The Command to Leave Horeb (Exodus 33:1–6)
1 UDB In this book is written what Moses said to all the Israelites, after they had set up their tents east of the Jordan—in the desert plain along the Jordan—near a place named Suph, between Paran on one side of the Jordan River and the towns of Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab on the other side of the river. BSB BSB: These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—in the Arabah opposite Suph—between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
2 UDB To walk from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, people usually travel for only eleven days, going by way of the hill country called Edom. BSB BSB: It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir.
3 UDB Forty years after the Israelites had left Egypt, Moses told the Israelite people everything that Yahweh had commanded him. BSB BSB: 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.
4 UDB This was after they had defeated Sihon, the king of the Amor people, who lived in the city of Heshbon, and Og, the king of the region of Bashan, who lived in towns of Ashtaroth and Edrei. BSB BSB: This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
5 UDB Moses told them these things while the people were in Moab, on the east side of the Jordan River. He explained to them God's instructions. This is what he said to them: BSB BSB: On the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:
6 UDB "Yahweh our God said to us when we were at Mount Sinai, 'You have stayed for a very long time at the foot of this mountain. BSB BSB: The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough.
7 UDB So now continue traveling. Go to the hill country where the Amorites live and to the nearby areas—to the plain along the Jordan, to the hill country, to the western foothills, to the southern Judean wilderness, to the Mediterranean seacoast, to all the land of Canaan, to the Lebanon mountains, and northeast to the great Euphrates River. BSB BSB: Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the Negev, and along the seacoast to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates.
8 UDB I will give that land to you. I, Yahweh, promised to your ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that I would give it to them and to their descendants. So now go and occupy it.'" BSB BSB: See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.”
Moses Appoints Leaders (Exodus 18:13–27)
9 UDB Moses also said to the people, "When we were still at Mount Sinai, I said to your ancestors, 'It is a very big task for me to govern all of you. I cannot do it by myself. BSB BSB: At that time I said to you, “I cannot carry the burden for you alone.
10 UDB Yahweh our God has caused us Israelites to become as numerous as the stars in the sky. BSB BSB: The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
11 UDB And I hope that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors worshiped, will cause us to become a thousand times as numerous as we are now and that he will bless us just like he promised to do. BSB BSB: May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times over and bless you as He has promised.
12 UDB But I certainly cannot deal with all of your complaints and disputes. BSB BSB: But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes all by myself?
13 UDB So choose some men from your tribes who are wise and who have good sense and who are respected. Then I will appoint them to be your leaders.' BSB BSB: Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
14 UDB Your ancestors replied, 'What you have suggested is good for us to do.' BSB BSB: And you answered me and said, “What you propose to do is good.”
15 UDB So I took the wise and respected men that your ancestors chose from your tribes, and I appointed them to be your leaders. I appointed some to have authority over one thousand people, some to have authority over one hundred people, some to have authority over fifty people, and some to have authority over ten people. I also appointed other officers from throughout your tribes. BSB BSB: So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.
16 UDB I instructed your leaders, 'Listen to the disputes that occur among your people. Judge each dispute, including disputes between close relatives and quarrels between your people and people from other countries who live among you. BSB BSB: At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.
17 UDB You must not play favorites. You must treat poor people and important people equally. You must not worry about what anyone will think, because you will decide matters as God wants you to. If any dispute is very difficult and you are unable to decide it, bring it to me, and I will decide.' BSB BSB: Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
18 UDB At that time I also told to you many other things. BSB BSB: And at that time I commanded you all the things you were to do.
Twelve Spies Sent Out (Numbers 13:1–33)
19 UDB Then, just like Yahweh our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and went through that huge desert that is very dangerous, on the road to the hill country where the Amor people live. We arrived at Kadesh Barnea. BSB BSB: And just as the LORD our God had commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites, through all the vast and terrifying wilderness you have seen. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,
20 UDB I said to your ancestors, 'We have now come to the hill country where the Amor people live. This is part of the area that Yahweh our God, the one whom our ancestors worshiped, is giving to us. BSB BSB: I said: “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.
21 UDB Note that Yahweh our God is giving this land to us. So go and occupy it as he commanded. Do not be at all afraid.' BSB BSB: See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
22 UDB But your ancestors all came to me and said, 'Before we go, we should first send some men there to explore the land, in order that they can return and tell us which will be the best road to go there and what kind of towns are there.' BSB BSB: Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.”
23 UDB I thought that it would be good to do that, so I chose twelve men, one man from each tribe. BSB BSB: The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.
24 UDB They went up into the hill country as far as Eshcol Valley and they explored all that area. BSB BSB: They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied out the land.
25 UDB They picked some of the fruit that they found there and brought it to us. They reported that the land that Yahweh our God was giving to us is very good. BSB BSB: They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us word: “It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.”
Israel’s Rebellion (Numbers 14:1–12)
26 UDB But your ancestors refused to go and conquer that land. They rebelled against what Yahweh our God had commanded them to do, and they would not go into that land. BSB BSB: But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.
27 UDB Your ancestors stayed in their tents and complained. They said, 'Yahweh hates us. So he has brought us here from Egypt just to allow the Amor people to destroy us. BSB BSB: You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.
28 UDB We do not want to go there. The men whom we sent there have made us very discouraged. They have told us that the people there are much stronger and taller than we are, and that there are very high walls around their towns. Also they reported that they had seen giants there that are descendants of Anak.' BSB BSB: Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
29 UDB Then I said to your ancestors, 'Do not be afraid at all of those people! BSB BSB: So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them!
30 UDB Yahweh our God will go ahead of you, and he will fight for you, just like you saw him do for you in Egypt BSB BSB: The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt
31 UDB and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely here, like a man would carry his son.' BSB BSB: and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.”
32 UDB I reminded them that he always went ahead of them while they traveled in the desert. He directed them by a pillar of fire during the night and a pillar of cloud during the day. He showed them places to set up their tents. But in spite of what I said, your ancestors would not trust Yahweh our God. BSB BSB: But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,
Israel’s Penalty (Numbers 14:20–35)
34 UDB Yahweh heard what they said, and he became angry. He solemnly declared, BSB BSB: When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying,
35 UDB 'Caleb son of Jephunneh will enter the land. He has obeyed me completely. So I will give to him and to his descendants some of the land that he explored. He is the only one of all you people who will enter that land. None of these evil people will ever see that good land that I solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.' BSB BSB: “Not one of the men of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your fathers,
37 UDB But because of what your ancestors did, Yahweh was also angry with me. He said to me, 'You also will not go enter that land. BSB BSB: The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.
38 UDB Joshua son of Nun, who is your helper, will enter it. Encourage him because he is the one who will enable you Israelite people to occupy that land.' BSB BSB: Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.
39 UDB Then Yahweh said to all of us, 'You said that your children would be captured by your enemies. Because they are very young, they do not yet know what is good and what is evil. But they are the ones to whom I will give that land, and they will enter it and occupy it. BSB BSB: And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.
40 UDB But as for you, turn around and go back into the desert, toward the Sea of Reeds.' BSB BSB: But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”
The Defeat at Hormah (Numbers 14:40–45)
41 UDB Then your ancestors replied, 'We have sinned; we have disobeyed Yahweh. So we will go and attack the people who live in that land, just as Yahweh our God has commanded us to do.' And each of their men put on his weapons, and they thought that it would be easy to invade the hill country. BSB BSB: “We have sinned against the LORD,” you replied. “We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God has commanded us.” Then each of you put on his weapons of war, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.
42 UDB But Yahweh said to me, 'Tell them, "Do not go there and attack those people, because I will not go with you, and if you go, you can be sure that your enemy will defeat you."' BSB BSB: But the LORD said to me, “Tell them not to go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from defeat by your enemies.”
43 UDB So I said that to your ancestors, but they did not want to listen to what I said. They again rebelled against what Yahweh commanded them to do. Their soldiers proudly marched up into that hill country. BSB BSB: So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.
44 UDB Then the men of the Amor people who lived in that region came out of their towns and attacked those soldiers. They chased your ancestors' soldiers like a swarm of bees would chase a person, and they pursued their men south from Edom and defeated them at the city of Hormah. BSB BSB: Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah.
45 UDB So your ancestors went back to Kadesh Barnea and cried out to request Yahweh to help them, but he did not listen to them. He did not pay any attention to them. BSB BSB: And you returned and wept before the LORD, but He would not listen to your voice or give ear to you.
46 UDB So we stayed there at Kadesh Barnea for a long time." BSB BSB: For this reason you stayed in Kadesh for a long time—a very long time.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.