14 Then all the people started to weep loudly. And they cried all night. 2 All the Israelites spoke bad words against Moses and Aaron. All the people said to them, ‘We would rather have died in Egypt, or even in this desert! 3 Why has the Lord brought us into this land? Its people will kill us all with swords. They will take our wives and our children for themselves. We think that it would be better for us to return to Egypt.’ 4 So they said to each other, ‘We should choose a new leader instead of Moses. Then we should return to Egypt.’
5 Then Moses and Aaron threw themselves on the ground in front of the whole group of the Israelites. 6 Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, were two of the men who had explored the land. They were very upset and they tore their clothes. [ a ] 7 Joshua and Caleb said to all the Israelites, ‘The land that we travelled through to explore is a very good land. 8 If the Lord is happy with us, he will bring us into this land. And he will give it to us. In that land there is plenty of food and drink, enough for everyone. 9 But do not refuse to obey the Lord . Do not be afraid of the people in that land. They are ready for us to fight against them and win! They have no place to hide! The Lord is with us to help us. So do not be afraid of them.’
10 Then all the people wanted to throw stones at Joshua and Caleb to kill them. But the glory of the Lord appeared over the Tent of Meeting. All the Israelites could see that.
11 The Lord said to Moses, ‘These people continue to turn away from me. I did great miracles to show them my power. But still they will not trust me. 12 I will send a disease to kill them. They will not get any of the good things that I wanted to give to them. Then I will make you, Moses, the ancestor of a nation greater and more powerful than they are.’
13 Moses said to the Lord , ‘Please do not do that! You used your great power to bring these people out of Egypt. If you destroy them, the Egyptians will hear about it. 14 Then they will tell the people who live in this land about it. They know that you, Lord , are among your people. They know that you meet with your people. They know that your cloud stays over them. They know that you lead them as a pillar of cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire during the night. 15 The people in other nations have heard of your power. So now, if you kill all your people together, the people in those nations will say, 16 “The Lord could not bring those people into the land that he had seriously promised to give to them. So he killed all of them in the desert.”
17 But now, I pray that you will show how powerful you are. You yourself have said, 18 “The Lord does not quickly become angry. His faithful love for his people continues for ever. He forgives people when they turn against him and they do bad things. But if someone is guilty, he surely punishes them. And he punishes their children, their grandchildren and their grandchildren's children.”
19 So please forgive the very bad thing that these people have done. Do that because your faithful love is so great. You have forgiven these people since they left Egypt until now. So please be kind and forgive them again now.’
20 Then the Lord said, ‘I have forgiven them as you asked me to do. 21 As surely as I live, and all the earth will be full of my glory, I tell you this. 22 All these people have seen my glory. They have seen the miracles that I did in Egypt and in the desert. But they have tested me many times now to see if I would punish them. They still do not obey me. 23 So I tell you, none of them will ever see the land that I promised to give to their ancestors. None of those men who did not trust me will see that place. 24 But my servant Caleb has thought differently, and he has obeyed me completely. So I will bring him into the land that he explored. It will belong to his descendants. 25 The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys now. So tomorrow you must turn back. You must travel through the desert towards the Red Sea.’
26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 ‘These evil people have complained against me too many times! I have heard the bad things that the Israelites have said against me. 28 Tell them this: “I, the Lord , have heard your words. I promise you, as surely as I live, I will certainly do to you as you have said. 29 Your dead bodies will fall to the ground in this desert. All the men that Moses counted will die. Those were the men who were 20 years old or older when he counted them. They complained against me and now they will die in this desert. 30 None of them will go into the land that I promised to give to you to live in. The only men who will go in are Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. 31 You said that the people in Canaan would take your children to be their slaves. But I will bring those children into the land. You did not want that land for yourselves, but now it will belong to your children. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies will fall to the ground in this desert. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the desert for 40 years. Because you did not trust me, your children will have trouble. That will continue until all your dead bodies are lying in the desert. 34 You explored the land of Canaan for 40 days. Now you will have trouble for 40 years, because of your sins. Each day becomes one year! You will know that I am not with you, but I am against you. 35 I, the Lord , have spoken! I will certainly do all these things to punish these evil people. That is because they have all joined together to speak against me. In this desert they will die. Yes, that will be the end of them!” ’
36-37 The men who had given a bad report to the people about the land of Canaan died immediately. Moses had sent them to explore the land, but they had caused all the people to turn against the Lord . So the Lord sent a bad disease to kill those men. 38 Only two men who had gone to explore the land did not die. They were Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh.
39 When Moses gave God's message to all the Israelites, the people were very sad. 40 But the next morning, they got up early. They went up to the top of the hills near there. They said, ‘We have certainly done a bad thing. But now we are ready! We will go to the place that the Lord has promised to give to us.’
41 But Moses said, ‘You are still not obeying the Lord 's command. Why is that? It will not happen as you want. 42 Do not go into that land. The Lord is not with you. So your enemies will win against you. 43 The Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you. They will kill you with their swords. That will happen because you have refused to obey the Lord . So the Lord will not be with you to help you.’
44 But the people did not listen to Moses. Moses and the Lord 's Covenant Box stayed in the camp. But still the men went up to the top of the hills. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills ran down. They attacked the Israelite men and they chased them to Hormah. [ b ]
14 That night all the people in the camp began shouting loudly. 2 The Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron. All the people came together and said to Moses and Aaron, “We should have died in Egypt or in the desert. 3 Did the Lord bring us to this new land to be killed in war? The enemy will kill us and take our wives and children! It would be better for us to go back to Egypt.”
4 Then the people said to each other, “Let’s choose another leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Moses and Aaron bowed low to the ground in front of all the people gathered there. 6 Joshua and Caleb became very upset. (Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were two of the men who explored the land.) 7 These two men said to all the Israelites gathered there, “The land that we saw is very good. 8 It is a land filled with many good things. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land. And he will give that land to us. 9 So don’t turn against the Lord ! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land. We can defeat them. They have no protection, nothing to keep them safe. But we have the Lord with us, so don’t be afraid!”
10 All the people began talking about killing Joshua and Caleb with stones. But the Glory of the Lord appeared over the Meeting Tent where all the people could see it. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “How long will these people continue to turn against me? They show that they don’t trust me or believe in my power, in spite of the many miracles I have done among them. 12 I will kill them all with a terrible sickness. I will destroy them, and I will use you to make another nation. Your nation will be greater and stronger than these people.”
13 Then Moses said to the Lord , “If you do that, the Egyptians will hear about it! They know that you used your great power to bring your people out of Egypt. 14 The Egyptians have already told the people in Canaan about it. They already know you are the Lord . They know that you are with your people. They know that the people saw you. Those people know about the special cloud. They know you use the cloud to lead your people during the day. And they know the cloud becomes a fire to lead your people at night. 15 So you must not kill these people now. If you kill them, all the nations who have heard about your power will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he promised them. So he killed them in the desert.’
17 “So now, Lord, show your strength! Show it the way you said you would. 18 You said, ‘The Lord is slow to become angry. He is full of great love. He forgives [ a ] those who are guilty and break the law. But he always punishes those who are guilty. He punishes them, and he also punishes their children, their grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren for those bad things.’ 19 Now, show your great love to these people. Forgive their sin. Forgive them the same way you have been forgiving them since the time they left Egypt until now.”
20 The Lord answered, “Yes, I will forgive the people as you asked. 21 But I tell you the truth. As surely as I live and as surely as the Glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, I make you this promise: 22 None of the people I led out of Egypt will ever see the land of Canaan. They saw my glory and the great signs that I did in Egypt and in the desert. But they disobeyed me and tested me ten times. 23 I promised their ancestors that I would give them that land. But none of those people who turned against me will ever enter that land! 24 But my servant Caleb was different. He follows me completely. So I will bring him into the land that he has already seen, and his people will get that land. 25 The Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valley. So tomorrow you must leave this place. Go back to the desert on the road to the Red Sea.”
26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long will these evil people continue to complain against me? I have heard their complaints and their griping. 28 So tell them, ‘The Lord says that he will surely do all those things to you that you complained about. This is what will happen to you: 29 You will die in this desert. Every person who is 20 years old or older and was counted as one of my people will die. You complained against me. 30 So none of you will ever enter and live in the land that I promised to give you. Only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun will enter that land. 31 You were afraid and complained that your enemies in that new land would take your children away from you. But I tell you that I will bring them into the land. They will enjoy what you refused to accept. 32 As for you people, you will die in this desert.
33 “‘Your children will wander around like shepherds here in the desert for 40 years. They will suffer because you were not faithful to me. They must suffer until all of you lie dead in the desert. 34 For 40 years you will suffer for your sins. (That is one year for each of the 40 days that the men explored the land.) You will know that it is a terrible thing for me to be against you.’
35 “I am the Lord , and I have spoken. And I promise that I will do these things to all these evil people. They have come together against me. So they will all die here in this desert.”
36 The men Moses sent to explore the new land were the ones who came back complaining about him to all the Israelites. They said that the people were not strong enough to enter that land. 37 The men were responsible for spreading the trouble among the Israelites. So the Lord caused a sickness to kill all those men. 38 But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were among the men who were sent out to explore the land. They are the only ones who did not get the sickness that caused the others to die.
39 When Moses told the Israelites this, they were very sad. 40 Early the next morning the people started to go up to the high hill country. They said, “We have sinned. We are sorry that we did not trust the Lord. We will go to the place that the Lord promised.”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you not obeying the Lord ’s command? You will not be successful! 42 Don’t go into that land. The Lord is not with you, so your enemies will easily defeat you. 43 The Amalekites and Canaanites will fight against you there. You have turned away from the Lord , so he will not be with you when you fight them. And you will all be killed in battle.”
44 But the people did not believe Moses. They went toward the high hill country. But Moses and the Box of the Lord ’s Agreement did not go with the people. 45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites living in the hill country came down and attacked the Israelites and easily defeated them and chased them all the way to Hormah.
14 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not 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 children of Israel.
6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord , neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.
10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
11 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed 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 broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16 Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath 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, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
20 And 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 which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did 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 sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
26 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord , as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.
30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
35 I the Lord have said, 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, which Moses sent to search 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 did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord .
38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned.
41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord ? but it shall not prosper.
42 Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from 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, departed not out of the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
14 Then all the congregation [ a ] raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept [ b ] that night. 2 And all the sons of Israel ( A ) grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “ ( B ) If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness! 3 So why is the Lord bringing us into this land ( C ) to fall by the sword? ( D ) Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “ ( E ) Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”
5 ( F ) Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “ ( G ) The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 ( H ) If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us— ( I ) a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only ( J ) do not rebel against the Lord ; and do not ( K ) fear the people of the land, for they will be our [ c ] prey. Their [ d ] protection is gone from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 ( L ) But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then ( M ) the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
11 ( N ) And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people be disrespectful to Me? And how long will ( O ) they not [ e ] believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? 12 I will strike them with [ f ] ( P ) plague and dispossess them, and I ( Q ) will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13 ( R ) But Moses said to the Lord , “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people up from their midst, 14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord , are in the midst of this people, because ( S ) You, Lord , are seen eye to eye, while 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 put this people to death [ g ] all at once, ( T ) then the nations who have heard of Your fame will [ h ] say, 16 ‘Since the Lord ( U ) could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 So now, please, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, saying, 18 ‘ ( V ) The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in mercy, forgiving wrongdoing and violation of His Law ; but ( W ) He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, ( X ) inflicting the [ i ] punishment of the fathers on the children [ j ] to the third and the fourth generations .’ 19 Please ( Y ) forgive the guilt of this people in accordance with the greatness of Your mercy, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
20 So the Lord said, “ ( Z ) I have forgiven them in accordance with your word; 21 however, ( AA ) as I live, [ k ] ( AB ) all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord . 22 Certainly ( AC ) all the people who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet ( AD ) have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 ( AE ) shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who were disrespectful to Me see it. 24 But as for My servant Caleb, ( AF ) because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, ( AG ) I will bring him into the land which he [ l ] entered, and his [ m ] descendants shall take possession of it. 25 ( AH ) Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way of the [ n ] Red Sea.”
26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying, 27 “How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are ( AI ) grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are [ o ] voicing against Me. 28 Say to them, ‘ ( AJ ) As I live,’ declares the Lord , ‘just as ( AK ) you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you; 29 ( AL ) your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all ( AM ) your [ p ] numbered men according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 30 By no means will you come into the land where I [ q ] swore to settle you, ( AN ) except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 ( AO ) Your children, however, whom you said would become plunder—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 32 ( AP ) But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33 Also, your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for ( AQ ) forty years, and they will [ r ] suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your bodies perish in the wilderness. 34 In accordance with the ( AR ) number of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your [ s ] guilt a year, that is , forty years, and you will know My opposition. 35 ( AS ) I, the Lord , have spoken, I certainly will do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. They shall be worn out in this wilderness, and there they shall die.’”
36 ( AT ) As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who returned and led all the congregation to grumble against him by bringing a bad report about the land, 37 ( AU ) those men who brought the bad report of the land also died by a ( AV ) plague in the presence of the Lord . 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.
39 Now when Moses spoke ( AW ) these words to all the sons of Israel, ( AX ) the people mourned greatly. 40 In the morning, however, they got up early and went up to the [ t ] ridge of the hill country, saying, “ ( AY ) Here we are; and we will go up to the place which the Lord has [ u ] promised, for [ v ] we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “ ( AZ ) Why then are you ( BA ) violating the [ w ] command of the Lord , when doing so will not succeed? 42 ( BB ) Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, [ x ] to prevent you from being defeated [ y ] by your enemies. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there [ z ] to confront you, and you will fall by the sword, since you have turned back from following the Lord . And the Lord will not be with you.” 44 But they foolishly dared to go up to the [ aa ] ridge of the hill country; neither ( BC ) the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and scattered them as far as ( BD ) Hormah.
14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. ( A ) 2 All the Israelites grumbled ( B ) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! ( C ) Or in this wilderness! ( D ) 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? ( E ) Our wives and children ( F ) will be taken as plunder. ( G ) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? ( H ) ” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. ( I ) ”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown ( J ) in front of the whole Israelite assembly ( K ) gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun ( L ) and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes ( M ) 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. ( N ) 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, ( O ) he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, ( P ) and will give it to us. ( Q ) 9 Only do not rebel ( R ) against the Lord . And do not be afraid ( S ) of the people of the land, ( T ) because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with ( U ) us. ( V ) Do not be afraid of them.” ( W )
10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning ( X ) them. Then the glory of the Lord ( Y ) appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? ( Z ) How long will they refuse to believe in me, ( AA ) in spite of all the signs ( AB ) I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague ( AC ) and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation ( AD ) greater and stronger than they.” ( AE )
13 Moses said to the Lord , “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. ( AF ) 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard ( AG ) that you, Lord , are with these people ( AH ) and that you, Lord , have been seen face to face, ( AI ) that your cloud stays over them, ( AJ ) and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. ( AK ) 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, ( AL ) so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ ( AM )
17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. ( AN ) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ ( AO ) 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive ( AP ) the sin of these people, ( AQ ) just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” ( AR )
20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, ( AS ) as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live ( AT ) and as surely as the glory of the Lord ( AU ) fills the whole earth, ( AV ) 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs ( AW ) I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times ( AX ) — 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath ( AY ) to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt ( AZ ) will ever see it. ( BA ) 24 But because my servant Caleb ( BB ) has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, ( BC ) I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. ( BD ) 25 Since the Amalekites ( BE ) and the Canaanites ( BF ) are living in the valleys, turn ( BG ) back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. [ a ] ( BH ) ”
26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. ( BI ) 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, ( BJ ) declares the Lord , I will do to you ( BK ) the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall ( BL ) —every one of you twenty years old or more ( BM ) who was counted in the census ( BN ) and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land ( BO ) I swore with uplifted hand ( BP ) to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh ( BQ ) and Joshua son of Nun. ( BR ) 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. ( BS ) 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall ( BT ) in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, ( BU ) suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years ( BV ) —one year for each of the forty days you explored the land ( BW ) —you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord , have spoken, and I will surely do these things ( BX ) to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die. ( BY ) ”
36 So the men Moses had sent ( BZ ) to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble ( CA ) against him by spreading a bad report ( CB ) about it— 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report ( CC ) about the land were struck down and died of a plague ( CD ) before the Lord . 38 Of the men who went to explore the land, ( CE ) only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived. ( CF )
39 When Moses reported this ( CG ) to all the Israelites, they mourned ( CH ) bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, ( CI ) saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned! ( CJ ) ”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord ’s command? This will not succeed! ( CK ) 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, ( CL ) 43 for the Amalekites ( CM ) and the Canaanites ( CN ) will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord , he will not be with you ( CO ) and you will fall by the sword.”
44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up ( CP ) toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord ’s covenant moved from the camp. ( CQ ) 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites ( CR ) who lived in that hill country ( CS ) came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah. ( CT )
