1These 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. 2It is eleven days ’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea . 3And 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 ; 4after 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. 5Beyond the Jordan , in the land of Moab , began Moses to declare this law , saying, 6Jehovah our God spake unto us in Horeb , saying , Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain : 7turn you , and take your journey , and go to the hill-country of the Amorites, and unto all 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 . 8Behold , 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 .
The Journey from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea
9And I spake unto you at that time , saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone : 10Jehovah your God hath multiplied you , and , behold , ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude . 11Jehovah , the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are , and bless you , as he hath promised you ! 12How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance , and your burden , and your strife ? 13Take you wise men , and understanding, and known , according to your tribes , and I will make them heads over you . 14And ye answered me , and said , The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do . 15So 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 . 16And I charged your judges at that time , saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the sojourner that is with him . 17Ye 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 . 18And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do .
The Sending of the Spies
19And 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 . 20And I said unto you , Ye are come unto the hill-country of the Amorites, which Jehovah our God giveth unto us . 21Behold , 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 . 22And 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 . 23And the thing pleased me well ; and I took twelve men of you , one man for every tribe : 24and they turned and went up into the hill-country, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out . 25And 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 . 26Yet ye would not go up , but rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God : 27and 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 . 28Whither 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 . 29Then I said unto you , Dread not , neither be afraid of them . 30Jehovah your God who goeth before you , he will fight for you , according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes , 31and 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 . 32Yet in this thing ye did not believe Jehovah your God , 33who 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 .
The Consequences of Rebellion
34And Jehovah heard the voice of your words , and was wroth , and sware , saying , 35Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see the good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, 36save 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 . 37Also Jehovah was angry with me for your sakes , saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither : 38Joshua the son of Nun , who standeth before thee , he shall go in thither : encourage thou him ; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it . 39Moreover 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 . 40But as for you , turn you , and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea . 41Then 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. 42And 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. 43So I spake unto you , and ye hearkened not ; but ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah , and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill-country. 44And the Amorites, that dwelt in that hill-country, came out against you , and chased you , as bees do , and beat you down in Seir , even unto Hormah . 45And ye returned and wept before Jehovah ; but Jehovah hearkened not to your voice , nor gave ear unto you . 46So ye abode in Kadesh many days , according unto the days that ye abode there .