1 S o all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

And all the congregation cried out with a loud voice, and wept that night.

2 A nd all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!

All the Israelites grumbled and deplored their situation, accusing Moses and Aaron, to whom the whole congregation said, Would that we had died in Egypt! Or that we had died in this wilderness!

3 W hy has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”

Why does the Lord bring us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and little ones will be a prey. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?

4 S o they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

And they said one to another, Let us choose a captain and return to Egypt.

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

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of Israelites.

6 B ut Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;

And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the scouts who had searched the land, rent their clothes,

7 a nd they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

And they said to all the company of Israelites, The land through which we passed as scouts is an exceedingly 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 delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

9 O nly do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense and the shadow is removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not.

10 A nd all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. Moses Intercedes for the People

But all the congregation said to stone with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting before all the Israelites.

11 T hen the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?

And the Lord said to Moses, How long will this people provoke (spurn, despise) Me? And how long will it be before they believe Me, for all the signs which I have performed among them?

12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

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

13 A nd Moses said to the Lord: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them,

But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for You brought up this people in Your might from among them.

14 a nd they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are in the midst of this people, that You, Lord, are seen face to face, and that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 N ow if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying,

Now if You kill all this people as one man, then the nations that have heard Your fame will say,

16 ‘ Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’

Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to give to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness.

17 A nd now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying,

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

18 ‘ The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. ’

The Lord is long-suffering and slow to anger, and abundant in mercy and loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation.

19 P ardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

Pardon, I pray You, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your mercy and loving-kindness, just as You have forgiven from Egypt until now.

20 T hen the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word;

And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to your word.

21 b ut truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord —

But truly as I live and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord,

22 b ecause all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice,

Because all those men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tested and proved Me these ten times and have not heeded My voice,

23 t hey certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.

Surely they shall not see the land which I swore to give to their fathers; nor shall any who provoked (spurned, despised) Me see it.

24 B ut My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.

But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

25 N ow the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.” Death Sentence on the Rebels

Now because the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.

26 A nd the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

27 “ How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.

How long will this evil congregation murmur against Me? I have heard the complaints the Israelites murmur against Me.

28 S ay to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

Tell them, As I live, says the Lord, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you:

29 T he carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.

Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness—of all who were numbered of you, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me,

30 E xcept for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.

Surely none shall come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

31 B ut your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.

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

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

But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.

33 A nd your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.

And your children shall be wanderers and shepherds in the wilderness for forty years and shall suffer for your whoredoms (your infidelity to your espoused God), until your corpses are consumed in the wilderness.

34 A ccording to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.

After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for each day a year shall you bear and suffer for your iniquities, even for forty years, and you shall know My displeasure.

35 I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’”

I the Lord have spoken; surely this will I do to all this evil congregation who is gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and here they shall die.

36 N ow the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land,

And the men whom Moses sent to search the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble and complain against him by bringing back a slanderous report of the land,

37 t hose very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.

Even those men who brought the evil report of the land died by a plague before the Lord.

38 B ut Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land. A Futile Invasion Attempt

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

39 T hen Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

Moses told words to all the Israelites, and mourned greatly.

40 A nd they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned!”

And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, Behold, we are here, and we intend to go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned.

41 A nd Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord ? For this will not succeed.

But Moses said, Why now do you transgress the command of the Lord, since it will not succeed?

42 D o not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you.

Go not up, for the Lord is not among you, that you be not struck down before your enemies.

43 F or the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”

For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from following after the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.

44 B ut they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.

But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country; however, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp.

45 T hen the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.

Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country and smote the Israelites and beat them back, even as far as Hormah.