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World English Bible: Deuteronomy

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This is the opening chapters of the Book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, presented here in an English translation (using the divine name "Yahweh," consistent with translations like the World English Bible). The text belongs to the genre of biblical prose narrative and law, situated within the ancient Israelite religious tradition. It takes the form of a retrospective speech by Moses addressed to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, just before they enter Canaan, recounting the forty years of wilderness wandering from Mount Horeb (Sinai) to their present position east of the Jordan River. The narrative covers the appointment of tribal judges, the failed attempt to enter Canaan due to the people's fear and faithlessness after the scouts' report, God's judgment condemning that generation to die in the wilderness, and the subsequent journey through the territories of Edom, Moab, and Ammon — nations Israel was forbidden to dispossess — before the military victories over the Amorite kings Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan. A distinctive and theologically central claim running through the passage is that Israel's military successes and failures alike are directly caused by Yahweh's active intervention, framing the entire history as a demonstration of divine faithfulness, judgment, and sovereignty over all nations and their territories.

World English Bible: Deuteronomy

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