1 A nd all the company lifteth up and give forth their voice, and the people weep during that night;

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

2 a nd all the sons of Israel murmur against Moses, and against Aaron, and all the company say unto them, `O that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, O that we had died!

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 a nd why is Jehovah bringing us in unto this land to fall by the sword? our wives and our infants are become a prey; is it not good for us to turn back to 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 A nd they say one unto another, `Let us appoint a head, and turn back to Egypt.'

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

5 A nd Moses falleth -- Aaron also -- on their faces, before all the assembly of the company of the sons of Israel.

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

6 A nd Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those spying the land, have rent their garments,

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 a nd they speak unto all the company of the sons of Israel, saying, `The land into which we have passed over to spy it, a very very 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 Jehovah hath delighted in us, then He hath brought us in unto this land, and hath given it to us, a land which is flowing 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, against Jehovah rebel not ye: and ye, fear not ye the people of the land, for our bread they; their defence hath turned aside from off them, and Jehovah with us; fear them not.'

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 A nd all the company say to stone them with stones, and the honour of Jehovah hath appeared in the tent of meeting unto all the sons 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 A nd Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Until when doth this people despise Me? and until when do they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have done in its midst?

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 smite it with pestilence, and dispossess it, and make thee become a nation greater and mightier than it.'

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

13 A nd Moses saith unto Jehovah, `Then have the Egyptians heard! for Thou hast brought up with Thy power this people out of their midst,

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 a nd they have said unto the inhabitant of this land, they have heard that Thou, Jehovah, in the midst of this people, that eye to eye Thou art seen -- O Jehovah, and Thy cloud is standing over them, -- and in a pillar of cloud Thou art going before them 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 ` And Thou hast put to death this people as one man, and the nations who have heard Thy fame have spoken, saying,

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

16 F rom Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them -- He doth slaughter 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 ` And now, let, I pray Thee, the power of my Lord be great, as Thou hast spoken, saying:

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

18 J ehovah slow to anger, and of great kindness; bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third, and on a fourth; --

‘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 f orgive, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of Thy kindness, and as Thou hast borne with 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 A nd Jehovah saith, `I have forgiven, according to thy word;

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

21 a nd yet, I live -- and it is filled -- the whole earth -- the honour of Jehovah;

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

22 f or all the men who are seeing My honour, and My signs, which I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and try Me these ten times, and have not hearkened 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 t hey see not the land which I have sworn to their fathers, yea, none of those despising 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 a nd My servant Caleb, because there hath been another spirit with him, and he is fully after Me -- I have brought him in unto the land whither he hath entered, and his seed doth 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 ` And the Amalekite and the Canaanite are dwelling in the valley; to-morrow turn ye and journey for yourselves into the wilderness -- the way of 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 A nd Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

27 ` Until when hath this evil company that which they are murmuring against Me? the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against Me, I have heard;

“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 s ay unto them, I live -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- if, as ye have spoken in Mine ears -- so I do not 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 i n this wilderness do your carcases fall, even all your numbered ones, to all your number, from a son of twenty years 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 y e -- ye come not in unto the land which I have lifted up My hand to cause you to tabernacle in it, except Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua 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 ` As to your infants -- of whom ye have said, A spoil they are become -- I have even brought them in, and they have known the land which ye have kicked against;

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 a s to you -- your carcases do fall in this wilderness,

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

33 a nd your sons are evil in the wilderness forty years, and have borne your whoredoms till your carcases 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 b y the number of the days which ye spied the land, forty days, -- a day for a year, a day for a year -- ye do bear your iniquities, forty years, and ye have known my breaking off;

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 Jehovah, I have spoken; if I do not this to all this evil company who are meeting against me; -- in this wilderness they are consumed, and there they 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 A nd the men whom Moses hath sent to spy the land, and they turn back and cause all the company to murmur against him, by bringing out an evil account concerning 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 the men bringing out an evil account of the land die by the plague before Jehovah;

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

38 a nd Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Jephunneh, have lived of those men who go 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 A nd Moses speaketh these words unto all the sons of Israel, and the people mourn exceedingly,

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

40 a nd they rise early in the morning, and go up unto the top of the mountain, saying, `Here we, and we have come up unto the place which Jehovah hath spoken of, 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 A nd Moses saith, `Why this? -- ye are transgressing the command of Jehovah, and it doth not prosper;

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

42 g o not up, for Jehovah is not in your midst, and ye are not smitten before your enemies;

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

43 f or the Amalekite and the Canaanite there before you, and ye have fallen by the sword, because that ye have turned back from after Jehovah, and Jehovah is not 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 A nd they presume to go up unto the top of the mountain, and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah and Moses have not departed out of the midst 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 A nd the Amalekite and the Canaanite who are dwelling in that mountain come down and smite them, and beat them down -- unto 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.