Joshua

8Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

NoteAmalek was a group of people who lived in the desert. The name means the whole family, like saying "the Amalek people."

9Moses said to Joshua, "Pick out some men for us. Go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I will hold the staff of God in my hand."

And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

NoteJoshua was a young man who helped Moses. Later he became the leader of Israel.

10Joshua did what Moses had told him. He fought with Amalek. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

NoteAaron was Moses' older brother. Hur was another man who helped them.

11When Moses held his hand up, Israel was winning. When he let his hand down, Amalek was winning.

And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

NoteLong ago, people often lifted their hands up in the air when they prayed.

12But Moses' hands got heavy. They took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one man on each side. So his hands stayed steady until the sun went down.

But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

NoteThe King James says Aaron and Hur "stayed up" his hands. "Stayed up" means held up so they would not fall.

13Joshua beat Amalek and his people with the sword.

And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

NoteThe King James says Joshua "discomfited" Amalek. That old word means he beat them badly in the fight.

14The LORD said to Moses, "Write this down in a book, so it will be remembered. Say it out loud to Joshua. I will completely wipe away any memory of Amalek from under heaven."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

NoteA book back then was not like ours. It was a long roll of paper called a scroll.

15Moses built an altar there. He named the altar Jehovahnissi.

And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

NoteAn altar was a pile of stones. People gave gifts to God on it.

16He said this because the LORD had made a strong promise. The LORD will fight against Amalek for all time, from parents to children to their children.

For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Note"From generation to generation" means for a very long time. Grandparents, then parents, then children, on and on.

12The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay there. I will give you tablets of stone, flat stones with writing on them. On them are the law and the commands I have written. Then you can teach them to the people."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

NoteThe King James calls them "tables of stone." Here "tables" does not mean tables you eat at. It means flat pieces of stone with words carved on them.

13Moses got up, and so did Joshua, his helper. Moses went up the mountain of God.

And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.

NoteThe King James calls Joshua Moses' "minister." Here that just means his helper. Joshua went everywhere with Moses and helped him.

14Moses said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. If anyone has a problem to settle, let him go to them."

And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.

Note"Tarry" is an old word that means wait. Hur was another leader who helped Moses. When someone had an argument with a neighbor, they would bring it to a leader. The leader would listen and decide who was right.

15Moses went up the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.

And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

NoteThe thick cloud was a sign that God was there. It also hid the mountaintop so no one could see in.

16The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. The cloud covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from inside the cloud.

And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

Note"Glory" here means a bright shining light. It showed that God was there. Mount Sinai is the mountain in the desert where God gave Israel his rules.

17The glory of the LORD looked like a fire that eats things up. It was on top of the mountain. That is what the people of Israel saw.

And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

18Moses went into the middle of the cloud and climbed up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

NoteForty days and forty nights is more than a whole month. Moses was gone a long time.

15Moses turned and went down the mountain. He carried the two stone tablets with God's words on them. The tablets had writing on both sides, front and back.

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

NoteThe King James Bible calls them "tables." In 1611 a table could mean a flat stone for writing on. These are not tables you eat at.

16God himself had made the tablets. The writing was God's own writing, cut into the stone.

And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

17Joshua heard the people shouting. He said to Moses, "That sounds like war down in the camp."

And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

NoteJoshua was Moses' helper. He had waited partway up the mountain while Moses met with God.

18Moses said, "It is not the sound of people shouting because they won. It is not the sound of people crying because they lost. What I hear is the sound of singing."

And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

19Moses came close to the camp. He saw the calf, and he saw the dancing. His anger burned hot. He threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20He took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire. He ground it into powder and sprinkled it on the water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it.

And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

NoteMaking them drink the gold dust showed the calf was really gone. It was only powder floating in water now.

7Moses used to take the tent and set it up outside the camp, far away. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who wanted to ask the LORD something went out to that tent outside the camp.

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

NoteAll these people lived in tents while they traveled. The camp was all their tents together in one place. The Tent of Meeting was a special tent for talking with God.

8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people stood up. Each man stood at the door of his own tent. They watched Moses until he went inside.

And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.

9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud came down. That was a tall column of cloud. It stood at the door of the tent, and the LORD talked with Moses.

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

NoteThe tall cloud had led the people through the desert. When it came down, it showed that God was there.

10All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tent door. They all stood up and worshiped, each man at the door of his own tent.

And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

NoteTo worship means to bow down and show God how great he is.

11The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, the way a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses went back into the camp. But his helper Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.

And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Note"Face to face" does not mean Moses saw God's face. It means they talked closely and easily, the way friends do.

24So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD said. He gathered seventy of the elders. He had them stand around the tent.

And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

25The LORD came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses. He put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. That means they spoke messages from God. But they never did it again.

And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

NoteThe cloud was how God showed the people he was there. They could see it with their own eyes.

26Two of the men had stayed in the camp. One was named Eldad and the other Medad. The Spirit rested on them too. Their names were on the list, but they had not gone to the tent. They spoke God's messages right there in the camp.

But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

NoteThe list was the names of the seventy men Moses chose. Eldad and Medad were on it, but they stayed behind.

27A young man ran and told Moses. He said, "Eldad and Medad are speaking God's messages in the camp."

And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28Joshua son of Nun spoke up. He had helped Moses since he was young. He said, "Moses, my master, make them stop!"

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

NoteJoshua was Moses' helper. Years later he became the leader of Israel.

29Moses said, "Are you upset for my sake? I wish all the LORD's people could speak his messages. I wish the LORD would put his Spirit on every one of them!"

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

30Then Moses went back into the camp. The elders of Israel went with him.

And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

NoteThe word LORD in big letters stands for God's own special name. Moses was the leader of Israel. God had used him to bring the people out of Egypt.

2"Send some men to go look at the land of Canaan. I am giving that land to the people of Israel. Send one man from each tribe, each big family group. Each man must be a leader."

Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

NoteCanaan was the land God had promised to give this family long ago. The men were sent to look at it quietly, like scouts. They would come back and tell what they saw.

3So Moses did what the LORD said. He sent the men out from the desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of Israel.

And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.

NoteA desert is dry, empty land with sand and rocks. Very little grows there. Paran was a desert south of Canaan.

4Here are their names. From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur.

And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.

NoteIsrael was made of twelve tribes. A tribe is one big family group. Each tribe came from one of the sons of a man named Jacob. Jacob was also called Israel.

5From the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori.

Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.

6From the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh.

Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

7From the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph.

Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.

8From the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea son of Nun.

Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.

9From the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu.

Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.

10From the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi.

Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.

11From the tribe of Manasseh, which came from Joseph, Gaddi son of Susi.

Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.

NoteJoseph was one of Jacob's sons. Joseph's own two sons each started a tribe. Manasseh was one of those two.

12From the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli.

Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.

13From the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael.

Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.

14From the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi.

Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.

15From the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi.

Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

16Those are the names of the men Moses sent to look at the land. Moses gave Oshea son of Nun a new name. He called him Joshua.

These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

NoteNames back then often meant something. Joshua means "the LORD saves." Oshea and Joshua are close to the same name.

1All the people cried out loud together. They wept all that night.

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

NoteThe King James word "congregation" means all the people gathered together in one big group.

2The people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron. The whole group said to them, "We wish we had died back in Egypt! Or we wish we had died here in this empty desert!"

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

NoteThe King James says the people "murmured." That means they grumbled and complained. Egypt is the country where these people had lived as slaves. God had just brought them out. The "wilderness" is a wide, empty land. Very few people live there. Food and water are hard to find.

3"Why is the LORD bringing us to this land? We will be killed by swords. Our wives and children will be carried off. Wouldn't it be better to go back to Egypt?"

And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Note"To fall by the sword" means to be killed in a battle. The King James says the children would be "a prey." It means enemies would carry them off and keep them.

4They said to each other, "Let's choose a leader. Let's go back to Egypt."

And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

NoteA "captain" here means a leader, someone to walk in front and tell everyone where to go.

5Then Moses and Aaron bowed down with their faces to the ground. All the people of Israel were watching.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

NoteLying down with your face to the ground was how people showed they were begging or praying. Moses and Aaron were asking the people to stop.

6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh tore their own clothes. They were two of the men who had explored the land.

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

NoteThe King James says they "rent their clothes." People tore their own clothes on purpose. It was how they showed everyone that they were very upset. The men had gone ahead to look at the land quietly. We would call them spies.

7They said to the whole group of Israel, "The land we walked through is a very good land."

And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

8"If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us there. It is a rich land, full of milk and honey. He will give it to us."

If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

Note"A land which floweth with milk and honey" is an old way of saying the land is rich. Grass grows for the cows and goats, so there is plenty of milk. Flowers grow for the bees, so there is honey.

9"Only do not turn against the LORD. Do not be afraid of the people who live there. We will beat them as easily as eating bread. Nothing is left to keep them safe. The LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!"

Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

NoteThe King James says the people of the land "are bread for us." Eating bread is easy. Joshua means the fight will not be too hard. "Their defence is departed from them" means nothing is left to keep them safe.

10But the whole group wanted to throw stones at Joshua and Caleb. Then the bright glory of the LORD appeared at the tent where God met his people. All Israel saw it.

But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

NoteThrowing big stones at someone was how people long ago put a person to death. The crowd was very angry at Joshua and Caleb. The "tabernacle of the congregation" was a large tent. It was the tent where God met his people. The "glory of the LORD" was a bright shining light that showed God was there.

26Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said:

And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

27"How long will I put up with this bad group that complains about me? I have heard the people of Israel complaining about me."

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

Note"How long shall I bear with" means "how long will I put up with this?"

28"Tell them this: I am the living God, says the LORD. I heard what you said. I will do exactly that to you."

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

29"Your dead bodies will fall in this desert. That means every one of you who was counted, age twenty and older, who complained about me."

Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,

Note"Carcases" is the King James word for dead bodies. "All that were numbered" means the men who were counted. Every man of twenty years and older had been counted for the army.

30"None of you will enter the land I promised to give you as a home. Only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun will go in."

Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Note"Save" here does not mean rescue. It is an old word that means "except."

31"You said your little children would be carried off. But I will bring them in. They will come to know the land you said no to."

But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

Note"Despised" means they said the land was no good. They turned their noses up at it.

32"But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this desert."

But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

33"Your children will be shepherds, taking care of sheep, in the desert for forty years. They will suffer because you were not faithful to me. This lasts until the last of your bodies lies in the desert."

And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

NoteThe King James says the children will "bear your whoredoms." That old word means being unfaithful, like breaking a promise to someone you love. The parents had turned away from God. The King James says the children will "wander." The Hebrew word means to be shepherds, people who take care of sheep and move around to find grass for them.

34"You explored the land for forty days. So you will pay for your sin for forty years, one year for each day. You will learn what it is like when I turn against you."

After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

NoteThe men looked at the land for forty days. Now the people will wait one year for each of those days. "My breach of promise" is hard old English. It means the people will find out what it is like when God turns away from them.

35"I, the LORD, have said it, and I will do it. This whole bad group joined together against me. They will come to their end in this desert. Here they will die."

I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

Note"They shall be consumed" means they will be used up. Their lives will end here.

36Moses had sent men to explore the land. They came back and made the whole group complain. They said things about the land that were bad and untrue.

And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

Note"A slander" means saying bad things about someone or something that are not true.

37Those men who brought back the bad report died. A sickness struck them down in front of the LORD.

Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

Note"The plague" means a sudden sickness that spreads through many people.

38Of the men who explored the land, only two stayed alive. They were Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh.

But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.

Note"Lived still" simply means they stayed alive.