Numbers 14
1 That night, all the Israeli people cried loudly.
That night all the community wept loudly.
2 The next day they all complained to Aaron and Moses/me. All the men said, “We wish that we had died in Egypt, or in this desert!
All the people of Israel criticized Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, “We wish we had died in the land of Egypt, or here in this wilderness!
3 Why is Yahweh bringing us to this land, where we men will be killed with swords? And our wives and children will be taken away [to be slaves]. [Instead of going to Canaan]. It would be better for us to return to Egypt!”
Why did Yahweh bring us to this land to die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become victims. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?”
4 Then [some of] them said to each other, “We should choose a leader who will take us back to Egypt!”
They said to each another, “Let us choose another leader, and let us return to Egypt.”
5 Then Aaron and Moses/I bowed down [to pray] in front of all the Israeli people who had gathered there.
Then Moses and Aaron lay facedown before all the assembly of the community of the people of Israel.
6 Joshua and Caleb, two of the men who had explored the land, tore their clothes [because they were very dismayed].
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were some of those sent to examine the land, tore their clothes.
7 They said to the Israeli people, “The land that we explored is very good.
They spoke to all the community of the people of Israel. They said, “The land that we passed through and examined is a very good land.
8 If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will lead us into that very fertile [IDM] land, and he will give it to us.
If Yahweh is pleased with us, then he will take us into this land and give it to us. The land flows with milk and honey.
9 So do not rebel against Yahweh! And do not be afraid of the people in that land! We will (gobble them up/completely destroy them) [MET]! They do not have anyone who will protect them, but Yahweh will be with us [and help us]. So do not be afraid of them!”
But do not rebel against Yahweh, and do not fear the people in the land, for they are bread to us. Their protection will be removed from them, because Yahweh is with us. Do not fear them.”
10 Then all the Israeli people talked about [killing Caleb and Joshua by] throwing stones at them. But [suddenly] Yahweh’s glory appeared to them at the Sacred Tent.
Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of Yahweh appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
11 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “How long will these people reject me [RHQ]? I am tired of them not believing in what I [can do], in spite of all the miracles I have performed among them [RHQ]!
Yahweh said to Moses, “How long must this people despise me? How long must they fail to trust me, despite all the signs of my power that I have done among them?
12 So I will cause a (plague/widespread sickness) to strike them and get rid of them. But I will cause your [descendants] to become a great nation. They will be a nation that is much greater and stronger than these people are.”
I will attack them with plague, disinherit them, and make from your own clan a nation that will be greater and mightier than they are.”
13 But Moses/I replied to Yahweh, “[Please do not do that, because] the people of Egypt will hear about it! You brought these Israeli people from Egypt by your great power,
Moses said to Yahweh, “If you do this, then the Egyptians will hear about it, because you rescued this people from them by your power.
14 and the people of Egypt will tell that to the [descendants of Canaan] who live in this land. Yahweh, they have already heard about you. They know that you have (been with/helped) these people and that they have seen you face-to-face. They have heard that your cloud is like a huge pillar that stays over them, and by using that cloud you lead them during the day, and the cloud becomes like a fire at night [to give them light].
They will tell it to this land's inhabitants. They have heard that you, Yahweh, are present with this people, because you are seen face to face. Your cloud stands over our people. You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 If you kill these people all at one time, the people-groups who have heard about your [power] will say,
Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations that have heard of your fame will speak and say,
16 ‘Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land that he promised to give to them, so he killed them in the desert.’
'Because Yahweh could not take this people into the land that he swore to give them, he has killed them in the wilderness.'
17 “So Yahweh, now show that you are very powerful. You said,
Now, I beg you, use your great power. For you have said,
18 ‘I do not quickly become angry; instead, I love people very much, and I forgive people for having sinned and having disobeyed my laws. But I will always punish [LIT] people who are guilty of doing what is wrong. When parents sin, I will punish them, but I will also punish their children and their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren and their great-great-grandchildren.’
'Yahweh is slow to anger and abundant in covenant faithfulness. He forgives iniquity and transgression. He will by no means clear the guilty when he brings the punishment of the ancestors' sin on their descendants, to the third and fourth generation.'
19 So, because you love people like that, forgive these people for the sins that they have committed, just like you have continued to forgive them ever since they left Egypt.”
Pardon, I plead with you, this people's sin because of the greatness of your covenant faithfulness, just as you have always forgiven this people from the time they were in Egypt until now.”
20 Then Yahweh replied, “I have forgiven them, as you requested me to.
Yahweh said, “I have pardoned them in keeping with your request,
21 But, just as certainly as I live and that people all over the world [can see] my (glory/glorious power), [I solemnly declare this: ]
but truly, as I live, and as all the earth will be filled with my glory,
22 All these people saw my glory and all the miracles that I performed in Egypt and in the desert, but they disobeyed me, and many times they tested [whether they could continue to do evil things without my punishing them].
all those people who saw my glory and the signs of power that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness—they have still tempted me these ten times and have not listened to my voice.
23 Because of that, not one of them will see the land that I promised their ancestors [that I would give to them]. No one who rejected me will see that land.
So I say that they will certainly not see the land about which I made an oath to their ancestors. Not one of them who despised me will see it,
24 But Caleb, who serves me [well], is different from the others. He obeys me completely. So I will bring him into that land that he has already seen, and his descendants will inherit/possess some of it.
except for my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit. He has followed me fully; I will bring him into the land which he went to examine. His descendants will possess it.
25 So, since the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who are living in the valleys [in Canaan are very strong], when you leave here tomorrow, [instead of traveling toward Canaan], go back along the road through the desert towards the Red Sea.”
(Now the Amalekites and Canaanites lived in the valley.) Tomorrow turn and go to the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds.”
26 Then Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron. He said,
27 “How long will the wicked people of this nation keep complaining about me [RHQ]? I have heard everything that they have grumbled/complained against me.
“How long must I tolerate this evil community that criticizes me? I have heard the complaining of the people of Israel against me.
28 So now tell them this: ‘Just as certainly as I, Yahweh, live, I will do exactly what you said would happen.
Say to them, 'As I live,' says Yahweh, 'as you have spoken in my hearing, I will do this to you:
29 [I will cause] all of you to die here in this desert! Because you grumbled about me, none of you who are more than 20 years old and who were counted when Moses counted everyone
Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all you who complained against me, you who were counted in the census, the whole number of the people from twenty years old and upward.
30 will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give to you. Only Caleb and Joshua will enter that land.
You will certainly not go into the land that I promised to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31 You said that your children would be taken from you [to become slaves], but I will take them into the land, and they will enjoy living in the land that you (rejected/said that you could not conquer).
But your little ones who you said would be victims, I will take them into the land. They will experience the land that you have rejected!
32 But as for you [adults], you will die here in this desert.
As for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.
33 And like shepherds [wander around in the desert as they take care of their sheep], your children will wander around in this desert for 40 years. Because you adults were not loyal/faithful to me, your children will suffer until you all die in the desert.
Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years. They must bear the consequences of your acts of rebellion until the end of your corpses in the wilderness.
34 You will suffer for your sins for 40 years. That will be one year for each of the 40 days that the twelve men explored Canaan land. And I will be like an enemy to you.’
Just as the number of the days during which you examined the land—forty days, you must likewise bear the consequences of your sins for forty years—one year for every day, and you must know what it is like for me to oppose you.
35 [This will certainly happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it! I will do these things to every one in this group who conspired against me. They (conspired against/decided together to reject) me here in the desert, and they will all die right here in this desert!”
I, Yahweh, have spoken. I will certainly do this to all this evil community that is gathered together against me. They will be completely cut off, and here they will die.'”
36 Then the ten men [who had explored Canaan and] who had urged the people to rebel against Yahweh by giving reports that discouraged the people
So the men Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made the entire community grumble against Moses by spreading a bad report about the land—
37 were immediately struck with a plague/disease that Yahweh sent, and they died.
these men who had brought out a bad report about the land were struck down, and they died of a plague before Yahweh.
38 Of the twelve men who had explored Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
39 When Moses/I reported to the Israeli people what Yahweh had said, many of them were very sad.
When Moses reported these words to all the people of Israel, they mourned very deeply.
40 So the people got up early the next morning and started to go toward the hilly area in Canaan. They said, “[We know that] we have sinned, but now we [are ready to] enter the land that Yahweh promised to give to us.”
They rose up early in the morning and went to the top of the mountain and said, “Look, we are here, and we will go to the place that Yahweh has promised, for we have sinned.”
41 But Moses/I said, “Yahweh commanded you [to return to the desert, so] why are you now disobeying him [RHQ]? It will not (succeed/be possible).
But Moses said, “Why are you now violating Yahweh's command? You will not succeed.
42 Do not try to enter the land now! [If you try], your enemies will defeat you, because Yahweh will not (be with/help) you.
Do not go, because Yahweh is not with you to prevent you from being defeated by your enemies.
43 When you begin to fight the descendants of Amalek and Canaan, they will slaughter you! Yahweh will abandon you, because you have abandoned him.”
The Amalekites and Canaanites are there, and you will die by the sword because you turned back from following Yahweh. So he will not be with you.”
44 But even though Moses/I did not leave the camp, and the sacred chest that contained the Ten Commandments was not taken from the camp, the people began to go towards the hilly area in Canaan.
But they presumed to go up into the hill country; however, neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of Yahweh left the camp.
45 Then the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who lived in that hilly area came down and attacked them and chased them as far [south] as [the town of] Hormah.
Then the Amalekites came down, and also the Canaanites who lived on those hills. They attacked the Israelites and defeated them all the way to Hormah.
