| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1These are the words that Moses spoke to the assembly of Israel east of the Jordan River, in the Arabah desert, opposite Suph between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. | 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. |
| 2It takes eleven days to travel from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea via Mount Seir. | 2It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir. |
| 3On the first day of the eleventh month, in the fortieth year, Moses spoke to the Israelis about everything that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. | 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 defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and Og, king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth at Edrei. | 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. |
| 5East of the Jordan River, in the land of Moab, Moses began to expound this Law: | 5Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:" |
| 6"The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb. He said, 'You have been at this mountain long enough. | 6The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb: 'You have stayed at this mountain long enough. |
| 7Break camp, get going, and proceed to the hill country of the Amorites and all the nearby places in the Arabah desert, the highlands, the foothills, the Negev, the coastal plains, all of the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon as far as the great river, the Euphrates. | 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've given you the land that lies ahead. Go in and possess the land that I, the LORD, promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as to their descendants.'" | 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.'" |
| 9"I also told you at that time that I won't be able to sustain you on my own. | 9I said to you at that time: I can't bear the responsibility for you on my own. |
| 10The LORD your God greatly multiplied your numbers, and today you are like the stars in the sky. | 10The LORD your God has so multiplied you that today you are as numerous as the stars of the sky. |
| 11May the LORD, the God of your ancestors, increase your numbers a thousand times more, and may he bless you, as he promised you. | 11May Yahweh, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times more, and bless you as He promised you. |
| 12How can I bear the burden of you and your bickering all by myself? | 12But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes by myself? |
| 13Choose for yourselves wise and discerning men, known to your tribes, and 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." |
| 14You answered by saying that this plan is a good thing. | 14You replied to me, 'What you propose to do is good.'" |
| 15So I chose leaders from your tribes, wise and respected men, and I appointed them over you—commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. | 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. |
| 16I charged your judges at that time, 'When you hold a hearing between brothers, judge fairly between a man and his brother or between foreigners. | 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. |
| 17When you hold a hearing, don't be partial in judgment toward the least important or toward the great. Never fear men, because judgment belongs to God. If the matter is difficult for you, bring it to me for a hearing.' | 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. |
| 18I charged you at that time that you must do all of these things." | 18At that time I commanded you about all the things you were to do." |
| 19"Then we set out from Horeb and walked through that vast and dreadful desert, where you observed the road to the Amorite hill country. Just as the LORD our God ordained for us, we finally 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 told you at that time, 'You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is about to give us. | 20I said to you: You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. |
| 21Look! The LORD your God has given the land that lies before you. Go and possess it, just as the LORD God of your ancestors commanded you. Don't be afraid or 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"Then all of you approached me and said: 'Let's send out men in advance of us so they can survey the land and bring back a report to us on how we'll go up to their cities.' | 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.' |
| 23Because this suggestion seemed good to me, I chose twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. | 23The plan seemed good to me, so I selected 12 men from among you, one man for each tribe. |
| 24Then these men set out, went up to the hill county, reached the Eshcol Valley, and surveyed it. | 24They left and went up into the hill country and came to the Valley of Eshcol, scouting the land. |
| 25They hand-picked some of the fruit of the land, brought it down to us, and gave a report that said, 'The land which the LORD is about to give us is good.'" | 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"However, your ancestors didn't go up. Instead, they rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. | 26But you were not willing to go up, rebelling against the command of the LORD your God. |
| 27You murmured in your tents, 'The LORD hates us. He brought us out of the land of Egypt in order to deliver us to the Amorites so he could destroy us. | 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 discouraged us when they said that the people are bigger and taller than we are. Their cities are tall and fortified to the sky, and we also saw the Anakim there.' | 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"Then I told you, 'Don't be terrified or afraid of them. | 29So I said to you: Don't be terrified or afraid of them! |
| 30The LORD your God is the One who will be going ahead of you. He'll fight for you just as he did in Egypt before your eyes. | 30The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt. |
| 31In the desert you saw that the LORD carried you like a man carries his son, on every road you traveled until you reached 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. |
| 32But despite this, you didn't trust in the LORD your God, | 32But in spite of this you did not trust the LORD your God, |
| 33who walked ahead of you along the way to scout a place for you to pitch camp—by fire at night and cloud by day—to lead you on the way you should go." | 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 complaints, he became angry and declared, | 34When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath: |
| 35I swear that not one man of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors, | 35None of these men in this evil generation will see the good land I swore to give your fathers, |
| 36except Jephunneh's son Caleb. He will see it and I will give to him and to his descendants the land on which he has walked because he wholeheartedly followed the LORD.' | 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"The LORD was also furious with me because of you. He said: 'You will not enter the land. | 37The LORD was angry with me also because of you and said: 'You will not enter there either. |
| 38However, Nun's son Joshua, your assistant, will go there. Encourage him, for he will cause Israel to take possession of it. | 38Joshua son of Nun, who attends you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit it. |
| 39Your little ones—whom you said would be taken captive—and your children who do not yet know right from wrong will enter the land. I will give it to them and they themselves will possess 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. |
| 40But as for you, prepare to set out for the desert on the way to the Reed Sea.' | 40But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.'" |
| 41"You responded to me and said, 'We have sinned against the LORD. We will now go up and fight according to what the LORD our God commanded.' So each man put on his weapon for battle and recklessly started out for 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"Then the LORD told me: 'Tell them not to go up and fight because I will not be in their midst, or else you will be defeated before 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"I spoke to you but you didn't listen. Instead you rebelled against the command of the LORD and went up to the hill country. | 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. |
| 44The Amorites who lived in the hill country came out to engage you in battle. They pursued you like bees do and crushed you 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. |
| 45You returned and cried out in the LORD's presence, but the LORD didn't hear your voice or listen to you. | 45When you returned, you wept before the LORD, but He didn't listen to your requests or pay attention to you. |
| 46You remained in Kadesh for many days. It was a long time, indeed." | 46For this reason you stayed in Kadesh as long as you did." |
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