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Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them,
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after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.
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On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying,
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"The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: 'You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.
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Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.
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See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--to give to them and their descendants after them.'
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"And I spoke to you at that time, saying: 'I alone am not able to bear you.
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The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.
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May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you!
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How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints?
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Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.'