These are the words which Moses spake unto all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the {That is, the deep valley running north and south of the Dead Sea.}Arabah over against Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab.
It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.
And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that Jehovah had given him in commandment unto them;
after he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.
Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,
Jehovah our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain:
turn you, and take your journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the sea-shore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.
And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Jehovah, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!
How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.
And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.
So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.
And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the sojourner that is with him.
Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.
And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.
And we journeyed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as Jehovah our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.
And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the hill-country of the Amorites, which Jehovah our God giveth unto us.
Behold, Jehovah thy God hath set the land before thee: go up, take possession, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.
And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities unto which we shall come.
And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:
and they turned and went up into the hill-country, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.
And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which Jehovah our God giveth unto us.
Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God:
and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because Jehovah hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.
Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
Jehovah your God who goeth before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that Jehovah thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place.
Yet {Or, for all this thing}in this thing ye did not believe Jehovah your God,
who went before you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.
And Jehovah heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,
Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see the good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,
save Caleb the son of Jephunneh: he shall see it; and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed Jehovah.
Also Jehovah was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither:
Joshua the son of Nun, who standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage thou him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Moreover your little ones, that ye said should be a prey, and your children, that this day have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.
Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against Jehovah, we will go up and fight, according to all that Jehovah our God commanded us. And ye girded on every man his weapons of war, and {Or, deemed it a light thing}were forward to go up into the hill-country.
And Jehovah said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.
So I spake unto you, and ye hearkened not; but ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill-country.
And the Amorites, that dwelt in that hill-country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even unto Hormah.
And ye returned and wept before Jehovah; but Jehovah hearkened not to your voice, nor gave ear unto you.
So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.
Querverweise zu 5. Mose 1,16 5Mo 1,16
And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, according to thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment.
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
Thou shalt not wrest justice: thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the {Or, cause}words of the righteous.
Love ye therefore the sojourner; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou {Or, bear witness}speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest justice:
Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy sojourners that are in thy land within thy gates:
as ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging you, and testifying,
neither shalt thou favor a poor man in his cause.
And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
I charge thee in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without {Or, preferences}prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
And a sojourner shalt thou not oppress: for ye know the heart of a sojourner, seeing ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Charge them that are rich in this present {Or, age.}world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
And thou shalt take no bribe: for a bribe blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the {Or, cause}words of the righteous.
Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the sojourner, as for the home-born: for I am Jehovah your God.
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.
The God of Israel said,The Rock of Israel spake to me: {Or, There shall be one…and it shall be as &c.}One that ruleth over men {Hebrew: a righteous one.}righteously,That ruleth in the fear of God,
and said to the judges, Consider what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah; and he is with you {Or, in giving judgement Hebrew: in the matter of judgement.}in the judgment.
Now therefore let the fear of Jehovah be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Jehovah our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.
Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel, for the judgment of Jehovah, and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem.
And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of Jehovah, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
And whensoever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, ye shall warn them, that they be not guilty towards Jehovah, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not be guilty.
For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David. Michtam. {Or, Is the righteousness ye should speak dumb?}Do ye indeed {Or, as otherwise read, O ye gods Or, O ye mighty ones}in silence speak righteousness?Do ye {Or, judge uprightly the sons of men}judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.