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

NUMBERS 14

The Israelites Rebel //against Moses

1 After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night 2 and complained to Moses and Aaron, “We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert! 3 Is the [Lord] leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We'd be better off in Egypt.”

4 Then they said to one another, “Let's choose our own leader and go back.”
5 Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd. 6 Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow

7 and said:
We saw the land ourselves, and it's very good. 8 If we obey the [Lord], he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey.

9 t So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The [Lord] is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us!

10 The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the [Lord] appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.

Moses Prays //for the People

12 So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs.”

13-16  t Moses replied:
With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don't destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren't powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.
17 Show us your great power, [Lord]. You promised

18 t that you love to show mercy and kindness. And you said that you are very patient, but that you will punish everyone guilty of doing wrong—not only them but their children and grandchildren as well.

19 You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.

20 Then the [Lord] said to Moses:
In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them. 21 t But as surely as I live and my power has no limit,

22-23 I swear that not one of these Israelites will enter the land I promised to give their ancestors. These people have seen my power in Egypt and in the desert, but they will never see Canaan. They have disobeyed and tested me too many times.

24  t But my servant Caleb isn't like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.

25 Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan.t And tomorrow, you'll need to turn around and head back into the desert toward the Red Sea.t

The Israelites Are Punished //for Complaining

27-28 to give this message to the people of Israel:
You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted.t 29 t You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over 20 years old

30 will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own—only Caleb and Joshuat will go in.
31 You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the [Lord], will let them enter the land you have rejected. 32 You will die here in the desert! 33 t Your children will wander around in this desert 40 years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. 34 I will punish you severely every day for the next 40 years—one year for each day that the land was explored.

35 You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.
36 Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the [Lord]. 37 So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men,

38 but he let Joshua and Caleb live.

The Israelites Fail //To Enter Canaan

(Deuteronomy 1.41-45)

40 So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head toward the hill country of Canaan. They said, “We were wrong to complain about the [Lord]. Let's go into the land that he promised us.”
41 But Moses replied, “You're disobeying the [Lord]! Your plan won't work,

42-43 so don't even try it. The [Lord] refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you.”
44 But the Israelites ignored Mosest and marched toward the hill country, even though the sacred chest and Moses did not go with them. 45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down from the hill country, defeated the Israelites, and chased them as far as the town of Hormah.