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 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?" 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 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. 9 Only 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."
10 But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones.
Yahweh’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel. 11 Yahweh 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 Yahweh, "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 Yahweh are among 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. 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 Yahweh 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 ‘Yahweh 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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh’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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh, 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, 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."
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 Yahweh. 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 Yahweh has promised; for we have sinned."
41 Moses said, "Why now do you disobey the commandment of Yahweh, since it shall not prosper? 42 Don’t go up, for Yahweh 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 Yahweh; therefore Yahweh will not be with you."
44 But 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. 45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.
1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night.
2 And 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!
3 And 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?
4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
6 And Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, [who were] of those that had spied out the land, rent their clothes;
7 and 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.
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 Therefore, 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.
10 Then 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.
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?
12 I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
13 And 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;
14 and 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;
15 and that thou hast caused [all] this people to die as one man; and the Gentiles who have heard [of] thy fame will speak, saying,
16 Because 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.
17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18 The 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].
19 Pardon 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.
20 Then the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word.
21 But [as] truly [as] I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
22 Because 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,
23 [surely] they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of those that provoked me see it.
24 But my servant 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,
25 and 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.
26 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27 How long shall I hear this evil congregation, which murmurs against me, the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against me?
28 Say unto them, [As truly as] I live, saith the LORD, according as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you.
29 Your 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;
30 [doubtless] 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.
31 But 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.
32 But [as for] you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33 And your children shall be shepherded in the wilderness forty years and bear your fornications until your carcasses are wasted in the wilderness.
34 After 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].
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.
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,
37 even those men that brought 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 the men that went to spy out the land.
39 And Moses told these things unto all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.
40 And 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.
41 And Moses said, Why do ye break the commandment of the LORD? This also shall not prosper.
42 Do not go up, for the LORD [is] not among you; do be not smitten before your enemies.
43 For 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.
44 But 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.
45 Then the Amalekite came down and the Canaanite who dwelt in that hill and smote them and defeated them, [pursuing them] unto Hormah.: