| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1This is what Moses said to the assembly of Israel in the Transjordanian wastelands, the arid country opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab | 1These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan--that is, in the Arabah--opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. |
| 2Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir. | 2(It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.) |
| 3However, it was not until the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year that Moses addressed the Israelites just as the LORD had instructed him to do. | 3In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. |
| 4This took place after the defeat of King Sihon of the Amorites, whose capital was in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was in Ashtaroth, specifically in Edrei. | 4This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. |
| 5So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words: | 5East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying: |
| 6The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, "You have stayed in the area of this mountain long enough. | 6The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain. |
| 7Get up now, resume your journey, heading for the Amorite hill country, to all its areas including the arid country, the highlands, the Shephelah, the Negev, and the coastal plain--all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates. | 7Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. |
| 8Look! I have already given the land to you. Go, occupy the territory that I, the LORD, promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants." | 8See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the LORD swore he would give to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--and to their descendants after them." |
| 9I also said to you at that time, "I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. | 9At that time I said to you, "You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. |
| 10The LORD your God has increased your population to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky. | 10The LORD your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky. |
| 11Indeed, may the LORD, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you just as he said he would! | 11May the LORD, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! |
| 12But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife? | 12But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? |
| 13Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders." | 13Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you." |
| 14You replied to me that what I had said to you was good. | 14You answered me, "What you propose to do is good." |
| 15So I chose 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. | 15So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you--as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. |
| 16I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one citizen and another or a citizen and a resident foreigner. | 16And I charged your judges at that time, "Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. |
| 17They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly 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. | 17Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it." |
| 18So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. | 18And at that time I told you everything you were to do. |
| 19Then 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. | 19Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful wilderness that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. |
| 20Then I said to you, "You have come to the Amorite hill country which the LORD our God is about to give us. | 20Then I 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 up, take possession of it, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!" | 21See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." |
| 22So 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." | 22Then all of you came to me and said, "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to." |
| 23I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. | 23The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. |
| 24They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, which they scouted out. | 24They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol and explored it. |
| 25Then they took 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." | 25Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, "It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us." |
| 26You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the LORD your God. | 26But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. |
| 27You complained among yourselves privately and said, "Because the LORD hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! | 27You grumbled 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. |
| 28What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage by describing people who are more numerous and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven itself! Moreover, they said they saw Anakites there." | 28Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, 'The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.'" |
| 29So I responded to you, "Do not be terrified of them! | 29Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. |
| 30The LORD your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt | 30The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, |
| 31and in the desert, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place." | 31and in the wilderness. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." |
| 32However, through all this you did not have confidence in the LORD your God, | 32In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, |
| 33the one who was constantly going before you to find places for you to set up camp. He appeared by fire at night and cloud by day, to show you the way you ought to go. | 33who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. |
| 34When the LORD heard you, he became angry and made this vow: | 34When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: |
| 35"Not a single person of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors! | 35"No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, |
| 36The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; 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." | 36except Caleb 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." |
| 37As for me, the LORD was also angry with me on your account. He said, "You also will not be able to go there. | 37Because of you the LORD became angry with me also and said, "You shall not enter it, either. |
| 38However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land. | 38But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it. |
| 39Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it. | 39And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad--they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. |
| 40But as for you, turn back and head for the desert by the way to the Red Sea." | 40But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea." |
| 41Then 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. | 41Then 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. |
| 42But 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.'" | 42But 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.'" |
| 43I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the LORD and recklessly went up to the hill country. | 43So 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. |
| 44The Amorite inhabitants of that area confronted you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah. | 44The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. |
| 45Then you came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to you whatsoever. | 45You came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you. |
| 46Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time--indeed, for the full time. | 46And so you stayed in Kadesh many days--all the time you spent there. |
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