Instructions to Leave Horeb

1These are the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel on this side of Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

2(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

3And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;

4After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:

5On this side of Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

6The LORD our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying, You have dwelt long enough in this mount:

7Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places near there, in the plain, in the hills, and in the lowland, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

8Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their descendants after them.

Appointment of Judges

9And I spoke unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:

10The LORD your God has multiplied you, and, behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more than you are, and bless you, as he has promised you!)

12How can I myself alone bear your weight, and your burden, and your strife?

13Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

14And you answered me, and said, The thing which you have spoken is good for us to do.

15So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

16And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

17You shall not respect persons in judgment; but you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

18And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

The Spies Sent Out

19And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which you saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.

20And I said unto you, you are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God does give unto us.

21Behold, the LORD your God has set the land before you: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has said unto you; fear not, neither be discouraged.

22And you came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.

23And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of each tribe:

24And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.

25And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God does give us.

Israel Rebels

26Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:

27And you murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

28Where shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

29Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

30The LORD your God who goes before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

31And in the wilderness, where you have seen how that the LORD your God bore you, as a man does bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came into this place.

32Yet in this thing you did not believe the LORD your God,

33Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in a cloud by day.

34And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and swore, saying,

35Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I swore to give unto your fathers,

36Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he has trodden upon, and to his children, because he has wholly followed the LORD.

37Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, You also shall not go in there.

38But Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

39Moreover your little ones, who you said should be a prey, and your children, who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in there, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

40But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

Defeat at Hormah

41Then you answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when you had girded on every man his weapons of war, you were ready to go up into the hill.

42And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest you be smitten before your enemies.

43So I spoke unto you; and you would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.

44And the Amorites, who dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.

45And you returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.

46So you abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that you abode there.