Deuteronomy

Moses gives speeches about laws and the importance of following God before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

Chapter 1

1 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

*Moses spoke these words to all of Israel beyond the Jordan River in the desert, near the Red Sea, between the places called Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

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

*It takes 11 days to travel from Horeb, through Mount Seir, to Kadeshbarnea.

3 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 the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;

*In the 40th year, 11th month, first day, Moses spoke to the Israelites about everything the Lord commanded.

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:

*After killing Sihon, the ruler of the Amorites from Heshbon, and Og, the ruler of Bashan from Astaroth in Edrei,

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

*On this side of the Jordan River, in Moab's land, Moses started teaching this law, saying,

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

*The Lord spoke to us at Horeb, saying, "You've stayed here too long on this mountain."

7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh 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.

*"Go to the Amorite mountain and its surrounding areas - the plain, hills, valley, south, and seashore. Travel to the land of the Canaanites, Lebanon, and up to the big river, the Euphrates."

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

*Look, I have given you this land to take: go and claim it, as the LORD promised your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give it to them and their children after them.

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

*At that time, I told you, "I can't handle all of you by myself."

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

*The Lord has increased your people, and now you are numerous like the stars in the sky.

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

*May the Lord, God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousandfold and bless you, just as He has promised.

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

*How can I carry all of your heavy burdens and struggles by myself?

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

*Choose your smart and knowledgeable people, well-respected by your community, and I'll make them your leaders.

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

*You said something we should do, and we agreed it's a good idea.

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.

*So I chose important leaders from your groups, smart people, and well-known ones, making them in charge of you, with commanders leading thousands, hundreds, fifty, ten, and officials 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.

*I told your judges then, "Listen to disputes among your people and fairly judge between everyone, including strangers."

17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; 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, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

*Don't favor anyone in decisions; listen to both the small and the important. Don't fear people's reactions because judgments belong to God. If a case is too difficult, bring it to me, and I'll help you with it.

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

*At that time, I told you everything you needed to do.

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

*When we left Horeb, we traveled through the huge and scary desert, following God's instructions, passing the Amorite mountain, and reached Kadeshbarnea.

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

*I told you, "You have arrived at the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord gives to us."

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

*Look, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go take it, just like He told your ancestors; don't be afraid or sad.

22 And ye 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.

*All of you approached me and said, "We'll send people ahead of us to explore the land, find the best route, and tell us about the cities we will encounter."

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

*I liked what was said a lot, so I chose twelve of you to be part of one tribe.

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

*So, they went to the mountain, reached a place called Eshcol valley, and carefully explored it.

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 the LORD our God doth give us.

*They picked fruits from the land and brought them to us. They told us it was a good land that our God was giving us.

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

*Even so, you refused to go, and went against the Lord's command.

27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD 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.

*You complained in your tents, saying, "Because the Lord dislikes us, he brought us out of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites to be destroyed."

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.

*Where should we go? Our relatives made us feel sad by saying that the people there are bigger and taller than us, the cities are huge and have high walls, and we also saw the descendants of the Anakims there.

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

*Then I told you, Don't be scared or worried about them.

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

*The Lord, your God, going ahead of you, will fight for you. He did this same thing for you in Egypt, just like how you saw it happen.

31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

*In the desert, you saw how the LORD your God carried you like a person carrying their child, throughout your journey until you reached this place.

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

*In this matter, you didn't believe the Lord your God.

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 ye should go, and in a cloud by day.

*Who went ahead of you to find a place for your tents, showing you the way with fire at night and a cloud during the day.

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

*And God heard your words, got angry, and swore an oath, 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,

*These men in this bad generation won't see the good land I promised to give to your ancestors.

36 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 the LORD.

*Save Caleb, son of Jephunneh, for he will see the land given to him and his children. He has fully followed God.

37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

*The Lord was upset with me because of you, telling me not to go there.

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

*But Joshua, son of Nun, standing in front of you, will go in there. Support him, because he will help Israel take possession of it.

39 Moreover your little ones, which ye 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.

*In addition, your young ones, whom you thought would be taken, and your children who didn't know the difference between right and wrong on that day, will enter and take possession of it. I will give it to them.

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

*But you, go and travel through the desert by the Red Sea's path.

41 Then ye 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 ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.

*Then you told me, "We sinned against the Lord. Now we will fight as he commanded. After everyone put on their war gear, you were prepared to climb the hill.

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

*And the Lord told me, Tell them not to go up or fight, because I'm not with you. This is so they don't get defeated by their enemies.

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

*I told you, but you didn't listen. Instead, you disobeyed the Lord's order and arrogantly climbed the hill.

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

*The people living on the mountain, called the Amorites, attacked you. They chased you like bees and completely defeated you in a place called Seir, all the way to Hormah.

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

*You all went back and cried in front of God, but God did not listen to your voices or pay attention to you.

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

*You stayed in Kadesh for a long time, as many days as you were there before.

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