Deuteronomy 1

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab.

هَذِهِ هِيَ الأَقْوَالُ الَّتِي خَاطَبَ بِها مُوسَى جَمِيعَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ الْمُخَيِّمِينَ فِي وَادِي الْعَرَبَةِ، فِي صَحْرَاءِ مُوآبَ شَرْقِيَّ نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ، مُقَابِلَ سُوفٍ، مَا بَيْنَ فَارَانَ وَتُوفَلَ وَلابَانَ وَحَضَيْرُوتَ وَذِي ذَهَبٍ.

(It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

وَكَانَتِ الرِّحْلَةُ تَسْتَغْرِقُ مِنْ حُورِيبَ عَبْرَ طَرِيقِ جَبَلِ سِعِيرَ إِلَى قَادَشَ بَرْنِيعَ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً.

In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them.

فَفِي الْيَوْمِ الأَوَّلِ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ الْحَادِي عَشَرَ، فِي السَّنَةِ الأَرْبَعِينَ، خَاطَبَ مُوسَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بِكُلِّ مَا أَوْصَاهُ بِهِ الرَّبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ،

This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

وَذَلِكَ بَعْدَ هَزِيمَةِ سِيحُونَ مَلِكِ الأَمُورِيِّينَ الْمُقِيمِ فِي حَشْبُونَ، وَعُوجَ مَلِكِ بَاشَانَ السَّاكِنِ فِي عَشْتَارُوثَ فِي إِذْرَعِي.

East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying:

وَابْتَدَأَ مُوسَى فِي أَرْضِ مُوآبَ شَرْقِيَّ نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ يَشْرَحُ الشَّرِيعَةَ قَائِلاً:

The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.

«لَقَدْ قَالَ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُنَا لَنَا فِي جَبَلِ حُورِيبَ: كَفَاكُمُ الْمُقَامُ فِي هَذَا الْجَبَلِ.

Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates.

تَحَوَّلُوا وَتَقَدَّمُوا وَادْخُلُوا جَبَلَ الأَمُورِيِّينَ وَكُلَّ مَا يَلِيهِ مِنْ وَادِي الْعَرَبَةِ وَالْجَبَلِ وَالسَّهْلِ وَالنَّقَبِ وَسَاحِلِ بَحْرِ أَرْضِ الْكَنْعَانِيِّينَ وَلُبْنَانَ، إِلَى النَّهْرِ الْكَبِيرِ نَهْرِ الْفُرَاتِ.

See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

The Appointment of Leaders

وَانْظُرُوا، فَهَا أَنَا قَدْ وَهَبْتُكُمُ الأَرْضَ، فَادْخُلُوا وَتَمَلَّكُوهَا لأَنِّي أَقْسَمْتُ أَنْ أُعْطِيَهَا لِآبَائِكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَلِنَسْلِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ».

تعيين الرؤساء

At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone.

وَقَالَ مُوسَى لِلشَّعْبِ: «لا أَقْدِرُ وَحْدِي أَنْ أَتَحَمَّلَ مَسْؤولِيَّتَكُمْ،

The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.

فَقَدْ كَثَّرَكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ، وَهَا أَنْتُمْ قَدْ أَصْبَحْتُمُ الْيَوْمَ فِي كَثْرَةِ نُجُومِ السَّمَاءِ.

May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!

فَلْيَزِدْكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ آبَائِكُمْ أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ وَيُبَارِكْكُمْ كَمَا وَعَدَكُمْ.

But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?

وَلَكِنْ كَيْفَ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ أَحْمِلَ وَحْدِي مَشَاكِلَكُمْ وَأَثْقَالَكُمْ وَخُصُومَاتِكُمْ؟

Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

فَاخْتَارُوا مِنْ أَسْبَاطِكُمْ رِجَالاً حُكَمَاءَ عُقَلاءَ مِنْ ذَوِي الْمَقَامِ، فَأَجْعَلَهُمْ قَادَةً لَكُمْ.»

You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

فَأَجَبْتُمُونِي قَائِلِينَ: «إِنَّ مَا تَقْتَرِحُ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نَفْعَلَهُ أَمْرٌ صَائِبٌ».

So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.

فَاخْتَرْتُ رُؤَسَاءَ أَسْبَاطِكُمْ رِجَالاً حُكَمَاءَ مِنْ ذَوِي الْمَقَامِ، وَأَقَمْتُهُمْ قَادَةً عَلَيْكُمْ، فَكَانُوا رُؤَسَاءَ أُلُوفٍ وَمِئَاتٍ وَخَمَاسِينَ وَعَشَرَاتٍ، وَعُرَفَاءَ لأَسْبَاطِكُمْ.

And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.

وَأَمَرْتُ قُضَاتَكُمْ آنَئِذٍ قَائِلاً: اسْتَمِعُوا إِلَى الْخُصُومَاتِ النَّاشِبَةِ بَيْنَ إِخْوَتِكُمْ وَاقْضُوا بِالْعَدْلِ بَيْنَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّ وَأَخِيهِ أَوْ بَيْنَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّ وَالنَّزِيلِ.

Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”

لَا تُحَابُوا فِي الْقَضَاءِ وَاسْتَمِعُوا لِلصَّغِيرِ كَمَا تَسْتَمِعُونَ لِلْكَبِيرِ. لَا تَهَابُوا إِنْسَاناً، لأَنَّ الْقَضَاءَ لِلهِ. وَمَا يَصْعُبُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرٍ تَرْفَعُونَهُ إِلَيَّ فَأَقْضِي فِيهِ.

And at that time I told you everything you were to do.

Spies Sent Out

وَأَوْصَيْتُكُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ بِجَمِيعِ الأُمُورِ الَّتِي يَجِبُ أَنْ تُجْرُوهَا.

إرسال الجواسيس

Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful wilderness that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.

ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلْنَا بِمُوْجِبِ أَمْرِ الرَّبِّ مِنْ جَبَلِ حُورِيبَ مُجْتَازِينَ تِلْكَ الصَّحْرَاءَ الْعَظِيمَةَ الْمَخُوفَةَ الَّتِي رَأَيْتُمُوهَا، مُتَّجِهِينَ نَحْوَ بِلادِ الأَمُورِيِّينَ الْجَبَلِيَّةِ، إِلَى أَنْ أَقْبَلْنَا عَلَى قَادَشَ بَرْنِيعَ.

Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.

فَقُلْتُ لَكُمْ: هَا قَدْ جِئْتُمْ إِلَى بِلادِ الأَمُورِيِّينَ الْجَبَلِيَّةِ الَّتِي وَهَبَهَا لَنَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُنَا،

See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

فَانْظُرُوا لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ قَدْ أَعْطَاكُمُ الأَرْضَ، فَاصْعَدُوا وَاسْتَوْلُوا عَلَيْهَا كَمَا وَعَدَ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ آبَائِكُمْ. لَا تَخَافُوا وَلا تَرْتَعِبُوا.

Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”

فَتَقَدَّمْتُمْ إِلَيَّ جَمِيعُكُمْ وَقُلْتُمْ: دَعْنَا نُرْسِلُ قَوْماً لِيَتَجَسَّسُوا الأَرْضَ لَنَا، ثُمَّ يُوَافُونَا بِنَبَإِ الطَّرِيقِ الَّتِي نَسْلُكُهَا وَالْمُدُنِ الَّتِي نَجْتَازُ بِها.

The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe.

فَرَاقَنِي الاقْتِرَاحُ، وَانْتَخَبْتُ مِنْكُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً، وَاحِداً مِنْ كُلِّ سِبْطٍ.

They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol and explored it.

فَاخْتَرَقُوا مَسَالِكَ الْجِبَالِ حَتَّى وَصَلُوا وَادِي أَشْكُولَ، فَاسْتَكْشَفُوهُ،

Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, “It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.”

Rebellion Against the Lord

وَقَطَفُوا مِنْ ثِمَارِ الأَرْضِ وَحَمَلُوهَا إِلَيْنَا، وَقَالُوا: الأَرْضُ الَّتِي وَهَبَهَا لَنَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُنَا أَرْضٌ جَيِّدَةٌ.

تذمر بني إسرائيل

But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God.

لَكِنَّكُمْ تَقَاعَسْتُمْ عَنِ الصُّعُودِ إِلَيْهَا وَعَصَيْتُمْ أَمْرَ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ،

You grumbled 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.

وَتَذَمَّرْتُمْ فِي خِيَامِكُمْ قَائِلِينَ: لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ يَكْرَهُنَا أَخْرَجَنَا مِنْ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ لِيُوْقِعَنَا فِي أَيْدِي الأَمُورِيِّينَ وَيُهْلِكَنَا.

Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’”

فَإِلَى أَيْنَ نَذْهَبُ؟ لَقَدْ أَوْهَنَ إِخْوَتُنَا قُلُوبَنَا عِنْدَمَا أَخْبَرُونَا أَنَّ أَهْلَ الأَرْضِ أَعْظَمُ مِنَّا وَأَكْثَرُ طُولاً، وَمُدُنَهُمْ عَظِيمَةٌ تَبْلُغُ حُصُونُهَا عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ، وَقَدْ شَاهَدْنَا هُنَاكَ بَنِي عَنَاقَ أَيْضاً.

Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them.

فَقُلْتُ لَكُمْ: لَا تَجْزَعُوا وَلا تَخَافُوا مِنْهُمْ،

The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,

لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمُ السَّائِرَ أَمَامَكُمْ هُوَ يُحَارِبُ عَنْكُمْ كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ مَعَكُمْ فِي مِصْرَ.

and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

كَذَلِكَ شَهِدْتُمْ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ كَيْفَ حَمَلَكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ كَمَا يَحْمِلُ الإِنْسَانُ ابْنَهُ، فِي كُلِّ الطَّرِيقِ الَّتِي سَلَكْتُمُوهَا، حَتَّى أَقْبَلْتُمْ إِلَى هَذَا الْمَكَانِ.

In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God,

وَلَكِنْ عَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَثِقُوا بِالَّربِّ إِلَهِكُمُ

who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

السَّائِرِ أَمَامَكُمْ فِي رِحْلَتِكُمْ، لِيَلْتَمِسَ لَكُمْ مَكَاناً تَنْزِلُونَ فِيهِ. فَكَانَ يَقُودُكُمْ فِي عَمُودِ نَارٍ لَيْلاً وَفِي عَمُودِ سَحَابٍ نَهَاراً.

When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore:

وَسَمِعَ الرَّبُّ تَذَمُّرَكُمْ فَسَخَطَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَقْسَمَ قَائِلاً:

“No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,

لَنْ يَرَى إِنْسَانٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْجِيلِ الشِّرِّيرِ الأَرْضَ الْجَيِّدَةَ الَّتِي أَقْسَمْتُ أَنْ أَهَبَهَا لِآبَائِكُمْ.

except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”

إِلّا كَالِبَ بْنَ يَفُنَّةَ، فَهُوَ يَرَاهَا وَأُوَرِّثُهُ هُوَ وَبَنِيهِ الأَرْضَ الَّتِي وَطِئَهَا، لأَنَّهُ أَطَاعَ الرَّبَّ مِنْ كُلِّ قَلْبِهِ.

Because of you the Lord became angry with me also and said, “You shall not enter it, either.

كَمَا غَضِبَ الرَّبُّ عَلَيَّ بِسَبَبِكُمْ قَائِلاً: وَأَنْتَ أَيْضاً لَنْ تَدْخُلَ الأَرْضَ.

But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it.

إِنَّمَا يَشُوعُ بْنُ نُونٍ الْمَاثِلُ أَمَامَكَ هُوَ يَدْخُلُهَا فَشَجِّعْهُ لأَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُوَزِّعُهَا عَلَى الإِسْرَائيِليِّينَ.

And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.

أَمَّا أَطْفَالُكُمُ الَّذِينَ ادَّعَيْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ يُصْبِحُونَ غَنِيمَةً، وَصِغَارُكُمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُمَيِّزُونَ بَعْدُ الْخَيْرَ وَالشَّرَّ، فَهُمْ يَدْخُلُونَ إِلَى هُنَاكَ وَلَهُمْ أَهَبُ الأَرْضَ وَهُمْ يَرِثُونَهَا.

But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.^[a]”

وَأَمَّا أَنْتُمْ فَتَحَوَّلُوا وَارْتَحِلُوا إِلَى الصَّحْرَاءِ عَلَى مُحَاذَاةِ طَرِيقِ الْبَحْرِ الأَحْمَرِ.

Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.

فَأَجَبْتُمْ وَقُلْتُمْ لِي: لَقْدْ أَخْطَأْنَا إِلَى الرَّبِّ، وَنَحْنُ صَاعِدُونَ إِلَى الْحَرْبِ حَسَبَ كُلِّ مَا أَمَرَنَا بِهِ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُنَا. وَحَمَلَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ سِلاحَهُ، مَسْتَخِفّاً بِمَصَاعِبِ ارْتِقَاءِ الْجِبَالِ.

But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’”

فَأَمَرَنِي الرَّبُّ: قُلْ لَهُمْ لَا تَصْعَدُوا وَلا تُحَارِبُوا، لأَنِّي لَسْتُ فِي وَسَطِكُمْ، لِئَلّا تَنْهَزِمُوا أَمَامَ أَعْدَائِكُمْ.

So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country.

فَكَلَّمْتُكُمْ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَسْمَعُوا، بَلْ عَصَيْتُمْ أَمْرَ الرَّبِّ وَتَمَرَّدْتُمْ وَصَعِدْتُمْ إِلَى الأَرَاضِي الْجَبَلِيَّةِ.

The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah.

فَانْدَفَعَ الأَمُورِيُّونَ الْمُسْتَوْطِنُونَ فِي الأَرَاضِي الْجَبَلِيَّةِ لِلِقَائِكُمْ، وَطَارَدُوكُمْ كَمَا يُطَارِدُ النَّحْلُ، وَهَزَمُوكُمْ فِي سِعِيرَ حَتَّى تُخُومِ حُرْمَةَ.

You came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you.

فَرَجَعْتُمْ وَنُحْتُمْ أَمَامَ الرَّبِّ، وَلَمْ يَسْمَعِ الرَّبُّ لِصَوْتِكُمْ وَلا أَنْصَتَ إِلَيْكُمْ.

And so you stayed in Kadesh many days—all the time you spent there.

وَمَكَثْتُمْ فِي قَادَشَ أَيَّاماً كَثِيرَةً، أَيْ طَوَالَ الْفَتْرَةِ الَّتِي بَقِيتُمْ فِيهَا هُنَاكَ.