14
1 All
the congregation
lifted up their
voice, and cried;
and the people
wept that night.
2 All
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!
3 Why
does the LORD
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?”
4 They said
to one another, “Let’s choose
a leader, and
let’s return into
Egypt.”
5 Then
Moses and Aaron
fell on their
faces before all
the assembly of
the congregation
of the children
of Israel.
6 Joshua
the son of
Nun and Caleb
the son of
Jephunneh, who
were of those
who spied out
the land, tore
their clothes.
7 They spoke
to all the
congregation of
the children of
Israel, saying, “The land,
which we passed
through to spy
it out, is
an exceedingly
good land.
8 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 Only don’t
rebel against the
LORD, neither fear
the people of
the land; for they
are bread for
us. Their defense
is removed from
over them, and
the LORD is
with us. Don’t
fear them.”
10 But
all the
congregation threatened
to stone them
with stones.
The LORD’s glory
appeared in
the Tent of
Meeting to all
the children of
Israel.
11 The
LORD said to Moses,
“How long will
this people
despise me? How
long will they
not believe in me,
for all the signs
which I have
worked 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.”
13 Moses
said to the
LORD, “Then the
Egyptians will
hear it; for
you brought up
this people in
your might from
among them.
14 They
will tell it
to the inhabitants
of this land.
They have heard
that you LORD
are among this
people; for you
LORD 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.
15 Now if
you killed this
people as one
man, then the
nations which have
heard the fame
of you will speak,
saying,
16 ‘Because
the LORD was
not able to bring
this people into
the land which he
swore to them,
therefore he has
slain them in
the wilderness.’
17 Now
please let the
power of
the Lord
be great, according
as you have
spoken, saying,
18 ‘The
LORD is slow to
anger, and
abundant in loving
kindness, forgiving
iniquity and disobedience;
and he will
by no means
clear the guilty,
visiting the
iniquity of
the fathers on the
children, on the
third and on
the fourth
generation.’
19 Please
pardon the
iniquity of this
people according to
the greatness of
your loving kindness,
and just as
you have forgiven
this people, from
Egypt even until
now.”
20 The
LORD said, “I
have pardoned according
to your word;
21 but
in very deed—as I
live, and as
all the earth
shall be filled
with the LORD’s
glory—
22 because
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;
23 surely
they shall not
see the land which
I swore to
their fathers, neither
shall any of
those who despised
me see it.
24 But
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.
25 Since the
Amalekite and the
Canaanite dwell in
the valley,
tomorrow turn and
go into the
wilderness by the
way to the
Red Sea.”
26 The
LORD spoke to
Moses and to Aaron,
saying,
27 “How
long shall I bear
with this evil
congregation that complain
against me? I
have heard the
complaints of the
children of Israel,
which they complain
against me.
28 Tell
them, ‘As I
live, says the
LORD, surely as
you have spoken
in my ears, so
I will do
to you.
29 Your
dead bodies shall
fall in this
wilderness; and
all who were
counted of you,
according to your
whole number, from
twenty years old
and upward, who
have complained against
me,
30 surely
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.
31 But
I will bring
in your little
ones that you said
should be captured or killed,
and they shall
know the land
which you have
rejected.
32 But as
for you, your
dead bodies shall
fall in this
wilderness.
33 Your
children shall
be wanderers in
the wilderness forty
years, and shall
bear your
prostitution, until
your dead bodies
are consumed in
the wilderness.
34 After
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.’
35 I,
the LORD, 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.”
36 The
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,
37 even
those men who
brought up an
evil report of
the land, died
by the plague
before the LORD.
38 But
Joshua the son
of Nun and
Caleb the son
of Jephunneh
remained alive of
those men who
went to spy
out the land.
39 Moses
told these words
to all the
children of Israel,
and the
people mourned greatly.
40 They
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 the LORD
has promised; for
we have sinned.”
41 Moses
said, “Why now
do you disobey the
commandment of the
LORD, since it
shall not prosper?
42 Don’t go
up, for the
LORD isn’t among
you; that way
you won’t be
struck down before
your enemies.
43 For
there the
Amalekite and the
Canaanite are
before you, and
you will fall
by the sword
because you turned
back from following
the LORD;
therefore the LORD
will not be
with you.”
44 But
they presumed to
go up to
the top of
the mountain. Nevertheless,
the ark of the
LORD’s covenant
and Moses didn’t
depart out of
the camp.
45 Then
the Amalekites
came down, and
the Canaanites who
lived in that
mountain, and
struck them and
beat them down
even to Hormah.