Numbers 14

1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would that we had died in this wilderness!3 And wherefore doth Jehovah bring us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey: were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of them that spied out the land, rent their clothes:7 and they spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.8 If Jehovah delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it unto us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.9 Only rebel not against Jehovah, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is removed from over them, and Jehovah is with us: fear them not.10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of Jehovah appeared in the tent of meeting unto all the children of Israel.

11 And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.

13 And Moses said unto Jehovah, Then the Egyptians will hear it; for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that thou Jehovah art in the midst of this people; for thou Jehovah art seen face to face, and thy cloud standeth over them, and thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.15 Now if thou shalt kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,16 Because Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.17 And now, I pray thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,18 Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.19 Pardon, I pray thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy lovingkindness, and according as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

20 And Jehovah said, I have pardoned according to thy word:21 but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah;22 because all those men that have seen my glory, and my signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;23 surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised me see it:24 but my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.25 Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley: to-morrow turn ye, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

26 And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.28 Say unto them, As I live, saith Jehovah, surely as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, that have murmured against me,30 surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.31 But your little ones, that ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have rejected.32 But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.33 And your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your whoredoms, until your dead bodies be consumed in the wilderness.34 After the number of the days in which ye spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my alienation.35 I, Jehovah, have spoken, surely this will I do unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

36 And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,37 even those men that did bring up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before Jehovah.38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men that went to spy out the land.

39 And Moses told these words unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up to the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we are here, and will go up unto the place which Jehovah hath promised: for we have sinned.41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of Jehovah, seeing it shall not prosper?42 Go not up, for Jehovah is not among you; that ye be not smitten down before your enemies.43 For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned back from following Jehovah, therefore Jehovah will not be with you.44 But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.45 Then the Amalekite came down, and the Canaanite who dwelt in that mountain, and smote them and beat them down, even unto Hormah.

Numbers 14

The Israelites Respond in Unbelief

1 s Then all the community raised a loud cry,t and the people weptt that night.2 And all the Israelites murmuredt against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had diedt in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perishedt in this wilderness!3 Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”

4 So they said to one another,t “Let’s appointt a leadert and returnt to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the grounds before the whole assembled communityt of the Israelites.6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments.7 They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedinglyt good land.8 If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us – a land that is flowing with milk and honey.t

9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.s Their protectiont has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”

10 However, the whole community threatened to stone them.t Butt the glorys of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tents of meeting.

The Punishment from God

11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despiset me, and how long will they not believet in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them?

12 I will strike them with the pestilence,s and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!”
13 Moses said to the Lord, “When the Egyptians heart it – for you brought up this people by your power from among them –14 then they will tell it to the inhabitantst of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face,t that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.15 If you killt this entire people at once,t then the nations that have heard of your fame will say,16 ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.’17 So now, let the power of my Lords be great, just as you have said,18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love,t forgiving iniquity and transgression,t but by no means clearingt the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’s

19 Please forgivet the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love,t just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”
20 Then the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked.t21 But truly, as I live,s all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.22 For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have temptedt me now these ten times,t and have not obeyed me,t23 they will by no meanst see the land that I swore to their fathers, nor will any of them who despised me see it.24 Only my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit and has followed me fully – I will bring him into the land where he had gone, and his descendantst will possess it.

25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the valleys.)s Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:27 “How long must I beart with this evil congregations that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me.28 Say to them, ‘As I live,s sayst the Lord, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing.ts29 Your dead bodiest will fall in this wilderness – all those of you who were numbered, according to your full number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me.30 You will by no means enter into the land wheret I sworet to settlet you. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.31 But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war,t and they will enjoyt the land that you have despised.32 But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness,33 and your children will wandert in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness,t until your dead bodies lie finishedt in the wilderness.34 According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days – one day for a year – you will suffer fort your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me.t

35 I, the Lord, have said, “I will surely do so to all this evil congregation that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die!”’”
36 The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producingt an evil report about the land,37 those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.38 But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were amongt the men who went to investigate the land, lived.

39 When Moses toldt these things to all the Israelites, the people mournedt greatly.
40 And earlyt in the morning they went up to the crest of the hill country,t saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place that the Lord commanded,t for we have sinned.”s41 But Moses said, “Whyt are you now transgressing the commandmentt of the Lord? It will not succeed!42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, and you will bet defeated before your enemies.

43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”
44 But they daredt to go up to the crest of the hill, althought neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.

45 So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country swoopedt down and attacked themt as far as Hormah.t