1 ¶ Then all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night.

Then all the people cried out with a loud voice, and they cried that night.

2 A nd all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said unto them, Oh, that we might die in the land of Egypt or that we might die in this wilderness!

All the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this desert!

3 A nd why has the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Would it not be better for us to return into Egypt?

Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to be killed by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken away. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”

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

So they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and return to Egypt.”

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

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of all the gathering of the people of Israel.

6 A nd Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who were of those that had spied out the land, rent their clothes;

And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh tore their clothes. They were among those who had spied out the land.

7 a nd they spoke unto all the company of the sons of Israel, saying, The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceeding good land.

They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we passed through to spy out is a very good land.

8 I f the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.

If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us. It is a land which flows with milk and honey.

9 T herefore, do not be rebels against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are our bread; their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.

Only do not go against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land. For they will be our food. They have no way to keep safe, and the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

10 T hen all the multitude spoke of stoning them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the testimony before all the sons of Israel.

But all the people said to throw stones at Joshua and Caleb. Then the shining-greatness of the Lord was seen in the meeting tent by all the people of Israel. Moses Prays for the People

11 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? How long will it be before they believe me, with all the signs which I have done among them?

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people turn away from Me? How long will they not believe in Me, even after all the great works I have done among them?

12 I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

I will punish them with disease, and will not give them the land. And I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”

13 A nd Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, for thou didst bring this people out of the midst of them with thy might;

But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it. For You brought this people here by Your strength from among them.

14 a nd the inhabitants of this land will say, for they have already heard that thou, oh LORD, wast among this people, that thou, O LORD, art seen face to face, and that thy cloud was over them, and that thou didst go before them by day time in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night;

And they will tell the people who live in this land. They have heard that You, O Lord, are with these people and that You, O Lord, are seen face to face as Your cloud is over them. You go before them in a cloud during the day, and in fire during the night.

15 a nd that thou hast caused all this people to die as one man; and the Gentiles who have heard of thy fame will speak, saying,

Now if You kill these people as one man, the nations who have heard how great You are will say,

16 B ecause the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore unto them; therefore, he has slain them in the wilderness.

‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land He promised to give them. So He has killed them in the desert.’

17 A nd now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great as You have promised, saying,

18 T he LORD is longsuffering and of great mercy, letting go of iniquity and transgression and absolving, but by no means absolving the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generations.

‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with loving-kindness, forgiving sin and wrong-doing. But He will not let the guilty go without being punished. He brings the sin of fathers down upon the children, even the great-grandchildren.’

19 P ardon now the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.

I pray that You will forgive the sin of this people by the greatness of Your loving-kindness. Forgive them as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”

20 ¶ Then the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word.

So the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked.

21 B ut as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

But for sure, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the shining-greatness of the Lord.

22 B ecause all those men who saw my glory and my signs which I have done in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkened to my voice,

All the men who have seen My greatness and My wonderful works which I did in Egypt and in the desert but have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, for sure, they

23 s urely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of those that provoked me see it.

will not see the land I promised to their fathers. None of those who have turned away from Me will see it.

24 B ut my slave Caleb, because there was another spirit in him, and he proved to follow after me, I will bring him into the land that he entered into, and his seed shall receive it by inheritance,

But My servant Caleb has had a different spirit and has followed Me in every way. I will bring him into the land where he went, and his children will take it for themselves.

25 a nd even the Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwell in the valley. Turn around tomorrow and go into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys. So turn tomorrow and move on to the desert by the way of the Red Sea.” Punishment for the People Who Complained

26 A nd the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

27 H ow long shall I hear this evil congregation, which murmurs against me, the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against me?

“How long will these sinful people speak against Me? I have heard the people of Israel complaining against Me.

28 S ay unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, according as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you.

Say to them, ‘As I live, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you,’ says the Lord.

29 Y our carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me;

‘Your dead bodies will fall in this desert, all of you who were numbered from twenty years old and older, who have spoken against Me.

30 d oubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

For sure, not one will go into the land where I promised to have you live, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

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

You said that your children would be taken and killed. But I will bring them in, and they will know the land you have turned away from.

32 B ut as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.

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

33 A nd your children shall be shepherded in the wilderness forty years and bear your fornications until your carcasses are wasted in the wilderness.

Your children will be shepherds in the desert for forty years. They will suffer because you were not faithful, until your dead bodies lie in the desert.

34 A fter the number of the days in which ye spied out the land, even forty days, each day for a year, ye shall bear your iniquities forty years, and ye shall know my reason for annulling my promise.

You spied out the land for forty days. For each day you will carry your guilt a year, forty years. And you will know that I am against you.

35 I , the LORD, have spoken, 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.

I the Lord have spoken. For sure I will do this to all these sinful people who are gathered together against Me. They will be destroyed in this desert. And there they will die.’”

36 ¶ And the men, whom Moses had sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land,

Moses had sent men to spy out the land. They returned and made all the people complain against him by bringing bad news about the land.

37 e ven those men that brought an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

These men who brought the very bad news about the land died of a disease before the Lord.

38 B ut Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of the men that went to spy out the land.

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh stayed alive, of those men who went to spy out the land.

39 A nd Moses told these things unto all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people were filled with much sorrow.

40 A nd they rose up early in the morning and climbed up into the top of the mountain, saying, Here we are prepared to go up unto the place of which the LORD has spoken; for we have sinned.

They got up early in the morning and went up to the top of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. It is true we have sinned. But we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised.”

41 A nd Moses said, Why do ye break the commandment of the LORD? This also shall not prosper.

But Moses said, “Why now do you sin against the Word of the Lord? It will not get you what you want.

42 D o not go up, for the LORD is not among you; do not be smitten before your enemies.

Do not go up, or you will be killed by those who fight against you. For the Lord is not with you.

43 F or the Amalekite and the Canaanite are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword; because ye are turned away from following the LORD, therefore, the LORD will not be with you.

The Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will be killed by the sword. Because you have turned away from following the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”

44 B ut they presumed to go up unto the hill top; nevertheless, the ark of the covenant of the LORD and Moses, did not depart out of the camp.

But they would not listen and went up to the top of the hill country. The special box with the Law of the Lord, and Moses, did not leave the tents.

45 T hen the Amalekite came down and the Canaanite who dwelt in that hill and smote them and defeated them, pursuing them unto Hormah.

Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and went against them and beat them down as far as Hormah.