1 Dit is die woorde waarmee Moses die hele Israel toegespreek het oos van die Jordaan in die woestyn, in die Vlakte teenoor Suf, tussen Paran en Tofel en Laban en H serot en Di-Sahab.

2 Elf dae is die pad van Horeb af na die gebergte Se‹r tot by Kades-Barn,a.

3 En in die veertigste jaar, in die elfde maand, op die eerste van die maand, het Moses met die kinders van Israel gespreek net soos die HERE ten opsigte van hulle aan hom bevel gegee het;

4 nadat hy Sihon, die koning van die Amoriete, wat in Hesbon gewoon het, en Og, die koning van Basan, wat in Astarot gewoon het, in Edr,‹verslaan het.

5 Oos van die Jordaan in die land Moab het Moses onderneem om hierdie wet te verklaar deur te sê:

6 Die HERE onse God het met ons by Horeb gespreek en gesê: Julle het lank genoeg by hierdie berg gebly.

7 Trek weg en breek op en gaan na die gebergte van die Amoriete en na al sy naburige plekke: die Vlakte, die Gebergte en die Laeveld en die Suidland en by die seekus -- die land van die Kana„niete en die L¡banon, tot by die groot rivier, die Eufraatrivier.

8 Kyk, Ek gee die land aan julle oor; gaan in en neem die land in besit wat die HERE aan julle vaders Abraham, Isak en Jakob met 'n eed beloof het om dit aan hulle te gee en aan hulle nageslag n hulle.

9 En ek het met julle in die tyd gespreek en gesê: Ek kan julle alleen nie dra nie.

10 Die HERE julle God het julle vermenigvuldig; en kyk, julle is vandag soos die sterre van die hemel in menigte.

11 Mag die HERE, die God van julle vaders, by julle byvoeg duisend maal soveel as wat julle is, en julle seën soos Hy julle beloof het!

12 Hoe sou ek die moeilikheid en die las en die regsake van julle alleen kan dra?

13 Bring tog wyse en verstandige en ervare manne aan volgens julle stamme, dat ek hulle as julle hoofde kan aanstel.

14 Hierop het julle my geantwoord en gesê: Die woord wat u gespreek het, is goed om uit te voer.

15 Toe het ek die hoofde van julle stamme, wyse en ervare manne, geneem en hulle as hoofde oor julle aangestel, owerstes oor duisend en owerstes oor honderd en owerstes oor vyftig en owerstes oor tien en opsigters volgens julle stamme.

16 En ek het in die tyd aan julle regters bevel gegee en gesê: Neem julle broers in verhoor en oordeel regverdig tussen 'n man en sy broer en die vreemdeling wat by hom is.

17 Julle mag in die gereg nie partydig wees nie; julle moet klein sowel as groot aanhoor; julle mag niemand ontsien nie, want die gereg is die saak van God. Maar die saak wat vir julle te moeilik is, moet julle na my toe bring, en ek sal dit in verhoor neem.

18 So het ek julle dan in die tyd al die dinge beveel wat julle moet doen.

19 Toe het ons van Horeb af opgebreek, en ons het daardie hele groot en vreeslike woestyn deurgetrek wat julle op pad na die gebergte van die Amoriete gesien het, soos die HERE onse God ons beveel het; en ons het tot by Kades-Barn,a gekom.

20 Toe het ek vir julle gesê: Julle het tot by die gebergte van die Amoriete gekom wat die HERE onse God aan ons sal gee.

21 Kyk, die HERE jou God het die land aan jou oorgegee; trek op, neem dit in besit soos die HERE, die God van jou vaders, jou gesê het; wees nie bevrees en wees nie verskrik nie.

22 Toe het julle almal na my toe aangekom en gesê: Laat ons manne voor ons uit stuur, dat hulle vir ons die land kan verken en ons berig kan bring aangaande die pad waarlangs ons moet optrek, en die stede waarby ons sal kom.

23 En die saak was goed in my oë, sodat ek twaalf man uit julle, uit elke stam een man, geneem het.

24 En hulle het weggedraai en na die gebergte opgetrek en tot by die dal Eskol gekom en dit verken.

25 Hulle het toe van die vrugte van die land met hulle saamgeneem en dit na ons afgebring en aan ons verslag gegee en gesê: Die land wat die HERE onse God aan ons sal gee, is goed.

26 Maar julle wou nie optrek nie, maar was wederstrewig teen die bevel van die HERE julle God.

27 En julle het in jul tente gemurmureer en gesê: Omdat die HERE ons haat, het Hy ons uit Egipteland uitgelei om ons in die hand van die Amoriete oor te gee, dat hulle ons verdelg.

28 Waarheen moet ons optrek? Ons broers het ons hart laat versmelt deur te sê: Dit is 'n volk groter en hoër van gestalte as ons; die stede is groot en tot aan die hemel versterk; en ons het daar ook die kinders van die Enakiete gesien.

29 Toe het ek aan julle gesê: Word nie verskrik en wees nie bevrees vir hulle nie.

30 Die HERE julle God wat voor jul uit trek, Hy sal vir julle stry net soos Hy voor julle oë met julle in Egipte gedoen het

31 en in die woestyn, waar jy gesien het hoe die HERE jou God jou gedra het soos 'n man sy seun dra, op die hele pad wat julle getrek het, totdat julle tot by hierdie plek gekom het.

32 Maar ondanks hierdie woord het julle nie geglo in die HERE julle God nie,

33 wat voor julle uit getrek het op die pad om vir julle 'n plek uit te soek om julle laer op te slaan, snags in die vuur om julle te laat sien op die pad waar julle langs moes trek, en bedags in die wolk.

34 En toe die HERE die stem van julle woorde hoor, het Hy toornig geword en gesweer en gesê:

35 Waarlik, geeneen van hierdie manne, hierdie verkeerde geslag, sal die goeie land sien wat Ek met 'n eed beloof het om aan julle vaders te gee nie --

36 behalwe Kaleb, die seun van Jefunne; hy sal dit sien, en aan hom en sy kinders sal Ek die land gee waarop hy geloop het, omdat hy volhard het om die HERE te volg.

37 Ook was die HERE toornig op my om julle ontwil, sodat Hy gesê het: Jy sal daar ook nie inkom nie.

38 Josua, die seun van Nun, wat voor jou staan -- hy sal daar inkom; versterk hom, want hy sal Israel dit laat beërwe.

39 En julle kindertjies van wie julle gesê het: Hulle sal 'n buit word! en julle kinders wat vandag van geen goed of kwaad weet nie -- hulle sal daar inkom en aan hulle sal Ek dit gee, en hulle sal dit in besit neem.

40 Maar julle, draai om en trek weg na die woestyn op pad na die Skelfsee.

41 Toe het julle geantwoord en vir my gesê: Ons het teen die HERE gesondig; ons self sal optrek en veg net soos die HERE onse God ons beveel het. En toe julle elkeen sy oorlogswapens aangord en daar nog maklik oor dink om in die gebergte op te trek,

42 het die HERE vir my gesê: Sê vir hulle: Julle mag nie optrek en veg nie -- want Ek is nie in julle midde nie -- dat julle nie voor julle vyande verslaan word nie.

43 Maar toe ek met julle gespreek het, het julle nie geluister nie, maar julle was wederstrewig teen die bevel van die HERE en het vermetel in die gebergte opgetrek.

44 Toe het die Amoriete wat in die gebergte gewoon het, uitgetrek julle tegemoet en julle agtervolg soos die bye maak; en hulle het julle verstrooi in Se‹r tot by Horma.

45 En julle het teruggekom en voor die aangesig van die HERE geween, maar die HERE het na julle stem nie geluister en julle geen gehoor gegee nie.

46 So het julle dan baie dae in Kades gebly, solank as julle daar gebly het.

1 These are the words which Moses said to all Israel on the far side of Jordan, in the waste land in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran on the one side, and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab on the other.

2 It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.

3 Now in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses gave to the children of Israel all the orders which the Lord had given him for them;

4 After he had overcome Sihon, king of the Amorites, ruling in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, ruling in Ashtaroth, at Edrei:

5 On the far side of Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses gave the people this law, saying,

6 The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, You have been long enough in this mountain:

7 Make a move now, and go on your way into the hill-country of the Amorites and the places near it, in the Arabah and the hill-country and in the lowlands and in the South and by the seaside, all the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

8 See, all the land is before you: go in and take for yourselves the land which the Lord gave by an oath to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their seed after them.

9 At that time I said to you, I am not able to undertake the care of you by myself;

10 The Lord your God has given you increase, and now you are like the stars of heaven in number.

11 May the Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times greater in number than you are, and give you his blessing as he has said!

12 How is it possible for me by myself to be responsible for you, and undertake the weight of all your troubles and your arguments?

13 Take for yourselves men who are wise, far-seeing, and respected among you, from your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

14 And you made answer and said to me, It is good for us to do as you say.

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

16 And at that time I gave orders to your judges, saying, Let all questions between your brothers come before you for hearing, and give decisions uprightly between a man and his brother or one from another nation who is with him.

17 In judging, do not let a man's position have any weight with you; give hearing equally to small and great; have no fear of any man, for it is God who is judge: and any cause in which you are not able to give a decision, you are to put before me and I will give it a hearing.

18 And at that time I gave you all the orders which you were to do.

19 Then we went on from Horeb, through all that great and cruel waste which you saw, on our way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as the Lord gave us orders; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

20 And I said to you, You have come to the hill-country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.

21 See now, the Lord your God has put the land into your hands: go up and take it, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has said to you; have no fear and do not be troubled.

22 And you came near to me, every one of you, and said, Let us send men before us to go through the land with care and give us an account of the way we are to go and the towns to which we will come.

23 And what you said seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from among you, one from every tribe;

24 And they went up into the hill-country and came to the valley of Eshcol, and saw what was there.

25 And taking in their hands some of the fruit of the land, they came down again to us, and gave us their account, saying, It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.

26 But going against the order of the Lord your God, you would not go up:

27 And you made an angry outcry in your tents, and said, In his hate for us the Lord has taken us out of the land of Egypt, to give us up into the hands of the Amorites for our destruction.

28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts feeble with fear by saying, The people are greater and taller than we are, and the towns are great and walled up to heaven; and more than this, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

29 Then I said to you, Have no fear of them.

30 The Lord your God who goes before you will be fighting for you, and will do such wonders as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

31 And in the waste land, where you have seen how the Lord was supporting you, as a man does his son, in all your journeying till you came to this place.

32 But for all this, you had no faith in the Lord your God,

33 Who goes before you on your way, looking for a place where you may put up your tents, in fire by night, lighting up the way you are to go, and in a cloud by day.

34 And the Lord, hearing your words, was angry, and said with an oath,

35 Truly, not one of this evil generation will see that good land which I said I would give to your fathers,

36 But only Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, he will see it; and to him and to his children I will give the land over which his feet have gone, because he has been true to the Lord with all his heart.

37 And, in addition, the Lord was angry with me because of you, saying, You yourself will not go into it:

38 Joshua, the son of Nun, your servant, he will go into the land: say to him that he is to be strong, for he will be Israel's guide into their heritage.

39 And your little ones, who, you said, would come into strange hands, your children, who now have no knowledge of good or evil, they will go into that land, and to them I will give it and it will be theirs.

40 But as for you, go back, journeying into the waste land by the way of the Red Sea.

41 Then you said to me, We have done evil against the Lord, we will go up to the attack, as the Lord our God has given us orders. And arming yourselves every one, you made ready to go up without care into the hill-country.

42 And the Lord said to me, Say to them, Do not go up to the attack; for I am not among you, and you will be overcome by those who are against you.

43 This I said to you, but you gave no attention and went against the orders of the Lord, and in your pride went up into the hill-country.

44 And the Amorites who were in the hill-country came out against you and put you to flight, rushing after you like bees, and overcame you in Seir, driving you even as far as Hormah.

45 And you came back, weeping before the Lord; but the Lord gave no attention to your cries and did not give ear to you.

46 So you were kept waiting in Kadesh for a long time.