Deuteronomy Chapter 1

1 These are the words which Moses spake unto all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab.

2 It is eleven days’

3 journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.

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

5 after he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.

6 Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

7 Jehovah our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain:

8 turn you, and take your journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites, and unto all

9 the places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the sea-shore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

10 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

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

12 Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

13 Jehovah, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!

14 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

15 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

16 And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good

17 for us to do.

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

19 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear

20 the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the sojourner that is with him.

21 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.

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

23 And we journeyed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as Jehovah our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

24 And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the hill-country of the Amorites, which Jehovah our God giveth unto us.

25 Behold, Jehovah thy God hath set the land before thee: go up, take possession, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.

26 And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities unto which we shall come.

27 And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

28 and they turned and went up into the hill-country, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

29 And 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 Jehovah our God giveth unto us.

30 Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God:

31 and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because Jehovah hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

32 Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

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

34 Jehovah your God who goeth before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

35 and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that Jehovah thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place.

36 Yet in this thing ye did not believe Jehovah your God,

37 who went before you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.

38 And Jehovah heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

39 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see the good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,

40 save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it; and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed Jehovah.

41 Also Jehovah was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither:

42 Joshua the son of Nun, who standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage thou him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

43 Moreover your little ones, that ye said should be a prey, and your children, that this day have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

44 But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

45 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against Jehovah, we will go up and fight, according to all that Jehovah our God commanded us. And ye girded on every man his weapons of war, and were forward to go up into the hill-country.

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

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

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

2 There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.

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

4 after he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth [and] at Edrei.

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

6 Jehovah ourGod spoke unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have stayed long enough in this mountain.

7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites, and unto all the neighbouring places in the plain, in the mountain, and in the lowland, and in the south, and by the seaside, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

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

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

10 Jehovah yourGod hath multiplied you, and behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11 Jehovah, theGod of your fathers, make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you as he hath said unto you!

12 How can I myself alone sustain your wear, and your burden, and your strife?

13 Provide you wise and understanding and known men, according to your tribes, that I may make them your chiefs.

14 And ye answered me, and said, The thing that thou hast spoken is good [for us] to do.

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

16 And I commanded your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and him also that sojourneth with him.

17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment: ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment isGod's; and the matter that is too hard for you shall ye bring to me, that I may hear it.

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

19 And we departed from Horeb and went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw, on the way to the mountain of the Amorites, as Jehovah ourGod had commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

20 And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which Jehovah ourGod giveth us.

21 Behold, Jehovah thyGod hath set the land before thee: go up, take possession, as Jehovah theGod of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.

22 And ye came near to me all of you, and said, We will send men before us, who shall examine the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and of the cities to which we shall come.

23 And the matter was good in mine eyes; and I took twelve men of you, one man for a tribe.

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

25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hand, and brought it down unto us, and brought us answer, and said, The land is good that Jehovah ourGod hath given us.

26 But ye would not go up, and rebelled against the word of Jehovah yourGod;

27 and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because Jehovah hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

28 Whither shall we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, [They are] a people 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.

29 And I said unto you, Be not afraid, neither fear them;

30 Jehovah yourGod who goeth before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

31 and in the wilderness where thou hast seen that Jehovah thyGod bore thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came to this place.

32 But In this thing ye did not believe Jehovah yourGod,

33 who went in the way before you, to search you out a place for your encamping, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.

34 And Jehovah heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and swore, saying,

35 None among these men, this evil generation, shall in any wise see that good land, which I swore to give unto your fathers!

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

37 Also Jehovah was angry with me on your account, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

38 Joshua the son of Nun, who standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: strengthen him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

39 And your little ones, of whom ye said, They shall be a prey, and your children, who this day know neither good nor evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

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

41 — And ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against Jehovah, we will go up and fight, according to all that Jehovah ourGod hath commanded us. And ye girded on every man his weapons of war, and ye would go presumptuously up the hill.

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

43 And I spoke unto you, but ye would not hear, and ye rebelled against the word of Jehovah, and acted presumptuously, and went up the hill.

44 And the Amorite that dwelt on that hill came out against you, and chased you, like as bees do, and cut you in pieces in Seir, as far as Hormah.

45 And ye returned and wept before Jehovah, but Jehovah would not listen to your voice, nor give ear unto you.

46 And ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode [there].

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 These [are] the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side Jordan in the desert towards the west near the Red Sea, between Pharan Tophol, and Lobon, and Aulon, and the gold works.

2 [It is] a journey of eleven days from Choreb to mount Seir as far as Cades Barne.

3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first [day] of the month, Moses spoke to all the children of Israel, according to all things which the Lord commanded him for them:

4 after he had smitten Seon king of the Amorites who dwelt in Esebon, and Og the king of Basan who dwelt in Astaroth and in Edrain;

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

6 The Lord your God spoke to us in Choreb, saying, Let it suffice you to have dwelt [so long] in this mountain.

7 Turn ye and depart and enter into the mountain of the Amorites, and [go] to all that dwell near about Araba, to the mountain and the plain and to the south, and the land of the Chananites near the sea, and Antilibanus, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

8 Behold, [God] has delivered the land before you; go in and inherit the land, which I sware to your fathers, Abraam, and Isaac, and Jacob, to give it to them and to their seed after them.

9 And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I shall not be able by myself to bear you.

10 The Lord your God has multiplied you, and, behold, ye are to-day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11 The Lord God of your fathers add to you a thousand-fold more than you are, and bless you as he has spoken to you.

12 How shall I alone be able to bear your labour, and your burden, and your gainsayings?

13 Take to yourselves wise and understanding and prudent men for your tribes, and I will set your leaders over you.

14 And ye answered me and said, The thing which thou hast told us [is] good to do.

15 So I took of you wise and understanding and prudent men, and I set them to rule over you as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens, and officers to your judges.

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

17 Thou shalt not have respect to persons in judgment, thou shalt judge small and great equally; thou shalt not shrink from before the person of a man, for the judgment is God's; and whatsoever matter shall be too hard for you, ye shall bring it to me, and I will hear it.

18 And I charged upon you at that time all the commands which ye shall perform.

19 And we departed from Choreb, and went through all that great wilderness and terrible, which ye saw, by the way of the mountain of the Amorite, as the Lord our God charged us, and we came as far as Cades Barne.

20 And I said to you, Ye have come as far as the mountain of the Amorite, which the Lord our God gives to you:

21 behold, the Lord your God has delivered to us the land before you: go up and inherit it as the Lord God of your fathers said to you; fear not, neither be afraid.

22 And ye all came to me, and said, Let us send men before us, and let them go up to the land for us; and let them bring back to us a report of the way by which we shall go up, and of the cities into which we shall enter.

23 And the saying pleased me: and I took of you twelve men, one man of a tribe.

24 And they turned and went up to the mountain, and they came as far as the valley of the cluster, and surveyed it.

25 And they took in their hands of the fruit of the land, and brought it to you, and said, The land is good which the Lord our God gives us.

26 Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the words of the Lord our God.

27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us.

28 Whither do we go up? and your brethren drew away your heart, saying, [It is a] great nation and populous, and mightier than we; and [there are] cities great and walled up to heaven: moreover we saw there the sons of the giants.

29 And I said to you, Fear not, neither be ye afraid of them;

30 the Lord your God who goes before your face, he shall fight against them together with you effectually, according to all that he wrought for you in the land of Egypt;

31 and in this wilderness which ye saw, by the way of the mountain of the Amorite; how the Lord thy God will bear thee as a nursling, as if any man should nurse his child, through all the way which ye have gone until ye came to this place.

32 And in this matter ye believed not the Lord our God,

33 who goes before you in the way to choose you a place, guiding you in fire by night, shewing you the way by which ye go, and a cloud by day.

34 And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and being greatly provoked he sware, saying,

35 Not one of these men shall see this good land, which I sware to their fathers,

36 except Chaleb the son of Jephonne, he shall see it; and to him I will give the land on which he went up, and to his sons, because he attended to the things of the Lord.

37 And the Lord was angry with me for your sake, saying, Neither shalt thou by any means enter therein.

38 Joshua the son of Naue, who stands by thee, he shall enter in there; do thou strengthen him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

39 And every young child who this day knows not good or evil,—they shall enter therein, and to them I will give it, and they shall inherit it.

40 And ye turned and marched into the wilderness, in the way by the Red Sea.

41 And ye answered and said, We have sinned before the Lord our God; we will go up and fight according to all that the Lord our God has commanded us: and having taken every one his weapons of war, and being gathered together, ye went up to the mountain.

42 And the Lord said to me, Tell them, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight, for I am not with you; thus shall ye not be destroyed before your enemies.

43 And I spoke to you, and ye did not hearken to me; and ye transgressed the commandment of the Lord; and ye forced your way and went up into the mountain.

44 And the Amorite who dwelt in that mountain came out to meet you, and pursued you as bees do, and wounded you from Seir to Herma.

45 And ye sat down and wept before the Lord our God, and the Lord hearkened not to your voice, neither did he take heed to you.

46 And ye dwelt in Cades many days, as many days as ye dwelt [there].

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Hæc sunt verba, quæ locutus est Moyses ad omnem Israel trans Iordanem in solitudine campestri, contra Mare rubrum, inter Pharan et Thophel et Laban et Haseroth, ubi auri est plurimum:

2 undecim diebus de Horeb per viam montis Seir usque ad Cadesbarne.

3 Quadragesimo anno, undecimo mense, prima die mensis locutus est Moyses ad filios Israel omnia quæ præceperat illi Dominus ut diceret eis:

4 postquam percussit Sehon regem Amorrhæorum, qui habitabat in Hesebon: et Og regem Basan, qui mansit in Astaroth, et in Edrai,

5 trans Iordanem in Terra Moab. Cœpitque Moyses explanare legem, et dicere:

6 Dominus Deus noster locutus est ad nos in Horeb, dicens: Sufficit vobis quod in hoc monte mansistis:

7 revertimini, et venite ad montem Amorrhæorum, et ad cetera quæ ei proxima sunt campestria atque montana et humiliora loca contra Meridiem, et iuxta littus maris, Terram Chananæorum, et Libani usque ad flumen magnum Euphraten.

8 En, inquit, tradidi vobis: ingredimini et possidete eam, super qua iuravit Dominus patribus vestris Abraham, Isaac, et Iacob, ut daret illam eis, et semini eorum post eos.

9 Dixique vobis illo in tempore:

10 Non possum solus sustinere vos: quia Dominus Deus vester multiplicavit vos, et estis hodie sicut stellæ cæli, plurimi.

11 (Dominus Deus patrum vestrorum addat ad hunc numerum multa millia, et benedicat vobis sicut locutus est.)

12 Non valeo solus negotia vestra sustinere, et pondus ac iurgia.

13 Date ex vobis viros sapientes et gnaros, et quorum conversatio sit probata in tribubus vestris, ut ponam eos vobis principes.

14 Tunc respondistis mihi: Bona res est, quam vis facere.

15 Tulique de tribubus vestris viros sapientes et nobiles, et constitui eos principes, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios ac decanos, qui docerent vos singula.

16 Præcepique eis, dicens: Audite illos, et quod iustum est iudicate: sive civis sit ille, sive peregrinus.

17 Nulla erit distantia personarum, ita parvum audietis ut magnum: nec accipietis cuiusquam personam, quia Dei iudicium est. Quod si difficile vobis visum aliquid fuerit, referte ad me, et ego audiam.

18 Præcepique omnia quæ facere deberetis.

19 Profecti autem de Horeb, transivimus per eremum terribilem et maximam, quam vidistis, per viam montis Amorrhæi, sicut præceperat Dominus Deus noster nobis. Cumque venissemus in Cadesbarne,

20 dixi vobis: Venistis ad montem Amorrhæi, quem Dominus Deus noster daturus est nobis.

21 Vide Terram, quam Dominus Deus tuus dat tibi: ascende et posside eam, sicut locutus est Dominus Deus noster patribus tuis: noli timere, nec quidquam paveas.

22 Et accessistis ad me omnes, atque dixistis: Mittamus viros qui considerent Terram: et renuncient per quod iter debeamus ascendere, et ad quas pergere civitates.

23 Cumque mihi sermo placuisset, misi ex vobis duodecim viros, singulos de tribubus suis.

24 Qui cum perrexissent, et ascendissent in montana, venerunt usque ad Vallem botri: et considerata terra,

25 sumentes de fructibus eius, ut ostenderent ubertatem, attulerunt ad nos, atque dixerunt: Bona est terra, quam Dominus Deus noster daturus est nobis.

26 Et noluistis ascendere, sed increduli ad sermonem Domini Dei nostri

27 murmurastis in tabernaculis vestris, atque dixisitis: Odit nos Dominus, et idcirco eduxit nos de Terra Ægypti, ut traderet nos in manu Amorrhæi, atque deleret.

28 Quo ascendemus? nuncii terruerunt cor nostrum, dicentes: Maxima multitudo est, et nobis statura procerior: urbes magnæ, et ad cælum usque munitæ: filios Enacim vidimus ibi.

29 Et dixi vobis: Nolite metuere, nec timeatis eos:

30 Dominus Deus, qui ductor est vester, pro vobis ipse pugnabit, sicut fecit in Ægypto cunctis videntibus.

31 Et in solitudine (ipse vidisti) portavit te Dominus Deus tuus, ut solet homo gestare parvulum filium suum, in omni via, per quam ambulastis, donec veniretis ad locum istum.

32 Et nec sic quidem credidistis Domino Deo vestro,

33 qui præcessit vos in via, et metatus est locum, in quo tentoria figere deberetis, nocte ostendens vobis iter per ignem, et die per columnam nubis.

34 Cumque audisset Dominus vocem sermonum vestrorum, iratus iuravit et ait:

35 Non videbit quispiam de hominibus generationis huius pessimæ Terram bonam, quam sub iuramento pollicitus sum patribus vestris:

36 præter Caleb filium Iephone. ipse enim videbit eam, et ipsi dabo Terram, quam calcavit, et filiis eius, quia secutus est Dominum.

37 Nec miranda indignatio in populum, cum mihi quoque iratus Dominus propter vos dixerit: Nec tu ingredieris illuc:

38 sed Iosue filius Nun minister tuus, ipse intrabit pro te. hunc exhortare et robora, et ipse sorte Terram dividet Israeli.

39 Parvuli vestri, de quibus dixistis quod captivi ducerentur, et filii qui hodie boni ac mali ignorant distantiam, ipsi ingredientur: et ipsis dabo Terram, et possidebunt eam.

40 Vos autem revertimini et abite in solitudinem per viam Maris rubri.

41 Et respondistis mihi: Peccavimus Domino: ascendemus et pugnabimus, sicut præcepit Dominus Deus noster. Cumque instructi armis pergeretis in montem,

42 ait mihi Dominus: Dic ad eos: Nolite ascendere, neque pugnetis, non enim sum vobiscum: ne cadatis coram inimicis vestris.

43 Locutus sum, et non audistis: sed adversantes imperio Domini, et tumentes superbia ascendistis in montem.

44 Itaque egressus Amorrhæus, qui habitabat in montibus, et obviam veniens persecutus est vos, sicut solent apes persequi: et cecidit de Seir usque Horma.

45 Cumque reversi ploraretis coram Domino, non audivit vos, nec voci vestræ voluit acquiescere.

46 Sedistis ergo in Cadesbarne multo tempore.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suf, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.

3 In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them,

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

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

6 “The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain.

7 Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the places near there: in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the South, by the seashore, in the land of the Canaanites, and in Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

8 Behold, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give to them and to their offspring after them.’”

9 I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you myself alone.

10 The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude.

11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you!

12 How can I myself alone bear your problems, your burdens, and your strife?

13 Take wise men of understanding who are respected among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.”

14 You answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good to do.”

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

16 I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him.

17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

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

19 We traveled from Horeb and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw, by the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh Barnea.

20 I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God gives to us.

21 Behold, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD the God of your fathers has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”

22 You came near to me, everyone of you, and said, “Let’s send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which we shall come.”

23 The thing pleased me well. I took twelve of your men, one man for every tribe.

24 They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

25 They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, “It is a good land which the LORD our God gives to us.”

26 Yet you wouldn’t go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God.

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

28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart melt, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there!’”

29 Then I said to you, “Don’t be terrified. Don’t be afraid of them.

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

31 and in the wilderness where you have seen how that the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place.”

32 Yet in this thing you didn’t believe the LORD your God,

33 who went before you on the way, to seek out a place for you to pitch your tents in: in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day.

34 The LORD heard the voice of your words and was angry, and swore, saying,

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

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

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

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

39 Moreover your little ones, whom you said would be captured or killed, your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, shall go in there. I will give it to them, and they shall possess it.

40 But as for you, turn, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

41 Then you answered and said to me, “We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us.” Every man of you put on his weapons of war, and presumed to go up into the hill country.

42 The LORD said to me, “Tell them, ‘Don’t go up and don’t fight; for I am not among you, lest you be struck before your enemies.’”

43 So I spoke to you, and you didn’t listen; but you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill country.

44 The Amorites, who lived in that hill country, came out against you and chased you as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even to Hormah.

45 You returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD didn’t listen to your voice, nor turn his ear to you.

46 So you stayed in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you remained.

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 These <FI>are<Fi> the words which Moses hath spoken unto all Israel, beyond the Jordan, in the wilderness, in the plain over-against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-Zahab;

2 eleven days' from Horeb, the way of mount Seir, unto Kadesh-Barnea.

3 And it cometh to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month hath Moses spoken unto the sons of Israel according to all that Jehovah hath commanded him concerning them;

4 after his smiting Sihon king of the Amorite who is dwelling in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan who is dwelling in Ashtaroth in Edrei,

5 beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, hath Moses begun to explain this law, saying:

6 `Jehovah our God hath spoken unto us in Horeb, saying, Enough to you--of dwelling in this mount;

7 turn ye and journey for you, and enter the mount of the Amorite, and unto all its neighbouring places, in the plain, in the hill-country, and in the low country, and in the south, and in the haven of the sea, the land of the Canaanite, and of Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Phrat;

8 see, I have set before you the land; go in and possess the land which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them, and to their seed after them.

9 `And I speak unto you at that time, saying, I am not able by myself to bear you;

10 Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and lo, ye <FI>are<Fi> to-day as the stars of the heavens for multitude;

11 Jehovah, God of your fathers, is adding to you, as ye <FI>are<Fi> , a thousand times, and doth bless you as He hath spoken to you.

12 `How do I bear by myself your pressure, and your burden, and your strife?

13 Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads;

14 and ye answer me and say, Good <FI>is<Fi> the thing which thou hast spoken--to do.

15 `And I take the heads of your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities, for your tribes.

16 And I command your judges at that time, saying, Hearkening between your brethren--then ye have judged righteousness between a man, and his brother, and his sojourner;

17 ye do not discern faces in judgment; as the little so the great ye do hear; ye are not afraid of the face of any, for the judgment is God's, and the thing which is too hard for you, ye bring near unto me, and I have heard it;

18 and I command you, at that time, all the things which ye do.

19 `And we journey from Horeb, and go <FI>through<Fi> all that great and fearful wilderness which ye have seen--the way of the hill-country of the Amorite, as Jehovah our God hath commanded us, and we come in unto Kadesh-Barnea.

20 `And I say unto you, Ye have come in unto the hill-country of the Amorite, which Jehovah our God is giving to us;

21 see, Jehovah thy God hath set before thee the land; go up, possess, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath spoken to thee; fear not, nor be affrighted.

22 `And ye come near unto me, all of you, and say, Let us send men before us, and they search for us the land, and they bring us back word <FI>concerning<Fi> the way in which we go up into it, and the cities unto which we come in;

23 and the thing is good in mine eyes, and I take of you twelve men, one man for a tribe.

24 `And they turn and go up to the hill-country, and come in unto the valley of Eshcol, and spy it,

25 and they take with their hand of the fruit of the land, and bring down unto us, and bring us back word, and say, Good is the land which Jehovah our God is giving to us.

26 `And ye have not been willing to go up, and ye provoke the mouth of Jehovah your God,

27 and murmur in your tents, and say, In Jehovah's hating us He hath brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorite--to destroy us;

28 whither are we going up? our brethren have melted our heart, saying, A people greater and taller than we, cities great and fenced to heaven, and also sons of Anakim--we have seen there.

29 `And I say unto you, Be not terrified, nor be afraid of them;

30 Jehovah your God, who is going before you--He doth fight for you, according to all that He hath done with you in Egypt before your eyes,

31 and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen that Jehovah thy God hath borne thee as a man beareth his son, in all the way which ye have gone, till your coming in unto this place.

32 `And in this thing ye are not stedfast in Jehovah your God,

33 who is going before you in the way to search out to you a place for your encamping, in fire by night, to shew you in the way in which ye go, and in a cloud by day.

34 `And Jehovah heareth the voice of your words, and is wroth, and sweareth, saying,

35 Not one of these men of this evil generation doth see the good land which I have sworn to give to your fathers,

36 save Caleb son of Jephunneh--he doth see it, and to him I give the land on which he hath trodden, and to his sons, because that he hath been fully after Jehovah.

37 `Also with me hath Jehovah been angry for your sake, saying, Also, thou dost not go in thither;

38 Joshua son of Nun, who is standing before thee, he goeth in thither; him strengthen thou; for he doth cause Israel to inherit.

39 `And your infants, of whom ye have said, For a prey they are, and your sons who have not known to-day good and evil, they go in thither, and to them I give it, and they possess it;

40 and ye, turn for yourselves, and journey toward the wilderness, the way of the Red Sea.

41 `And ye answer and say unto me, We have sinned against Jehovah; we--we go up, and we have fought, according to all that which Jehovah our God hath commanded us; and ye gird on each his weapons of war, and ye are ready to go up into the hill-country;

42 and Jehovah saith unto me, Say to them, Ye do not go up, nor fight, for I am not in your midst, and ye are not smitten before your enemies.

43 `And I speak unto you, and ye have not hearkened, and provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and act proudly, and go up into the hill-country;

44 and the Amorite who is dwelling in that hill-country cometh out to meet you, and they pursue you as the bees do, and smite you in Seir--unto Hormah.

45 `And ye turn back and weep before Jehovah, and Jehovah hath not hearkened to your voice, nor hath he given ear unto you;

46 and ye dwell in Kadesh many days, according to the days which ye had dwelt.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).