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,
Moses ta hepaululile ovanhu osho Israel a mona moweenda womombuwa
1 Eendjovo edi Moses okwe di lombwela Israel ashishe moushilo waJordan mombuwa, momaluhaela a shaama naSuf, pokati kaParan naTofel naLaban naHaserot naDi-Sahab. 2 Ondjila yokudja kuHoreb fiyo okuKades-Barnea hai endwa omafiku omulongo nalimwe nondjila yokeemhunda daSeir.
3 Ndele mefiku lotete lohani onhimulongo momudo omutimilongo nhee, Moses okwa lombwela ovana vaIsrael adishe odo Omwene e mu lombwelele okupopya kuvo, 4 ye eshi a taataa muEdrei Sihon, ohamba yOvaamori yomuHesbon naOg, ohamba yaBasan, ei ya kala muAstarot. 5 Moushilo waJordan moshilongo shaMoab, Moses okwa hovela okufatulula omhango ei, ndele ta ti: 6 “Omwene Kalunga ketu okwe tu lombwela puHoreb ndele ta ti: ‘Nye omwa kala po omafiku pomhunda ei. 7 Fikameni, djeni po, mu ye keemhunda dOvaamori nokeenhele adishe domoushiinda wavo, nokutya komaluhaela nokeemhunda nokedu la lalakana nokoshikandjo shoumbangalanhu nokomunghulo wEfuta Lopokati, oshikandjo shOvakaanan naLibanon fiyo okomulonga omunene waEufrat. 8 Taleni, Ame ohandi mu pe edu olo. Indeni mu ke li nangale, edu olo Omwene e li udanekela neano ooxo Abraham naIsak naJakob, Ye e li va pe nomaludalo avo komesho yavo.’ ”
9 Ndele mefimbo linya nde mu lombwela, ndele handi ti: “Ame itandi dulu, oku mu humbata aame andike. 10 Omwene Kalunga keni okwe mu hapupalifa. Ndele taleni, ouhapu weni u fike peenyofi dokeulu. 11 Omwene Kalunga kooxo ne mu hapupalife natango lweyovi pomuvalu weni wopaife. Ye ne mu nangeke noupuna ngaashi e mu udanekela. 12 Ndelenee aame andike ohandi dulu ngahelipi hano okuhumbata omutengi noudjuu neemhata deni? 13 Eteni oku ovalumenhu ovanongo novanaendunge novalumenhu va shiivika momapata eni ndele ame ohandi va ningi ovapangeli veni. 14 Nye omwa nyamukula nge, tamu ti: Heeno, oda yuka, eendjovo we di popya. 15 Opo nee nda kufa ovakulunhu vomapata eni, ovakulunhu ve nomayele nova shiivika, ndele nde va ninga ovapangeli veni ngaashi ovakulunhu veyovi, novakulunhu vefele, novakulunhu vomilongo nhano, novakulunhu vomulongo novapashukili vomapata eni. 16 Ndele mefimbo linya ame nda lombwela ovatokoli veni veendjovo ndele handi ti: ‘Pwilikineni eendjovo davakweni, nye mu di yukife pauyuki pokati komulumenhu namukwao nomunailongo ou e li puye. 17 Nye inamu kala nokatongotongo mokutokola eendjovo davo; pwilikineni ou muxupi ngaashi mule. Inamu tila nande omunhu umwe, osheshi etokolo olaKalunga. Ndelenee eendjovo tadi mu nyenge, mu noku di etela nge, ndele ame ohandi ke di pwilikina.’ 18 Osho ngaha hano ame nde mu lombwela mefimbo linya oinima aishe ei mu noku i ninga.
19 “Opo nee fye twa fikama kuHoreb, ndele twa tauluka ombuwa aishe oyo inene noya tilika, oyo mwe i mona moweenda weni nondjila yeni yokeemhunda dOvaamori, Omwene Kalunga ketu ngaashi e tu lombwela. Ndele fye otwa fika kuKades-Barnea. 20 Opo nee ame nde mu lombwela: ‘Nye omwa fika fiyo okeemhunda dOvaamori, odo Omwene Kalunga ketu te ke tu pa. 21 Taleni, Omwene Kalunga keni e mu pa oshilongo osho. Fikameni, shi nangaleni, Omwene Kalunga kooxo ngaashi e mu lombwela. Inamu tila, inamu limbililwa.’ 22 Opo nee nye amushe mwe uya kwaame, ndele tamu ti: ‘Natu tume ovalumenhu ve tu tetekele va lave oshilongo, ndele va shiive oku tu shiivifila ondjila tu nokweenda nayo noilando oyo fye tu nokuya muyo.’ 23 Neendjovo odo oda wapalela nge, onghee hano ame nda kufa ovalumenhu omulongo navavali, omulumenhu umwe mepata keshe. 24 Ndele vo ova ya ndele va londa keemhunda, ndele va fika fiyo okefilu laEskol, ndele ve li lava. 25 Vo ova kufa ko oiimati yoshilongo, ndele va dja ko nayo ndele ve i tu etela, ndele ve tu hepaululila ndele tava ti: Oshilongo osho Omwene Kalunga ketu te ke shi tu pa, oshiwa.
26 “Ndelenee nye mwa li inamu hala okuya ko, ndelenee mwa twila elombwelo lOmwene Kalunga keni ondubo. 27 Ndele nye omwa ngongota momatwali eni ndele tamu ti: ‘Omwene eshi te tu tondo, onghee hano okwe tu pitifa mo medu laEgipiti e tu yandje momake Ovaamori, opo tu hanaunwe po. 28 Openi hatu i? Ovakwetu ova mbadapaleka omitima detu, vo eshi va tile: Ovanhu venya ovahapu ve tu dule, nomifika davo odile di tu dule. Oilando oya kula ndele ya pamekwa neehotekuma fiyo okeulu. Noko twa mona yo oludalo laAnak.’
29 “Opo nee ame nde mu lombwela: ‘Inamu tila, nye inamu mbadapala omolwavo. 30 Omwene Kalunga keni ou te mu tetekele, Ye ota ka lwa ponhele yeni naanaa ngaashi Ye e mu ningila moipafi yeni muEgipiti, 31 nomombuwa, omo mwa mona Omwene Kalunga keni nhumbi e mu humbata ngaashi omulumenhu ta humbata omona waye omumati, nondjila aishe mwa enda nayo fiyo mwa fika fiyo okonhele ei.’ 32 Ndelenee nande nda popya eendjovo odo, nye inamu itavela Omwene Kalunga keni, 33 ou e mu tetekelela nondjila oku mu kongela onhele yokwoonga onhanda yeni, oufiku momundilo opo mu mone ondjila tamu ende nayo, nomomutenya moshilemo.
34 “NOmwene eshi a uda ondaka yeendjovo deni, Ye okwa handuka nokwa ana ndele ta ti: 35 ‘Oshili, nande umwe womovalumenhu ava vomepupi eli la pilalala, ta ka mona edu olo liwa, Ame nde li udaneka neano oku li pa ooxo, 36 kakele kaKaleb yaJefunne. Ye ote ke li mona, nokuye nokomaludalo aye Ame ohandi ke va pa edu omo ye a ile, shaashi ye okwa shikula Omwene nomutima aushe.’ 37 Omwene okwa handukila nge yo omolweni, Ye ota ti: ‘Naave yo ito ka ya mo. 38 Josua yaNun, ou ta kala moipafi yoye, ye ota ka ya mo. Mu pameka, osheshi ye ota ka tukulila Israel edu lefyuululo.’ 39 Ndele ouhanana veni ava mwe va tongele: ‘Vo otava ka ninga oihakanwa! Novana veni ava inava shiiva natango ouwa nowii, vo otava ka ya mo navo Ame ohandi ke li va pa, ndele vo otave ke li nangala. 40 Ndelenee nye pilukeni mu shune kombuwa nondjila yEfuta Litilyana.’
41 “Opo nee nye mwa nyamukula nge ndele tamu ti: ‘Fye otwa nyona kOmwene. Fye vene ohatu ka ya okulwa naanaa ngaashi Omwene Kalunga ketu e tu lombwela.’ Ndele nye mwe lidilila keshe umwe oilwifo yoita ndele mwe lilongekida okuya keemhunda. 42 Omwene okwa lombwela nge: ‘Va lombwela: Nye inamu ya ko mu lwe, osheshi Ame nghi mo mokati keni, opo muha tewatewe kovatondadi veni.’ 43 Ndelenee ame eshi nda popya, nye inamu pwilikina nande, ndelenee nye mwa li mu nondubo nelombwelo lOmwene ndele moukukutu weni mwa ya keemhunda. 44 NOvaamori ava va kala keemhunda ova fikama oku mu shakeneka, ndele vo ve mu taataa ngaashi eenyiki. Ndele vo ve mu halakanifila muSeir fiyo okuHorma. 45 Ndele nye mwa aluka, ndele mwa lila koshipala shOmwene, ndelenee Omwene ina pwilikina ondaka yeni ndele ine mu uda. 46 Osho ngaha nye mwa li mu nokukala omafiku oo mahapu muKades, ngaashi mwe a kala ko.
