Chapter 1
Moses begins the recitation of all that befell Israel during forty years in the wilderness—The children of Israel are commanded to go into and possess Canaan—Judges and rulers are chosen to assist Moses—Israel’s spies bring an evil report—The adults of Israel will perish—The Amorites defeat the armies of Israel.
1 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel
2 (There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.)
3 And it came to pass in the
4 After he had slain
5 On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to
6 The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this
7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and
8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and
9 ¶And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to
10 The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the
11 (The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many
12 How can I myself alone bear your
13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will
14 And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.
15 So I took the chief of your tribes,
16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and
17 Ye shall not
18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.
19 ¶And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.
20 And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth give unto us.
21 Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
22 ¶And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.
23 And the saying pleased me well: and I took
24 And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.
25 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 the Lord our God doth give us.
26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but
27 And ye
28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and
29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
30 The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall
31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.
32 Yet in this thing ye did not
33 Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a
34 And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and
35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this
36 Save
37 Also the Lord was
38 But
39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no
40 But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have
42 And the Lord said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.
43 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and
44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as
45 And ye returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
46 So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.

