Introduction
1 In this book are the words that Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between the town of Paran on one side and the towns of Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab on the other. ( 2 It takes eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea by way of the hill country of Edom.) 3 On the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after they had left Egypt, Moses told the people everything the Lord had commanded him to tell them. 4 This was after the Lord had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in the town of Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who ruled in the towns of Ashtaroth and Edrei. 5 It was while the people were east of the Jordan in the territory of Moab that Moses began to explain God's laws and teachings.
He said, 6 “When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the surrounding regions—to the Jordan Valley, to the hill country and the lowlands, to the southern region, and to the Mediterranean coast. Go to the land of Canaan and on beyond the Lebanon Mountains as far as the great Euphrates River. 8 All of this is the land which I, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants. Go and occupy it.’”
Moses Appoints Judges
(Exodus 18.13-27)9 Moses said to the people, “While we were still at Mount Sinai, I told you, ‘The responsibility for leading you is too much for me. I can't do it alone. 10 The Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. 11 May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you increase a thousand times more and make you prosperous, as he promised! 12 But how can I alone bear the heavy responsibility for settling your disputes? 13 Choose some wise, understanding, and experienced men from each tribe, and I will put them in charge of you.’ 14 And you agreed that this was a good thing to do. 15 So I took the wise and experienced leaders you chose from your tribes, and I placed them in charge of you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten. I also appointed other officials throughout the tribes.
16 “At that time I instructed them, ‘Listen to the disputes that come up among your people. Judge every dispute fairly, whether it concerns only your own people or involves foreigners who live among you. 17 Show no partiality in your decisions; judge everyone on the same basis, no matter who they are. Do not be afraid of anyone, for the decisions you make come from God. If any case is too difficult for you, bring it to me, and I will decide it.’ 18 At the same time I gave you instructions for everything else you were to do.
The Spies Are Sent Out from Kadesh Barnea
(Numbers 13.1-33)19 “We did what the Lord our God commanded us. We left Mount Sinai and went through that vast and fearful desert on the way to the hill country of the Amorites. When we reached Kadesh Barnea, 20-21 I told you, ‘You have now come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God, the God of our ancestors, is giving us. Look, there it is. Go and occupy it as he commanded. Do not hesitate or be afraid.’
22 “But you came to me and said, ‘Let's send men ahead of us to spy out the land, so that they can tell us the best route to take and what kind of cities are there.’
23 “That seemed like a good thing to do, so I selected twelve men, one from each tribe. 24 They went into the hill country as far as Eshcol Valley and explored it. 25 They brought us back some fruit they found there, and reported that the land which the Lord our God was giving us was very fertile.
26 “But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God, and you would not enter the land. 27 You grumbled to one another: ‘The Lord hates us. He brought us out of Egypt just to hand us over to these Amorites, so that they could kill us. 28 Why should we go there? We are afraid. The men we sent tell us that the people there are stronger and taller than we are, and that they live in cities with walls that reach the sky. They saw giants there!’
29 “But I told you, ‘Don't be afraid of those people. 30 The Lord your God will lead you, and he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt 31 and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely all the way to this place, just as a father would carry his son.’ 32 But in spite of what I said, you still would not trust the Lord, 33 even though he always went ahead of you to find a place for you to camp. To show you the way, he went in front of you in a pillar of fire by night and in a pillar of cloud by day.
The Lord Punishes Israel
(Numbers 14.20-45)34 “The Lord heard your complaints and became angry, and so he solemnly declared, 35 ‘Not one of you from this evil generation will enter the fertile land that I promised to give your ancestors. 36 Only Caleb son of Jephunneh will enter it. He has remained faithful to me, and I will give him and his descendants the land that he has explored.’ 37 Because of you the Lord also became angry with me and said, ‘Not even you, Moses, will enter the land. 38 But strengthen the determination of your helper, Joshua son of Nun. He will lead Israel to occupy the land.’
39 “Then the Lord said to all of us, ‘Your children, who are still too young to know right from wrong, will enter the land—the children you said would be seized by your enemies. I will give the land to them, and they will occupy it. 40 But as for you people, turn around and go back into the desert on the road to the Gulf of Aqaba.’
41 “You replied, ‘Moses, we have sinned against the Lord. But now we will attack, just as the Lord our God commanded us.’ Then each one of you got ready to fight, thinking it would be easy to invade the hill country.
42 “But the Lord said to me, ‘Warn them not to attack, for I will not be with them, and their enemies will defeat them.’ 43 I told you what the Lord had said, but you paid no attention. You rebelled against him, and in your pride you marched into the hill country. 44 Then the Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you like a swarm of bees. They chased you as far as Hormah and defeated you there in the hill country of Edom. 45 So you cried out to the Lord for help, but he would not listen to you or pay any attention to you.
The Years in the Desert
46 “So then, after we had stayed at Kadesh for a long time,
ǂGaeǂguiǂgās
1 Nē ǂkhanis ǃnâ di ge Moseb ge hoaraga Israelǁîn ǃoa Jordanǃāb di aiǂoasǀkhāb ai ǁgoe ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ǃhoa mîde xoamâisa. ǁÎn ge Jordanǃgoaǃnāb Sufs ǃoagu, ǀgui ǀkhāb ai Parans tsî nau ǀkhāb ai Tofels, Labans, Haserots tsî Disahabs tsîdi ǁaegu ǁgoeb tawa ge hâ i. 2 (Sinaiǃhomma xu ǃhomxa ǃhūb Edommi dib ǃnâ-u Kades-Barneas ǁga ǃgûs ge disiǀguiǀa tsēdi ǀguide gere ū.) 3 Moseb ge ǂguro tsēs disiǀguiǀaǁî ǁkhâb dis ai, hakadisiǁî kurib ǃnâ, Israelǁîn ge Egipteba xu ǃnoraǃnorahes khaoǃgâ ǁîna ǃKhūb ge mîmā bi xūn hoana ge mîba. 4 Nēs ge Moseb ge Amorǁîn di gao-aob, Sihonni Hesbons dib tsî gao-aob Ogi Basans dib, Astarots tsî Edreis tsîra ai gere hâb tsîkha ǃkhamdans khaoǃgâsa. 5 Jordanǃāb di aiǂoasǀkhāb, Moab ǀkharib ǃnân Israelǁîna hâ hîa ge is ge Moseb ge ǁîna Elob mîmādi tsî ǁkhāǁkhādi tsîde ǁguiǃābatsoatsoasa.
ǁÎb ge ge mî: 6 “Sinaiǃhommi tawa da ge hâ i, ob ge ǃKhūba sada ǃoa ge mî: ‘ǂÂu hâ kōse du ge nē ǃhommi tawa go hâ. 7 Sadu hâǃkhaiba khôakhâi, î aisǀkhāb ǁga ǃgû. Amorǁîn di ǃhomxa ǃhūb tsî ǁîb ǂnamipe ǁgoe ǀkharigu ǃoa: Jordanǃgoaǃnāb ǃoa, ǃhomxa ǃhūb tsî ǃgoaǃnāb ǃoa, ǃkhawagasǀkhāb di ǀkharib tsî Mediteraneahuri-ammi kōse. Nēb ge Kanaanǃhūba, Libanonǃhomgu nau ǀkhāba xu Eufratǃāb kōse ra sība. 8 Nē ǃkhaigu hoagab ge ǃKhūba sadu aboxagu Abrahammi, Isaki tsî Jakob hâgu tsî ǁîgu suriba māsa ge mîmâiba. ǃGû, î nē ǃhūba ūbasen tsî sī ǁanǃnâ.’ ”
Moseb ge ǀgoraǃgâ-aoga ra ǁgaumâi
(Eksodus 18:13-27)9 Moseb ge khoena ge mîba: “Sinaiǃhommi tawa da hâ hîa ta ge ge mîba du: ‘Sado ǂgaeǂguis di ǃereams ge a kai, tsî ta ge ǁnāsa ǀguri a dīǁoa. 10 ǃKhūb sadu Elob ge sado ǀhommi di ǀgamiron a ǂgui khami ge ǂguiǂgui. 11 Ab ǃKhūb sadu aboxagu di Eloba ǀguiǀoadisi ǃnādi xa ǃnāsase ǂguiǂgui du tsî ǁîb ge mîmâise ǀkhae du! 12 Xawe mâti ta sadu ǁhōga ǀgoraǃgâs ǃaroma ǀguri ǃereamsa nî tani? 13 Mâ ǃhaos hoasa xu gā-ai, ǁnâuǃāxa tsî ǂansa ūhâ aoga ǁhûi, î ta ǁîga sadu ǂama ǃereamsa mā.’ 14 Tsî sadu ge nēs xa ge ǃgâibahe. 15 ǁNā-amaga ta ge gā-ai tsî ǂansa ūhâ aogu, sadu ǃhaode xu du ge ǁhûiga, sadu ǂama ǃereamsa ge mā. ǀNîgu ge ǀoadisi khoen ai, ǀnîga kaidisi khoen ai, ǀnîga korodisi khoen ai tsî ǀnîga disi khoen ǂama ǃereamsa ge ūhâ i. ǀNîga ta ge ǃhaodi ī khami xoa-aose ge ǂgaimâi.
16 “ǁNā ǁaeb ai ta ge ǀgoraǃgâ-aoga ge mîmā: ‘Sadu khoen ǁaegu hâ ǂnoagude ǃgâ re. Hoa ǂnoagu-aina ǂhanu-aise ǀgoraǃgâ, nēsi i ga sago khoen ǂûna xu hâs tamas ka io ǃhaokhoen, sadu ǁaegu ǁan hâna xu hâ xawe. 17 Tā sago ǀgoraǃgâdi ǃnâ ǀkhāǁhûi; mâ-i hoa-e ǀguitikōse ǀgoraǃgâ, tari-i ǀgui-i ka xawe. Tā khoe-i xare-e ǃao, sago ra ū mîǁguigu Eloba xu ra hā xuige. Xawe i ga ǁhō-e ǃgomba go, o tita tawa hā-ū, î ta tita mîǁguisa dī.’ 18 ǁNā ǁaeb ǁkhāb ai ta ge taren hoana go nî dīsa ge mîmā go.
ǀHôagao ǃkhē-aogu ge ra sîhe
(Numeri 13:1-33)19 “ǃKhūb sada Elob ge mîmā da khami dī tsî da ge Sinaiǃhomma xu kai tsî ǃaoǃaosa ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ-u Amorǁîn di ǃhomxa ǃhūb ǁga ge ǃgû. Kades-Barneas tawa da ge sī, 20-21 o ta ge ge mî: ‘Amorǁîn di ǃhomxa ǃhūb, ǃKhūb sada Elob, sada aboxagu di Elob ge mā dab tawa da ge go hā. Mû, ǁnāb ge ǁîba. ǁÎb ge mîmā khami ǁîba ūbasen î ǁanǃnâ. Tā ǃao tamas ka io îganǀgē.’
22 “Xawe du ge sado tita tawa hā tsî ge mî: ‘A da aoga sada aiǃâ sî, ǃhūba nî sī ǃkhēǂuiǃnâse, î gu mâb a ǂhanu dao ǁîba da nî ǁhûise tsî mâti-ī ǃādi ǁnāpa hâs tsîna sī ǀhôagaose ôaǃnâǂui.’
23 “Tita ge ǁnā aoǁguib xa ǃgâibahe tsî ǁnā-amaga disiǀgamǀa aoga, ǀguiba mâ ǃhaos hoasa xu ge ǁhûiǂui. 24 ǁÎgu ge ǃhomxa ǃhūb ǃoa ǃgûǃapa tsî Eskolǃgoaǃnāb tawa sī tsî ǁîba ge ǃkhēǂuiǃnâ. 25 ǁÎgu ge ǀnî ǂûn ǁnā ǃhūb din ǀkha oahā tsî ǃKhūb sada Elob ge ǂûtanixa ǃhūba mā da ǃkhaisa ge ǃnuri.
26 “Xawe go ge sago ǃKhūb sago Elob di mîmās ǃoagu khâikhâisen, tsî ǁnā ǃhūb ǃnâ ǂgâ ǂgao tama ge i. 27 Sadu tentomdi ǃnâ du ge ǂkhîoǃnâ tsî gere mîǀîgu: ‘ǃKhūb ge sadab a ǃhuisa xui-ao, sada Egipteba xu ǂgaeǂguiǂui tsî Amorǁîn ǃomǁae, ǁîn xa da nî hîkākāhese ge māǁnâ. 28 Mâǀî da kha ra ǃgû? Sida ge ra ǃao. Aogu hîa da ge sîgu ge ǁnāpa hâ khoen a sida xa ǀgaisa tsî kaikara tsîn ǁîna ǀhommi kōse ǀgapi ǂnubiǂgoagu ǀkha omǂnamisa ǃādi ǃnâ ra hâsa ge mîba da. ǁÎgu ge Anakǁîn suriba xu hâ kaikara khoen tsîna ǁnāpa ge mû!’
29 “Xawe ta ge ge mî: ‘Tā ǁnā khoen xa ǃao tamas ka io ǃhuri. 30 ǃKhūb sadu Elob ge Egipteb ǃnâb ge sadu mûǁae dī khami, sadu aiǃâ ǃgû tsî nî ǃkhamba du. 31 ǁKhāti du ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ge mû, mâ ǀgaus aib ǃKhūb sadu Eloba nē ǃkhais kōse sâu du tsî ge tani dusa, ǁgûb ra ǁîb di ǀgôaba sâu tsî tani khami.’ 32 Xawe tare-i ǀgui-e ta ga mî, xawe du kom ǃKhūb sadu Eloba ǂgomǃgâ tama ge i, 33 ǁîb gere hoaǁae sadu aiǃâ ǃgû tsî hâǃkhaiba du nî ǂnaumâi-ai ǃkhaiba sī ǂhomiba du hîa. Sado daoba ǁgaus ǃaromab ge ǃKhūba sadu aiǃâ, tsēa kai ǃâus ǀkha tsî tsuxub ǃnâ khau ra ǀaes ǀkha gere ǂgaeǂgui du.
ǃKhūb ge Israelǁîna ra ǁkhara
(Numeri 14:20-45)34 “ǃKhūb ge sadu ǂkhîoǃnâsibab ge ǁnâu, o ǁaixa tsî ge mîmâi: 35 ‘ǀGui-i sadu di-i, nē ǂkhaba suriba xu hâ-i tsîn ge sadu aboxaga ta ge mîmâiba ǂûtanixa ǃhūb ǃnâ ǂgâ tide. 36 Jefuneb ôab, Kaleb ǀguib ge ǁnā ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǂgâ. ǁÎb ge ǂgomǂgomsa i xui-ao ta ge ǁîb tsî ǁîb di surib tsîna ǁîb ge sī mû ǃhūǃâsa nî mā.’ 37 Sadu ǃaromas ge ǃKhūb ge tita tsîn ǀkha ǁaixa tsî mîsa: ‘Mosetse, sats tsîn ge Kanaanǃhūba ǂgâǃnâ tide. 38 Xawe sa hui-aob, Nunni ôab, Josuab ge ǁnāpa nî ǂgâ. ǁÎb ge Israelǁaesa Kanaanǃhūban nî sī ūbasen tsî ǁanǃnâse nî ǂgaeǂguiǂgâ, ǁnā-amagats ge ǁîba ǁnās ǃoa nî ǂgaoǂgaoǃnâ.’
39 “Ob ge ǃKhūba hoada ǃoa ge mî: ‘Sadu ǀgôaron hîa noxopa ǃgâi-i tsî tsū-i ǁaegu ǀgorasa a dī ǁoan hoan, sadu khākhoen xa nî ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ūhe, ti du gere mîn, ge ǁnā ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǂgâ. Tita ge ǁîna ǁnā ǃhūba nî mā tsîn ge ǁîna ǁîba nî ūbasen. 40 Xawe sado dabasen î, du ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ-u ǀApahurib ǀkhāb ǁga ǃgû.’
41 “Sadu ge ge ǃeream: ‘Mosetse, ǃKhūb ǃoagu da ge go ǁore! Xawe da ge ǃgûǂoa tsî sida ǃKhūb tsî Elob ge mîmā da khami nî sī ǃkham.’ Mâ khoe-i hoa-i ge ǁâtanisen tsî supuse i ǃhomxa ǃhūba nî ǁnāǂam ti ge ǂâi.
42 “Xaweb ge ǃKhūba tita ǃoa ge mî: ‘ǁÎna mîba în tā ǃkhamǃgû, tita ǁîn tawa hâ tide, tsîn ǁîn khākhoen xa nî danhe xuige.’ 43 ǃKhūb ge mî ǀgauba ta ge ge mîba du, xawe du ge ǁnâu ǂgao tama i, tsî ǃKhūb di mîmās ǃoagu khâikhâisen tsî ǃhomxa ǃhūb ǁga ge ǃgû. 44 Xawen ge Amorǁîn ǃhomxa ǃhūb ǃnâ ge ǁan hâ ina ǃhabun di ǂhoms khami sado ǂnû-ai tsî Edomsa xu Hormas kōse sauruǀgaruǀgaru tsî ge hîkākā. 45 ǁNās khaoǃgâ du ge ǃKhūb ǃoa, huib ǃaroma ge ǂgai, xaweb ge ǁîba ǃgâ du ǂgao tama i tsî ǂâi-i tsîna sadu ai ǂnûi tama ge i.
Kadesa xu Arnons kōse
46 “ǁNā ǀgaub ai da ge gaxu ǁaeba Kades tawa ge hâ.”
