1 A ll the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

2 A ll the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!

And 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!

3 W hy does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?”

Why 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?”

4 T hey said to one another, “Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.”

So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader 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 the congregation of the children of Israel.

6 J oshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.

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

7 T hey spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.

and 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.

8 I f Yahweh 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 which flows with milk and honey.’

9 O nly don’t rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don’t fear them.”

Only 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.”

10 B ut all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. Yahweh’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.

And 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

11 Y ahweh said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?

Then 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?

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

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

13 M oses said to Yahweh, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them.

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

14 T hey will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you Yahweh are in the middle of this people; for you Yahweh are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over 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 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.

15 N ow if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,

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

16 ‘ Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’

‘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.’

17 N ow please let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying,

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

18 ‘ Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’

‘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. ’

19 P lease pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and according as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

Pardon 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.”

20 Y ahweh said, “I have pardoned according to your word:

Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word;

21 b ut in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with Yahweh’s glory;

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

22 b ecause all those men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;

because 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,

23 s urely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.

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

24 B ut my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.

But 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.

25 S ince the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn, and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

Now 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

26 Y ahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Moses and 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.

“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.

28 T ell them, ‘As I live, says Yahweh, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you.

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

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

The 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.

30 s urely you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Except 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.

31 B ut your little ones, that you said should be captured or killed, them I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.

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

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

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

33 Y our children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.

And 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.

34 A fter the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’

According 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.

35 I , Yahweh, have spoken. I will surely do this 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 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.’”

36 T he 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,

Now 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,

37 e ven those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before Yahweh.

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

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

But 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

39 M oses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

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

40 T hey rose up early in the morning, and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised: for we have sinned.”

And 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!”

41 M oses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of Yahweh, since it shall not prosper?

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

42 D on’t go up, for Yahweh isn’t among you; that you not be struck down before your enemies.

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

43 F or there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you shall fall by the sword, because you turned back from following Yahweh, therefore Yahweh 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 the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”

44 B ut they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of Yahweh’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp.

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

45 T hen the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down, even to Hormah.

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