The Wilderness Years

These are the words which Moses hath spoken unto all Israel, beyond the Jordan, in the wilderness, in the plain over-against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-Zahab;

eleven days' from Horeb, the way of mount Seir, unto Kadesh-Barnea.

And it cometh to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month hath Moses spoken unto the sons of Israel according to all that Jehovah hath commanded him concerning them;

after his smiting Sihon king of the Amorite who is dwelling in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan who is dwelling in Ashtaroth in Edrei,

beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, hath Moses begun to explain this law, saying:

`Jehovah our God hath spoken unto us in Horeb, saying, Enough to you--of dwelling in this mount;

turn ye and journey for you, and enter the mount of the Amorite, and unto all its neighbouring places, in the plain, in the hill-country, and in the low country, and in the south, and in the haven of the sea, the land of the Canaanite, and of Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Phrat;

see, I have set before you the land; go in and possess the land which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them, and to their seed after them.

`And I speak unto you at that time, saying, I am not able by myself to bear you;

Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and lo, ye are to-day as the stars of the heavens for multitude;

Jehovah, God of your fathers, is adding to you, as ye are , a thousand times, and doth bless you as He hath spoken to you.

`How do I bear by myself your pressure, and your burden, and your strife?

Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads;

and ye answer me and say, Good is the thing which thou hast spoken--to do.

`And I take the heads of your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities, for your tribes.

And I command your judges at that time, saying, Hearkening between your brethren--then ye have judged righteousness between a man, and his brother, and his sojourner;

ye do not discern faces in judgment; as the little so the great ye do hear; ye are not afraid of the face of any, for the judgment is God's, and the thing which is too hard for you, ye bring near unto me, and I have heard it;

and I command you, at that time, all the things which ye do.

`And we journey from Horeb, and go through all that great and fearful wilderness which ye have seen--the way of the hill-country of the Amorite, as Jehovah our God hath commanded us, and we come in unto Kadesh-Barnea.

`And I say unto you, Ye have come in unto the hill-country of the Amorite, which Jehovah our God is giving to us;

see, Jehovah thy God hath set before thee the land; go up, possess, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath spoken to thee; fear not, nor be affrighted.

`And ye come near unto me, all of you, and say, Let us send men before us, and they search for us the land, and they bring us back word concerning the way in which we go up into it, and the cities unto which we come in;

and the thing is good in mine eyes, and I take of you twelve men, one man for a tribe.

`And they turn and go up to the hill-country, and come in unto the valley of Eshcol, and spy it,

and they take with their hand of the fruit of the land, and bring down unto us, and bring us back word, and say, Good is the land which Jehovah our God is giving to us.