Deuteronomy 1

Moses Talks to the New Generation

1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel while they were camped east of the Jordan River, in the wilderness near Suph, Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

2 (It normally takes 11 days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea by way of Mount Seir.)

3 It was now the 40th year, on the first day of the 11th month, when Moses spoke to the Israelites, reminding them about everything the Lord had commanded.

4 This was after the Lord had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites (who ruled in Heshbon) and King Og of Bashan (who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei).

5 While in Moab, across the Jordan, Moses began explaining the Lord’s instructions.

Moses Reminds Them of God’s Promise

6 Moses said, “At Mount Sinai, the Lord told us, ‘You all have stayed at this mountain long enough!’”

7 “Break camp and move out! Go to the hill country of the Amorites and all the surrounding lands, to the Jordan Valley, the mountains, the western slopes, the Negev, and the coastland of Canaan.”

8 “I am giving you this land, just like I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Go in and take possession of it!”

Moses Appoints Leaders

9 Moses said, “At that time, I told you all, ‘I cannot handle all of you by myself!’”

10 “The Lord has multiplied you, and now you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.”

11 “May the Lord bless you and make you even more, 1000 times more!”

12 “But how can I settle all your problems, disputes, and complaints by myself?”

13 “Pick wise, understanding, and respected men from your tribes, and I will put them in charge of you.”

14 “And you all said, ‘That sounds like a good plan.’”

15 “So I appointed leaders over you, commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and officials for each tribe.”

16 “Then I told your judges, ‘Listen carefully to cases between your people and judge fairly, whether it is between Israelites or foreigners.’”

17 “Do not show favoritism! Treat the powerful and the weak the same! Do not be afraid of anyone, because judgment belongs to God. If a case is too difficult, bring it to me.”

18 “And I gave you all all the instructions you needed.”

Moses Recalls How Israel Refused to Enter the Promised Land

19 “Then we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the vast and dangerous wilderness, heading toward the hill country of the Amorites, just like the Lord commanded. We finally reached Kadesh-Barnea.”

20 “And I told you all, ‘We have made it to the land of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.’”

21 “‘The land is yours! Go and take possession of it! Do not be afraid! Do not hesitate!’”

The 12 Spies & the People’s Fear

22 “But you all came to me and said, ‘Let us send men ahead to spy out the land and bring back a report about the best route and cities to enter.’”

23 “That sounded good to me, so I picked 12 men, one from each tribe.”

24 “They went up and explored the hill country, all the way to Eshcol Valley.”

25 “They brought back some of the fruit from the land and said, ‘The land is good! The Lord is giving us something great!’”

26 “But you all refused to go in and rebelled against the Lord’s command!”

27 “You all sat in your tents complaining, saying, ‘The Lord hates us! He brought us out of Egypt just to let the Amorites kill us!’”

28 “‘The people there are stronger than us! Their cities are huge and fortified! We even saw giants (descendants of Anak)!’”

Moses Tries to Encourage Them

29 “But I said, ‘Do not be afraid! Do not panic!’”

30 “‘The Lord will fight for you, just like He did in Egypt.’”

31 “‘Remember how the Lord carried you in the wilderness like a father carries his child, He was with you the whole time!’”

32 “But you all still did not trust the Lord.”

33 “He went ahead of you, leading you by fire at night and a cloud during the day, showing you where to go.”

God Gets Angry & Bans That Generation from the Land

34 “When the Lord heard your complaining, He got angry and made an oath.”

35 “‘Not one of these wicked people will see the good land I swore to give your ancestors!’”

36 “‘Except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, he followed Me with all his heart. He will enter the land, and his descendants will inherit it.’”

37 “The Lord was mad at me too because of you all. He told me, ‘Moses, you are not going either.’”

38 “But Joshua, son of Nun, will lead Israel in. Encourage him!”

39 “‘Your children, who you all said would be captured, will be the ones to enter and take possession of the land.’”

40 “‘But you all, Turn around and go back into the wilderness toward the Red Sea.’”

Israel Tries to Enter Anyway & Gets Beat Down

41 “But then you all said, ‘We have sinned! We will go up and fight, just like the Lord commanded!’ So you all got ready for battle.”

42 “But the Lord told me, ‘Tell them not to go fight! I will not be with them, and they will be defeated!’”

43 “I warned you all, but you all ignored me and went anyway. So the Amorites crushed you all!”

44 “They came down from the hills like a swarm of bees and chased you all all the way from Seir to Hormah!”

45 “Then you all came back and cried before the Lord, but He did not listen.”

46 “So you all stayed in Kadesh for a long time, just wandering.”