 |
The 1st Chapter
These be the words which Moses
spake unto all Israel, on the other side I Jordan in the wilderness
and in the fields by the red sea, between Pharan and Tophel, Laban,
Hazeroth and Disahab eleven days journey from Horeb unto Cades barne,
by the way that leadeth unto mount Seir. And it fortuned the first
day of the eleventh month in the fortieth year, that Moses spake
unto the children of Israel according unto all that the Lord had
given him in commandment unto them, after that he had smitten Sehon
the king of the Amorites which dwelt in Hesbon, and Og king of Basan
which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei.
On the other side Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to
declare this law saying: the Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb
saying: Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: depart therefore
and take your journey and go unto the hills of the Amorites and unto
all places nigh there unto: both fields, hills and dales: and unto
the south and unto the seas side in the land of Canaan, and unto
Libanon: even unto the great river Euphrates. Behold, I have set the
land before you: go in therefore and possess the land which the Lord
sware unto your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give unto them
and their seed after them.
And I said unto you the same season: I am not able to bear you
myself alone. For the Lord your God hath multiplied you: so that ye
are this day as the stars of heaven in number (the Lord God of your
fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless
you as he hath promised you) how (said I) can I myself alone, bear
the cumbrance, charge and strife that is among you: bring therefore
men of wisdom and of understanding and expert, known among your
tribes, that I may make them rulers over you. And ye answered me and
said: that which thou hast spoken is good to be done. And then I
took the heads of your tribes, men of wisdom and that were expert,
and made them rulers over you: captains over thousands and over
hundreds, over fifty and over ten, and officers among your tribes.
And I charged your Judges the same time saying: hear your
brethren and judge righteously between every man and his brother and
the stranger that is with him. See that ye know no man in Judgement:
but hear the small as well as the great and be afraid of no man, for
the law is Gods. And the cause that is too hard for you, bring unto
me and I will hear it. And I commanded you the same season, all the
things which ye should do. And then we departed from Horeb and
walked through all that great and terrible wilderness as ye have
seen along by the way that leadeth unto the hills of the Amorites,
as the Lord our God commanded us, and came to Cades barne. And there
I said unto you: Ye are come unto the hills of the Amorites, which
the Lord our God doth give unto us. Behold the Lord thy God hath set
the land before thee, go up and conquer it, as the Lord God of thy
fathers saith unto thee: fear not, neither be discouraged. And then
ye came unto me every one and said: Let us send men before us, to
search us out the land and to bring us word again, both what way we
shall go up by, and unto what cities we shall come. And the saying
pleased me well, and I took twelve men of you, of every tribe one.
And they departed and went up into the high country and came unto
the river Escol, and searched it out, and 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.
Notwithstanding ye would not consent to go up, but were
disobedient unto the mouth of the Lord your God, and murmured in
your tents and said: because the Lord hateth us, therefore he hath
brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hands of
the Amorites and to destroy us. How shall we go up? Our brethren
have discouraged our hearts saying: the people is greater and taller
than we, and the cities are great and walled even up to heaven, and
moreover we have seen the sons of the Enakims there.
And I said unto you: dread not nor be afraid of them: The Lord
your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according
to all that he did unto you in Egypt before your eyes and in the
wilderness: as thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee as
a man should bear his son, throughout all the way which ye have
gone, until ye came unto this place. And yet for all this saying ye
did not believe the Lord your God which goeth the way before you, to
search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night,
that ye might see what way to go and in a cloud by day.
And the Lord heard the voice of your words and was wroth and
swore saying, there shall not one of these men of this froward
generation see that good land which I sware to give unto your
fathers, save Caleb the son of Jephune, he shall see it, and to him
I will give the land which he hath walked in and to his children,
because he hath continually followed the Lord. Likewise the Lord was
angry with me for your sakes saying: thou also shalt not go in
thither. But Josua the son of Nun which standeth before thee, he
shall go in thither. Bold him therefore for he shall divide it unto
Israel. Moreover your children which ye said should be a prey, and
your sons which know neither good nor bad this day, they shall go in
thither and unto them I will give it, and they shall enjoy it. But
as for you, turn back and take your journey into the wilderness:
even the way to the read sea. Then ye answered and said unto me: We
have sinned against the Lord: we will go up and fight, according to
all that the Lord our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on
every man his weapons of war and were ready to go up into the hills,
the Lord said unto me: say unto them, see that ye go not up and that
ye fight not, for I am not among you: lest ye be plagued before your
enemies. And when I told you ye would not hear: but disobeyed the
mouth of the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hills.
Then the Amorites which dwelt in those hills, came out against
you and chased you as bees do, and hewed you in Seir, even unto
Horma. And ye came again and wept before the Lord: but the Lord
would not hear your voice nor give you audience. And so ye abode in
Cades a long season.
|
 |
The 2nd Chapter
Then we turned and took our
journey into the wilderness, even the way to the read sea as the
Lord commanded me. And we compassed the mountains of Seir a long
time. Then the Lord spake unto me saying: Ye have compassed these
mountains long enough, turn you northward. And warn the people
saying: Ye shall go through the coasts of your brethren the children
of Esau which dwell in Seir, and they shall be afraid of you: But
take good heed unto yourselves that ye provoke them not, for I will
not give you of their land, no not so much as a foot breadth:
because I have given mount Seir unto Esau to possess. Ye shall buy
meat of them for money to eat, and ye shall buy water of them for
money to drink. For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the
works of thine hand, and knew thee as thou wentest through this
great wilderness. Moreover the Lord thy God hath been with thee this
forty years, so that thou hast lacked nothing.
And when we were departed from our brethren the children of
Esau which dwelt in Seir by the field way from Elath and Ezion Gaber,
we turned and went the way to the wilderness of Moab. Then the Lord
said unto me: see that thou vex not the Moabites, neither provoke
them to battle for I will not give thee of their land to possess:
because I have given Ar unto the children of loth to possess. The
Emims dwelt there in times past, a people great, many and tall, as
the Enakims: which also were taken for giants as the Enakims: And
the Moabites called them Emims. In like manner the Horims dwelt in
Seir before time which the children of Esau cast out, and destroyed
them before them and dwelt there in their stead: as Israel did in
the land of his possession which the Lord gave them. Now rise up
(said I) and get you over the river Zared: and we went over the
river Zared. The space in which we came from Cades barne until we
were come over the river Zared was thirty eight years: until all the
generation of the men of war were wasted out of the host as the Lord
sware unto them. For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them,
to destroy them out of the host, till they were consumed.
And as soon as all the men of war were consumed and dead from
among the people, then the Lord spake unto me saying: Thou shalt go
through Ar the coast of Moab this day, and shalt come nigh unto the
children of Ammon: see that thou vex them not, nor yet provoke them.
For I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon to
possess, because I have given it unto the children of Loth to
possess. That also was taken for a land of giants and giants dwelt
therein in old time, and the Ammonites called them Zamzumims. A
people that was great, many and tall, as the Enakims. But the Lord
destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they cast them out and they
dwelt there in their stead: as he did for the children of Esau which
dwell in Seir: even as he destroyed the Horims before them, and they
cast them out and dwell in their stead unto this day. And the Avims
which dwelt in Hazarim even unto Aza, the Caphthorims which came out
of Caphthor destroyed them and dwelt in their rooms.
Rise up, take your journey and go over the river Arnon.
Behold, I have given into thy hand Sehon the Amorite king of Hesbon,
and his land. Go to and conquer and provoke him to battle. This day
I will begin to send the fear and dread of thee upon all nations
that are under all ports of heaven: so that when they hear speak of
thee, they shall tremble and quake for fear of thee.
Then I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto
Sihon king of Hesbon, with words of peace saying: Let me go through
thy land. I will go always along by the high way and will neither
turn unto the right hand nor to the left. Sell me meat for money for
to eat, and give me drink for money for to drink: I will go through
by foot only (as the children of Esau did unto me which dwell in
Seir and the Moabites which dwell in Ar) until I be come over
Jordan, into the land which the Lord our God giveth us.
But Sihon the king of Hesbon would not let us pass by him, for
the Lord thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart tough
because he would deliver him into thy hands as it is come to pass
this day.
And the Lord said unto me: behold, I have begun to set Sihon
and his land before thee: go to and conquer, that thou mayst possess
his land. Then both Sihon and all his people came out against us
unto battle at Jahab. And the Lord set him before us, and we smote
him and his sons and all his people.
And we took all his cities the same season, and destroyed all
the cities with men, women, and children and let nothing remain,
save the cattle only we caught unto ourselves and the spoil of the
cities which we took, from Aroer upon the brink of the river of
Arnon, and the city in the river, unto Galaad: there was not one
city too strong for us. The Lord our God delivered all unto us: only
unto the land of the children of Ammon ye came not, nor unto all the
coast of the river Jabock nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor
unto whatsoever the Lord our God forbade us.
|
 |
The 3rd Chapter
Then we turned and went up the
way to Basan. And Og the king of Basan came out against us: both he
and all his people to battle at Edrei. And the Lord said unto me:
fear him not, for I have delivered him and all his people and his
land into thy hand and thou shalt deal with him as thou dealest with
Sihon king of the Amorites which dwelt at Hesbon. And so the Lord
our God delivered into our hands, Og also the king of Basan and all
his folk. And we smote him until nought was left him.
And we took all his cities the same season (for there was not
a city which we took not from them) even three score cities, all the
region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Basan. All these cities were
made strong with high walls, gates and bars, beside unwalled towns a
great many. And we utterly destroyed them, as we played with Sihon
king of Hesbon bringing to nought all the cities with men, women and
children. But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities, we caught
for ourselves.
And thus we took the same season, the land out of the hand of
two kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan, from the river
of Arnon unto mount Hermon (which Hermon the Sidons call Sirion, but
the Amorites call it Senir) all the cities in the plain and all
Galaad and all Basan unto Salcha and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of
Og in Basan. For only Og king of Basan remained of the remnant of
the giants: behold, his iron bed is yet at Rabath among the children
of Ammon nine cubits long and, four *cubits broad, of the cubits of
a man. And when we had conquered this land the same time, I gave
from Aroer which is upon the river of Arnon, and half mount Galao
and the cities thereof unto the Rubenites, and Gadites. And the rest
of Galaad and all Basan the kingdom of Og, I gave unto the half
tribe of Manasse: all the region of Argob with all, Basan was called
the land of giants. Jair the son of Manasse took all the region of
Argob unto the coasts of Gesuri and Maachati, and called them after
his own name Basan Havoth Jair unto this day. And I gave half Galaad
unto Machir. And unto Ruben and Gad, I gave from Galaad unto the
river of Arnon and half the valley and the coast, even unto the
river Jabock which is the border of the children of Ammon, and the
fields and Jordan with the coast, from Cenereth even unto the sea in
the field which is the salt sea under the springs of Phasgah
eastward.
And I commanded you the same time (ye Ruben and Gad) saying:
the Lord your God hath given you this land to enjoy it: see that ye
go harnessed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that
are men of war among you. Your wives only, your children and your
cattle (for I know that ye have much cattle) shall abide in your
cities which I have given you, until the Lord have given rest unto
your brethren as well as unto you, and until they also have
conquered the land which the Lord your God hath given them beyond
Jordan: and then return again every man unto his possession which I
have given you.
And I warned Josua the same time saying: thine eyes have seen
all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two kings, even so
the Lord will do unto all kingdoms whither thou goest. Fear them
not, for the Lord your God he it is that fighteth for you.
And I besought the Lord the same time saying: O' Lord God,
thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty
hand, for there is no God in heaven nor in earth that can do after
thy works and after thy power: let me go over and see the good land
that is beyond Jordan, that goodly high country and Libanon. But the
Lord was angry with me for your sakes and would not hear me, but
said unto me, be content, and speak henceforth no more unto me of
this matter, Get thee up into the top of Phasga and lift up thine
eyes west, north, south and east, and behold it with thine eyes for
thou shalt not go over this Jordan. Moreover, charge Josua and
courage him and bold him. For he shall go over before his people,
and he shall divide the land which thou shalt see unto them. And so
we abode in the valley beside Bethpheor.
*(cubit = about 18" if based
on "modern" lengths. Yet it is possible that lengths were used of
giants bing then longer; from the tip of fingers to elbow as was
this measure of the cubit )
|
 |
The 4th Chapter
And now hearken Israel unto the
ordinances and laws which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may
live and go and conquer the land which the Lord God of your fathers
giveth you. Ye shall put nothing unto the word which I command you
neither do ought therefrom, that ye may keep the commandments of the
Lord your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord
did unto Baal Peor: for all the men that followed Baal Peor, the
Lord your God hath destroyed from among you. But ye that cleaved
unto the Lord your God, are alive every one of you this day. Behold,
I have taught you ordinances and laws, such as the Lord my God
commanded me, that ye should do even so in the land whither ye go to
possess it.
Keep them therefore and do them, for that is your wisdom and
understanding in the sight of the nations: which when they have
heard all these ordinances, shall say: O' what a wise and
understanding people is this great nation. For what nation is so
great that hath gods so nigh unto him: as the Lord our God is nigh
unto us, in all things, when we call unto him? Yea, and what nation
is so great that hath ordinances and laws so righteous, as all this
law which I set before you this day.
Take heed to thyself therefore only and keep thy soul
diligently, that thou forget not the things which thine eyes have
seen, and that they depart not out of thine heart, all the days of
thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons sons. The day that I
stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when he said unto me,
gather me the people together, that I may make them hear my words
that they may learn to fear me as long as they live upon the earth
and that they may teach their children: ye came and stood also under
the hill, and the hill burnt with fire: even unto the midst of
heaven, and there was darkness, clouds and mist. And the Lord spake
unto you out of the fire and ye heard the voice of the words: But
saw no image, save heard a voice only.
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you
to do, even ten verses and wrote them in two tables of stone. And
the Lord commanded me the same season to teach you ordinances and
laws, for to do them in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Take heed unto yourselves diligently as pertaining unto your
souls, for ye saw no manner of image the day when the Lord spake
unto you in Horeb out of the fire lest ye marre yourselves and make
you graven images after whatsoever likeness it be: whether after the
likeness of man or woman or any manner beast that is on the earth or
of any manner feathered fowl that flyeth in the air, or of any
manner worm that creepeth on the earth or of any manner fish that is
in the water beneath the earth: Yea and lest thou lift up thine eyes
unto heaven, and when thou seest the *son and the moon and the stars
and whatsoever is contained in heaven, shouldest be deceived and
shouldest bow thyself unto them and serve the things which the Lord
thy God hath distributed unto all nations that are under all
quarters of heaven.
For the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron furnace
of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as it is come to
pass this day. Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me for your
sakes and sware, that I should not go over Jordan and that I should
not go unto that good land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to
inheritance. For I must die in this land, and shall not go over
Jordan: But ye shall go over and conquer that good land.
Take heed unto yourselves therefore, that ye forget not the
appointment of the Lord your God which he made with you, and that ye
make you no graven image of whatsoever it be that the Lord thy God
hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, and a
jealous God.
If after thou hast gotten children and childrens children and
hast dwelt long in the land, ye shall marre yourselves and make
graven images after the likeness of whatsoever it be, and shall work
wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him. I call
heaven and earth to record unto you this day, that ye shall shortly
perish from off the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it: Ye
shall not prolong your days therein, but shall shortly be destroyed.
And the Lord shall scatter you among nations, and ye shall be left
few in number among the people whither the Lord shall bring you: and
there ye shall serve gods which are the works of mans hand, wood and
stone which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. Neverthelater ye
shall seek the Lord your God even there, and shalt find him if thou
seek him with all thine heart and with all thy soul. In thy
tribulation and when all these things are come upon thee, even in
the latter days, thou shalt turn unto the Lord thy God, and shalt
hearken unto his voice. For the Lord thy God is a pitiful God: he
will not forsake thee neither destroy thee, nor forget the
appointment made with thy fathers which he sware unto them.
For ask pray thee of the days that are past which were before
thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth and from the
one side of heaven unto the other, whether anything hath been like
unto this great thing or whether any such thing hath been heard as
it is, that a nation hath heard the voice of God speaking out of
fire as thou hast heard, and yet lived? either whether God assayed
to go and take him a people from among nations, through temptations
and signs and wonders and through war and with a mighty hand and a
stretched out arm and with mighty terrible sights, according unto
all that the Lord your God did unto you in Egypt before your eyes.
Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know, how that the
Lord he is God and that there is none but he. Out of heaven he made
thee hear his voice to nurture thee, and upon earth he shewed thee
his great fire, and thou heardest his words out of the fire. And
because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after
them and brought thee out with his presence and with his mighty
power of Egypt: to thrust out nations greater and mightier than thou
before thee, to bring thee in and to give thee their land to
inheritance: as it is come to pass this day. Understand therefore
this day and turn it to thine heart, that the Lord he is God in
heaven above and upon the earth beneath there is no more: keep
therefore his ordinances, and his commandments which I command thee
this day, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after
thee and that thou mayst prolong thy days upon the earth which the
Lord thy God giveth thee thy life long.
Then Moses severed three cities on the other side Jordan
toward the *son rising, that he should flee thither which had killed
his neighbor unwares and hated him not in time past, and therefore
should flee unto one of the same cities and live: Bezer in the
wilderness even in the plain country among the Rubenites: and Ramoth
in Galaad among the Gadites and Solan in Basan among the Manassites.
This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel,
and these are the witnesses, ordinances and statutes which Moses
told the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, on the
other side Jordan in the valley beside Beth Pheor in the land of
Sehon king of the Amorites which dwelt at Hesbon, whom Moses and the
children of Israel smote after they were come out of Egypt, and
conquered his land and the land of Og king of Basan two kings of the
Amorites on the other side Jordan toward the *son rising: from Aroer
upon the bank of the river Arnon, unto Mount Sion which is called
Hermon and all the fields on the other side Jordan eastward: even
unto the sea in the field under the springs of Phasgah.
|
Chapters 1-4
|
5-10 |
11-16 |
17-23 |
24-28 |
29-34 |
Next Book
|
