Dabarym (Deuteronomy) — 1

Introduction to Musha’s First Address

1 These are the words that Musha spoke to all the people of Yashar'AL while they were in the wilderness east of the Yurdan River. They were camped in the Yurdan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tuphal, Laban, Hazaruth, and Di-zahab on the other.

2 Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadash-barnaa, going by way of Mount Sair. 

3 But forty years after the Yasharalym left Mitzraym, on the first day of the eleventh month, Musha addressed the people of Yashar'AL, telling them everything  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had commanded him to say. 

4 This took place after he had defeated King Sihun of the Amurites, who ruled in Hashbun, and at Adrai had defeated King Ug of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaruth.

5 While the Yasharalym were in the land of Muab east of the Yurdan River, Musha carefully explained the instructions of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH as follows.

The Command to Leave Sinai

6 “When we were at Mount Sinai, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. 

7 It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amurites and to all the neighboring regions, the Yurdan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Nagab, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Labanun, and all the way to the great Auphrates River. 

8 Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Yachaq, and Ya'aqub, and to all their descendants.’”

Musha Appoints Leaders from Each Tribe

9 Musha continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself. 

10 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars! 

11 And may 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and barak you as he promised! 

12 But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? 

13 Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’

14 “Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’ 

15 So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.

16 “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Yasharalym and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions 

17 and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’

18 “At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do.

19 Then, just as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness, as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amurites. When we arrived at Kadash-barnaa, 

20 I said to you, ‘You have now reached the hill country of the Amurites that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH is giving us. 

21 Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’

22 “But you all came to me and said, ‘First, let’s send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.’

23 “This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose twelve scouts, one from each of your tribes. 

24 They headed for the hill country and came to the valley of Ashcul and explored it. 

25 They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us. And they reported, ‘The land 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH has given us is indeed a good land.’

26 “But you rebelled against the command of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and refused to go in. 

27 You complained in your tents and said, ‘𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Mitzraym to hand us over to the Amurites to be slaughtered. 

28 Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report, they tell us, “the people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!”’

29 “But I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked or afraid of them! 

30 For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH is going ahead of you, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will fight for you, just as you saw Him do in Mitzraym. 

31 And you saw how 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has brought you to this place.’

32 “But even after all 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH did, you refused to trust 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, 

33 who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

34 “When 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH heard your complaining, he became very angry. So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH solemnly swore, 

35 ‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land He swore to give your ancestors, 

36 except Calab son of Yaphunnah, he will see this land because he has followed 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH completely, I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’

37 “And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH was also angry with me because of you. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH said to me, ‘Musha, not even you will enter the Promised Land! 

38 Instead, your assistant, Yahusha Ba'Nun (son of Nun), will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Yashar'AL as they take possession of it. 

39 I will give the land to your little ones, your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it. 

40 As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.’

41 “Then you confessed, ‘We have sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH! We will go into the land and fight for it, as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH has commanded us.’ So your men strapped on their weapons, thinking it would be easy to attack the hill country.

42 “But 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’

43 “This is what I told you, but you would not listen. Instead, you again rebelled against  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s command and arrogantly went into the hill country to fight. 

44 But the Amurites who lived there came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased and battered you all the way from Sair to Hurmah. 

45 Then you returned and wept before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, but he refused to listen. 

46 So you stayed there at Kadash for a long time.