Deuteronomy 1

1 These be the words which Moses (Mosheh) spake unto all Yisrael on this side Jordan (Yarden) in the wilderness, in the plain opposite the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Lavan, and Hazeroth, and Di Zahav.

2 There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb (Chorev) by the way of Mount Seir unto Qadesh Barnea.

3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses (Mosheh) spake unto the children of Yisrael, according unto all that יהוה had given him in commandment unto them;

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

5 On this side Jordan (Yarden), in the land of Moav, began Moses (Mosheh) to declare this instruction, saying,

6 “יהוה our God (Elohim) spake unto us in Horeb (Chorev), saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough in this mountain.

7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places near thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, 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.

8 Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which יהוה sware unto your fathers, Avraham, Isaac (Yitschaq), and Jacob (Yaaqov), to give unto them and to their seed after them.’

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

10 יהוה your God (Elohim) hath multiplied you, and, behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11 יהוה God (Elohim) of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as you are, and bless you, as He hath promised you!

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

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

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

15 So I took the chief 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.

16 And 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.

17 You 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 (Elohim)’s; and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.’

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

19 And when we departed from Horeb (Chorev), we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which you saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as יהוה our God (Elohim) commanded us; and we came to Qadesh Barnea.

20 And I said unto you, ‘You have come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which יהוה our God (Elohim) doth give unto us.

21 Behold, יהוה your God (Elohim) hath set the land before you; go up and possess it, as יהוה God (Elohim) of your fathers hath said unto you; fear not, neither be discouraged.’

22 And 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.’

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

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

25 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 יהוה our God (Elohim) doth give us.’

26 Notwithstanding you would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of יהוה your God (Elohim);

27 And you murmured in your tents, and said, ‘Because יהוה hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt (Mitsrayim), to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

28 Whither shall we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, “The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.”’

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

30 יהוה your God (Elohim) who goeth before you, He shall fight for you, according to all that He did for you in Egypt (Mitsrayim) before your eyes;

31 And in the wilderness, where you have seen how that יהוה your God (Elohim) bare you, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came into this place.’

32 Yet in this thing you did not believe יהוה your God (Elohim),

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

34 And יהוה heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

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

36 Except Caleb the son of Yefunneh; 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 יהוה’

37 Also יהוה was angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘You also shalt not go in thither;

38 But Joshua (Yehoshua) the son of Nun, who standeth before you, he shall go in thither. Encourage him, for he shall cause Yisrael to inherit it.

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

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

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

42 And יהוה said unto me, ‘Say unto them, “Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest you be smitten before your enemies.”’

43 So I spake unto you; and you would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of יהוה, and went presumptuously up into the mountain.

44 And 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.

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

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