Numbers 14
1 That night all the community wept loudly.
And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2 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!
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them: 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would we had died in this wilderness!
3 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?”
And wherefore doth the LORD bring us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey; were it not better for us to return into Egypt?'
4 They said to each another, “Let us choose another leader, and let us return to Egypt.”
And they said one to another: 'Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.'
5 Then Moses and Aaron lay facedown before all the assembly of the community of the people of Israel.
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were some of those sent to examine the land, tore their clothes.
And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of them that spied out the land, rent their clothes.
7 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.
And they spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.
8 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.
If the LORD delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it unto us — a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9 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.”
Only rebel not against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defence is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us; fear them not.'
10 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.
But all the congregation bade stone them with stones, when the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting unto all the children of Israel.
11 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?
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'How long will this people despise Me? and how long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?
12 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.”
I will smite them with the pestilence, and destroy them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.'
13 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.
And Moses said unto the LORD: 'When the Egyptians shall hear — for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them —
14 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.
they will say to the inhabitants of this land, who have heard that Thou LORD art in the midst of this people; inasmuch as Thou LORD art seen face to face, and Thy cloud standeth over them, and Thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night;
15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations that have heard of your fame will speak and say,
now if Thou shalt kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying:
16 'Because Yahweh could not take this people into the land that he swore to give them, he has killed them in the wilderness.'
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.
17 Now, I beg you, use your great power. For you have said,
And now, I pray Thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying:
18 '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.'
The LORD is slow to anger, and plenteous in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.
19 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.”
Pardon, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, and according as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.'
20 Yahweh said, “I have pardoned them in keeping with your request,
And the LORD said: 'I have pardoned according to thy word.
21 but truly, as I live, and as all the earth will be filled with my glory,
But in very deed, as I live — and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD —
22 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.
surely all those men that have seen My glory, and My signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to proof these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice;
23 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,
surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised Me see it.
24 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.
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 Canaanites lived in the valley.) Tomorrow turn and go to the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds.”
Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the Vale; tomorrow turn ye, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.'
26 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron. He said,
And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:
27 “How long must I tolerate this evil community that criticizes me? I have heard the complaining of the people of Israel against me.
'How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that keep murmuring against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they keep murmuring against Me.
28 Say to them, 'As I live,' says Yahweh, 'as you have spoken in my hearing, I will do this to you:
Say unto them: As I live, saith the LORD, surely as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you:
29 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.
your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, ye that have murmured against Me;
30 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.
surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31 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!
But your little ones, that ye said would be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have rejected.
32 As for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.
But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.
33 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.
And your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your strayings, until your carcasses be consumed in the wilderness.
34 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.
After the number of the days in which ye spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know My displeasure.
35 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.'”
I the LORD have spoken, surely this will I do unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against Me; in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.'
36 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—
And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who, when they returned, made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,
37 these men who had brought out a bad report about the land were struck down, and they died of a plague before Yahweh.
even those men that did bring up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
38 Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men that went to spy out the land.
39 When Moses reported these words to all the people of Israel, they mourned very deeply.
And Moses told these words unto all the children of Israel; and the people mourned greatly.
40 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.”
And they rose up early in the morning, and got them up to the top of the mountain, saying: 'Lo, we are here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised; for we have sinned.'
41 But Moses said, “Why are you now violating Yahweh's command? You will not succeed.
And Moses said: 'Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD, seeing it shall not prosper?
42 Do not go, because Yahweh is not with you to prevent you from being defeated by your enemies.
Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten down before your enemies.
43 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.”
For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and ye shall fall by the sword; forasmuch as ye are turned back from following the LORD, and the LORD will not be with you.'
44 But they presumed to go up into the hill country; however, neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of Yahweh left the camp.
But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain; nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
45 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.
Then the Amalekite and the Canaanite, who dwelt in that hill-country, came down, and smote them and beat them down, even unto Hormah.
