Study Desk

"But you didn't trust the Lord your God then either.

"Then you said, ‘Moses, we sinned against the Lord , but now we will do what the Lord our God commanded us before—we will go and fight.' "Then each of you put on your weapons. You thought it would be easy to go and take the hill country.

Remember that the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He knows about everything that happened on the trip through this great desert. The Lord your God has been with you these 40 years. You have always had everything you needed.'

God did the same thing for Esau's people. In the past the Horites lived in Seir. But Esau's people destroyed the Horites, and Esau's descendants still live there today.

God did the same thing for some people from Crete. The Avvites lived in the towns around Gaza, but the Cretans destroyed them, took the land, and live there now.)

Let us go through your land until we go across the Jordan River into the land that the Lord our God is giving us. Other people have let us go through their land—the people of Esau living in Seir and the Moabites living in Ar.'

"But King Sihon of Heshbon would not let us pass through his country. The Lord your God had made him very stubborn and ready to fight. The Lord did this so that he could help you defeat King Sihon. And today we know that is what happened.

But the Lord our God gave him to us. We defeated King Sihon, his sons, and all his people.

But you did not go near the land that belongs to the people of Ammon. You did not go near the shores of the Jabbok River or the cities of the hill country. You did not go near any place that the Lord our God would not let us have.

"So the Lord our God let us defeat King Og of Bashan. We destroyed him and all his men. Not one of them was left.

"At that time I gave those tribes this command: ‘The Lord your God has given you the land on this side of the Jordan River to live in. But now your fighting men must take their weapons and lead the other Israelite tribes across the river.

"Then I told Joshua, ‘You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same thing to all the kingdoms you will enter.

Don't fear the kings of these lands, because the Lord your God will fight for you.'

‘Lord God , I am your servant. I know that you have shown me only a small part of the wonderful and powerful things you will do. There is no god in heaven or earth that can do the great and powerful things you have done.

"Now, Israel, listen to the laws and to the commands that I teach you. Obey them and you will live. Then you can go in and take the land that the Lord , the God of your ancestors, is giving you.

You must not add to what I command you. And you must not take anything away. You must obey the commands of the Lord your God that I have given you.

"You have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed all your people who followed the false god Baal at that place.

But all of you who stayed with the Lord your God are alive today.

"I taught you the laws and rules that the Lord my God commanded me. I did this so you could obey them in the land you are ready to enter and take for your own.

"The Lord our God is near when we ask him to help us. No other nation has a god like that!