Deuteronomy

1 This one na the things wey Moses tell all Israel people for the area of River Jordan for the wilderness, for the level lands wey dey the desert for front of Suph, between Pa′ran, To′phel, La′ban, Ha·ze′roth, and Di′za·hab. 2 Na 11 days journey from Hor′eb go reach Ka′desh-bar′ne·a if person follow Mount Se′ir road. 3 For the 40th year, for the 11th month, for the first day of the month, Moses talk to Israel people* according to all the things wey Jehovah don command-am to tell them. 4 This one na after e don win Si′hon the king of Am′or·ite people, wey de live for Hesh′bon, and Og the king of Ba′shan, wey de live for Ash′ta·roth for Ed′re·i. 5 For the area of River Jordan for the land of Mo′ab, Moses start to explain this Law, e talk say:

6 “Jehovah our God tell us for Hor′eb say, ‘Una don stay long time for this area wey mountains dey. 7 Turn and start to go the area of Am′or·ite people wey mountains dey and the direction of all their neighbors for Ar′a·bah, the area wey mountains dey, the She·phe′lah, the Neg′eb, and the sea side, the land of Ca′naan people, and Leb′a·non,* go reach the great river, wey be River Eu·phra′tes. 8 See, I don keep the land for una front. Make una go take-am as una property, the land wey Jehovah don swear to give una papa them, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give-am to them and their children* wey go come after them.’

9 “And I tell una that time say, ‘Only me no go fit carry una. 10 Jehovah una God don make una plenty, and now, today una don plenty like the stars of the heavens. 11 Make Jehovah, the God of una papa-papa them, add to una number make una plenty more-more reach times one thousand, and make e bless una just as e don promise una. 12 How only me go fit carry una heavy load and una problems and una quarrel-quarrel? 13 Choose men wey get sense, wey de understand things well, and wey get experience from una tribes, and I go make them una heads.’ 14 Una answer me say, ‘Wetin you tell us to do dey good.’ 15 So I take the heads of una tribes, men wey get sense and wey get experience, and I choose them as una heads, as chiefs wey go de control thousands of people, chiefs wey go de control hundreds of people, chiefs wey go de control groups of fifty people, chiefs wey go de control groups of ten people, and officers of una tribes.

16 “That time I tell una judge them say, ‘When una hear matter between una brothers, make una judge for correct way between person and im brother or stranger wey de live for the land. 17 Make una no ever do partial when una de judge. The way una go listen to big person, make una listen to small person for the same way. Make una no ever allow people to make una fear, because na God get the judgment; and if any matter too hard for una, make una bring-am come meet me and I go listen to-am.’ 18 That time, I tell una all the things wey una go do.

19 “Then we comot from Hor′eb and waka pass the whole of that great wilderness wey fit make person fear, wey una see for road when we de go the area wey mountains dey for Am′or·ite people side, just as Jehovah our God don command us. And at last we reach Ka′desh-bar′ne·a. 20 Then I tell una say, ‘Una don reach the area of Am′or·ite people wey mountains dey, wey Jehovah our God de give us. 21 See, Jehovah your God don give you the land. Go up, take-am as your own, just as Jehovah, the God of your papa-papa them, don tell you. Make you no fear or shake.’

22 “But all of una come meet me and talk say, ‘Make we send men to go first and check the land for us, and bring message come back to us about which road we go follow and which kind cities we go face.’ 23 I like wetin una talk, so I choose 12 of una men, one for each tribe. 24 Them comot and go up to the area wey mountains dey and reach the Lowland* of Esh′col and check the land. 25 Them take some of the fruits of the land and carry-am come back to us, and them bring message come back to us say, ‘The land wey Jehovah our God de give us dey good.’ 26 But una no gree go up, and una turn against wetin Jehovah una God command. 27 Una continue to complain for inside una tents and de talk say, ‘Na because Jehovah hate us na im make e bring us come out from the land of Egypt to give us to Am′or·ite people make them destroy us finish. 28 Which kind place we de go? Our brothers make us fear* when them talk say, “Them be people wey strong pass us and tall pass us, and their cities dey strong and get strong walls for protection wey high reach the heavens,* and we see the sons of An′a·kim for there.”’

29 “So I tell una say, ‘Make una heart no cut or no fear because of them. 30 Jehovah una God go dey una front and e go fight for una, just as e do for Egypt wey una see. 31 And for the wilderness, you see how Jehovah your God carry you just as man de carry im son, e carry una everywhere wey una go until una reach this place.’ 32 But even with all this one, una no put faith for Jehovah una God 33 wey go una front as una de go for the road, to check where una go put una camp. E appear for fire for night and for cloud for daytime to show una the way wey una go follow.

34 “All that time, Jehovah hear wetin una de talk and e come really vex and swear say, 35 ‘Nobody among this men wey dey among this wicked generation go see the good land wey I swear to give una papa them, 36 except Ca′leb the son of Je·phun′neh. E go see-am, and I go give the land wey e waka inside to-am and to im sons because e follow Jehovah with all im heart.* 37 (Jehovah even vex for me because of una, and e talk say, “You no go enter there too. 38 Joshua the son of Nun, wey stand for your front, na the person wey go enter the land. Make-am strong,* because e go make Israel people to get the land.”) 39 Apart from that one, una children wey una talk say the enemies go carry and una sons wey no know good or bad today, na them go enter, and I go give-am to them as their property. 40 But as for una, make una turn back and comot go the wilderness to follow the road of the Red Sea.’

41 “Then una tell me say, ‘We don sin against Jehovah. Now we go go up and fight, just as Jehovah our God don command us!’ So each of una carry im weapons wey e de use fight war, and una think say e go be easy thing to go up for the mountain and win. 42 But Jehovah tell me say, ‘Tell them say: “Make una no go up to fight, because I no go dey with una. If una go, una enemies go win una.”’ 43 So I talk to una, but una no listen. Instead, una turn against the command of Jehovah and try to go up for the mountain when una no get the right. 44 Then Am′or·ite people wey de live for that mountain come out to meet una and pursue una comot the way bees de pursue people, and them scatter una for Se′ir go reach Hor′mah. 45 So una come back and start to cry for front of Jehovah, but Jehovah no listen to una or put mind for una matter. 46 Na im make una continue to live for Ka′desh for all the time wey una live for there.