[pc] seven[pd] nations more numerous and powerful than you— 2 and he[pe] delivers them over to you and you attack them, you must utterly annihilate[pf] them. Make no treaty[pg] with them and show them no mercy! 3 You must not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters[ph] to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they[pi] will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will erupt against you and he will quickly destroy you. 5 Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars,[pj] cut down their sacred Asherah poles,[pk] and burn up their idols. 6 For you are a people holy[pl] to the Lord your God. He[pm] has chosen you to be his people, prized[pn] above all others on the face of the earth.
The Basis of Israel’s Election
7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you—for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. 8 Rather it is because of his[po] love[pp] for you and his faithfulness to the promise[pq] he solemnly vowed[pr] to your ancestors[ps] that the Lord brought you out with great power,[pt] redeeming[pu] you from the place of slavery, from the power[pv] of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 So realize that the Lord your God is the true God,[pw] the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully[px] with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 but who pays back those who hate[py] him as they deserve and destroys them. He will not ignore[pz] those who hate him but will repay them as they deserve! 11 So keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that I today am commanding you to do.
Promises of Good for Covenant Obedience
12 If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you[qa] as he promised[qb] your ancestors. 13 He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children,[qc] with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you. 14 You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness[qd] among you or your livestock. 15 The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases that you knew in Egypt; instead he will inflict them on all those who hate you.
Exhortation to Destroy Canaanite Paganism
16 You must destroy[qe] all the people whom the Lord your God is about to deliver over to you; you must not pity them or worship[qf] their gods, for that will be a snare to you. 17 If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I—how can I dispossess them?” 18 you must not fear them. You must carefully recall[qg] what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt, 19 the great judgments[qh] you saw, the signs and wonders, the strength and power[qi] by which he[qj] brought you out—thus the Lord your God will do to all the people you fear. 20 Furthermore, the Lord your God will release hornets[qk] among them until the very last ones who hide from you[ql] perish. 21 You must not tremble in their presence, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God. 22 He,[qm] the God who leads you, will expel the nations little by little. You will not be allowed to destroy them all at once lest the wild animals overrun you. 23 The Lord your God will give them over to you; he will throw them into a great panic[qn] until they are destroyed. 24 He will hand over their kings to you, and you will erase their very names from memory.[qo] Nobody will be able to resist you until you destroy them. 25 You must burn the images of their gods, but do not covet the silver and gold that covers them so much that you take it for yourself and thus become ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent[qp] to the Lord your God. 26 You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath[qq] along with it.[qr] You must absolutely detest[qs] and abhor it,[qt] for it is an object of divine wrath.
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