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Deuteronomy 1:19-33
Contemporary English Version
Deuteronomy 1:19-33
Contemporary English Version
Men Were Sent To Explore the Hill Country
(Numbers 13.1-33)
Moses said to Israel:
19 The Lord had commanded us to leave Mount Sinai[a] and go to the hill country that belonged to the Amorites, so we started out into the huge desert. You remember how frightening it was, but soon we were at Kadesh-Barnea, 20-21 and I told you, “We have reached the hill country. It belongs to the Amorites now, but the Lord our God is giving it to us. He is the same God our ancestors worshiped, and he has told us to go in and take this land, so don't hesitate and be afraid.”
22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Before we go into the land, let's send some men to explore it. When they come back, they can tell us about the towns we will find and what roads we should take to get there.”
23 It seemed like a good idea, so I chose twelve men, one from each tribe. 24 They explored the hill country as far as Bunch Valley[b] 25 and even brought back some of the fruit. They said, “The Lord our God is giving us good land.”
Israel Refused To Obey the Lord
(Numbers 14.1-45)
Moses said to Israel:
26 (A) You did not want to go into the land, and you refused to obey the Lord your God. 27 You stayed in your tents and grumbled, “The Lord must hate us—he brought us out of Egypt, just so he could hand us over to the Amorites and get rid of us. 28 We are afraid, because the men who explored the land told us that the cities are large, with walls that reach to the sky. The people who live there are taller and stronger than we are,[c] and some of them are Anakim.[d] We have nowhere to go.”
29 Then I said, “Don't worry! 30 The Lord our God will lead the way. He will fight on our side, just as he did when we saw him do all those things to the Egyptians. 31 (B) And you know that the Lord has taken care of us the whole time we've been in the desert, just as you might carry one of your children.”
32 (C) But you still would not trust the Lord, 33 even though he had always been with us in the desert. During the daytime, the Lord was in the cloud, leading us in the right direction and showing us where to camp. And at night, he was there in the fire.[e]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1.19 Mount Sinai: See the note at 1.1-5.
- 1.24 Bunch Valley: Or “Eshcol Valley,” famous for its large bunches of grapes.
- 1.28 The people … we are: Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and one ancient translation “the people who live there are stronger than we are, and there are more of them than there are of us.”
- 1.28 Anakim: Perhaps a group of very tall people that lived in or near Palestine before the Israelites. See also 2.10,11, 20,21; Numbers 13.33.
- 1.33 the cloud … the fire: See Exodus 40.34-38; Numbers 9.15-23.
Deuteronomy 1:19-33
New International Version
Deuteronomy 1:19-33
New International Version
Spies Sent Out
19 Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites(A) through all that vast and dreadful wilderness(B) that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.(C) 20 Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession(D) of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid;(E) do not be discouraged.”(F)
22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy(G) out the land(H) for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”
23 The idea seemed good to me; so I selected(I) twelve of you, one man from each tribe. 24 They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol(J) and explored it. 25 Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported,(K) “It is a good land(L) that the Lord our God is giving us.”(M)
Rebellion Against the Lord
26 But you were unwilling to go up;(N) you rebelled(O) against the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled(P) in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller(Q) than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites(R) there.’”
29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid(S) of them.(T) 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight(U) for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried(V) you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”(W)
32 In spite of this,(X) you did not trust(Y) in the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day,(Z) to search(AA) out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.
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