New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.

1These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab.

2Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.

2It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir.

3But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the LORD had commanded him to say.

3In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, Moses told the Israelites everything the LORD had commanded him to say to them.

4This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

4This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.

5While the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully explained the LORD’s instructions as follows. The Command to Leave Sinai

5Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:"

6“When we were at Mount Sinai, the LORD our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough.

6The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb: 'You have stayed at this mountain long enough.

7It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, and all the way to the great Euphrates River.

7Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites and their neighbors in the Arabah, the hill country, the Judean foothills, the Negev and the sea coast--to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon as far as the Euphrates River.

8Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’” Moses Appoints Leaders from Each Tribe

8See, I have set the land before you. Enter and take possession of the land the LORD swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their future descendants.'"

9Moses continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself.

9I said to you at that time: I can't bear the responsibility for you on my own.

10The LORD your God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars!

10The LORD your God has so multiplied you that today you are as numerous as the stars of the sky.

11And may the LORD, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised!

11May Yahweh, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times more, and bless you as He promised you.

12But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering?

12But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes by myself?

13Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

13Appoint for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will make them your leaders."

14“Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’

14You replied to me, 'What you propose to do is good.'"

15So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.

15So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and set them over you as leaders: officials for thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and officers for your tribes.

16“At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions

16I commanded your judges at that time: Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge rightly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.

17and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’

17Do not show partiality when deciding a case; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.

18“At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do. Scouts Explore the Land

18At that time I commanded you about all the things you were to do."

19“Then, just as the LORD our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness, as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amorites. When we arrived at Kadesh-barnea,

19We then set out from Horeb and went across all the great and terrible wilderness you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, just as the LORD our God had commanded us. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,

20I said to you, ‘You have now reached the hill country of the Amorites that the LORD our God is giving us.

20I said to you: You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.

21Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’

21See, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged."

22“But you all came to me and said, ‘First, let’s send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.’

22Then all of you approached me and said, 'Let's send men ahead of us, so that they may explore the land for us and bring us back a report about the route we should go up and the cities we will come to.'

23“This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose twelve scouts, one from each of your tribes.

23The plan seemed good to me, so I selected 12 men from among you, one man for each tribe.

24They headed for the hill country and came to the valley of Eshcol and explored it.

24They left and went up into the hill country and came to the Valley of Eshcol, scouting the land.

25They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, ‘The land the LORD our God has given us is indeed a good land.’ Israel’s Rebellion against the LORD

25They took some of the fruit from the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us back a report: 'The land the LORD our God is giving us is good.'"

26“But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to go in.

26But you were not willing to go up, rebelling against the command of the LORD your God.

27You complained in your tents and said, ‘The LORD must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered.

27You grumbled in your tents and said, 'The LORD brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites so they would destroy us, because He hated us.

28Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’

28Where can we go? Our brothers have discouraged us, saying: The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, fortified to the heavens. We also saw the descendants of the Anakim there.'"

29“But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them!

29So I said to you: Don't be terrified or afraid of them!

30The LORD your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.

30The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt.

31And you saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’

31And you saw in the wilderness how the LORD your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place.

32“But even after all he did, you refused to trust the LORD your God,

32But in spite of this you did not trust the LORD your God,

33who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

33who went before you on the journey to seek out a place for you to camp. He went in the fire by night and in the cloud by day to guide you on the road you were to travel."

34“When the LORD heard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly swore,

34When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath:

35‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,

35None of these men in this evil generation will see the good land I swore to give your fathers,

36except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the LORD completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’

36except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD completely.'"

37“And the LORD was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land!

37The LORD was angry with me also because of you and said: 'You will not enter there either.

38Instead, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Israel as they take possession of it.

38Joshua son of Nun, who attends you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit it.

39I will give the land to your little ones—your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it.

39Your little children, whom you said would be plunder, your sons who don't know good from evil, will enter there. I will give them the land, and they will take possession of it.

40As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. ’

40But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.'"

41“Then you confessed, ‘We have sinned against the LORD! We will go into the land and fight for it, as the LORD our God has commanded us.’ So your men strapped on their weapons, thinking it would be easy to attack the hill country.

41You answered me, 'We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight just as the LORD our God commanded us.' Then each of you put on his weapons of war and thought it would be easy to go up into the hill country."

42“But the LORD told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’

42But the LORD said to me, 'Tell them: Don't go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from being defeated by your enemies.'

43“This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against the LORD’s command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight.

43So I spoke to you, but you didn't listen. You rebelled against the LORD's command and defiantly went up into the hill country.

44But the Amorites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Seir to Hormah.

44Then the Amorites who lived there came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir as far as Hormah.

45Then you returned and wept before the LORD, but he refused to listen.

45When you returned, you wept before the LORD, but He didn't listen to your requests or pay attention to you.

46So you stayed there at Kadesh for a long time.

46For this reason you stayed in Kadesh as long as you did."

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.