The Wilderness Years

These 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.

It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.

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 Jehovah had given him in commandment unto them;

after 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.

Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

Jehovah our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain:

turn 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.

Behold, 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.

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

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

Jehovah, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!

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

Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.

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

So 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.

And 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.

Ye 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.

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

And 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.

And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the hill-country of the Amorites, which Jehovah our God giveth unto us.

Behold, 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.

And 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.

And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

and they turned and went up into the hill-country, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

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 Jehovah our God giveth unto us.