Then all the congregation
1lifted
up their voices
and cried
, and the people
wept
2that night
.
All the sons
of Israel
agrumbled
against
Moses
and Aaron
; and the whole
congregation
said
to them, " bWould
that we had died
in the land
of Egypt
! Or
would
that we had died
in this
wilderness
!
"Why is the LORD
bringing
us into this
land
, ato fall
by the sword
? bOur wives
and our little
ones
will become
plunder
; would it not be better
for us to return
to Egypt
?"
So they said to one
another
, " aLet us appoint
a leader
and return
to Egypt
."
aThen Moses and Aaron
fell
on their faces
in the presence
of all
the assembly
of the congregation
of the sons
of Israel
.
Joshua the son
of Nun
and Caleb
the son
of Jephunneh
, of those who had spied
out the land
, tore
their clothes
;
and they spoke to all
the congregation
of the sons
of Israel
, saying
, " aThe land
which
we passed
through
to spy
out is an exceedingly
good
land
.
" aIf the LORD
is pleased
with us, then He will bring
us into this
land
and give
it to us-- ba land
which
flows
with milk
and honey
.
"Only ado not rebel
against the LORD
; and do not bfear
the people
of the land
, for they will be our 1prey
. Their 2protection
has been removed
from them, and the LORD
is with us; do not fear
them."
aBut all the congregation
said
to stone
them with stones
. Then bthe glory
of the LORD
appeared
in the tent
of meeting
to all
the sons
of Israel
.
aThe LORD said
to Moses
, "How
long
will this
people
spurn
Me? And how
long
will bthey not believe
in Me, despite all
the signs
which
I have performed
in their midst
?
"I will smite them with 1 apestilence
and dispossess
them, and I bwill make
you into a nation
greater
and mightier
than
they."
aBut Moses said
to the LORD
, "Then the Egyptians
will hear
of it, for by Your strength
You brought
up this
people
from their midst
,
and they will tell it to the inhabitants
of this
land
. They have heard
that You, O LORD
, are in the midst
of this
people
, for aYou, O 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
.
"Now if You slay this
people
as one
man
, athen the nations
who
have heard
of Your fame
will 1say
,
`Because the LORD
acould
not bring
this
people
into the land
which
He promised
them by oath
, therefore He slaughtered
them in the wilderness
.'
"But now, I pray
, let the power
of the Lord
be great
, just
as You have 1declared
,
` aThe LORD is slow
to anger
and abundant
in lovingkindness
, forgiving
iniquity
and transgression
; but bHe will by no
means
clear
the guilty, cvisiting
the iniquity
of the fathers
on the children
1to the third
and the fourth
generations.'
" aPardon, I pray
, the iniquity
of this
people
according to the greatness
of Your lovingkindness
, just
as You also have forgiven
this
people
, from Egypt
even until
now
."
So the LORD said
, " aI have pardoned
them according to your word
;
but indeed, aas I live
, 1 ball
the earth
will be filled
with the glory
of the LORD
.
"Surely aall
the men
who have seen
My glory
and My signs
which
I performed
in Egypt
and in the wilderness
, yet bhave put
Me to the test
these
ten
times
and have not listened
to My voice
,
ashall by no means
see
the land
which
I swore
to their fathers
, nor
shall any
of those who spurned
Me see
it.
"But My servant Caleb
, abecause
he has
had
a different
spirit
and has followed
Me fully
, 1 bI will bring
into the land
2which
he entered
, and his 3descendants
shall take
possession
of it.
" aNow the Amalekites and the Canaanites
live
in the valleys
; turn
tomorrow
and set
out to the wilderness
by the way
of the 1Red
Sea
."
The LORD spoke
to Moses
and Aaron
, saying
,
"How long
shall I bear with this
evil
congregation
who
are agrumbling
against
Me? I have heard
the complaints
of the sons
of Israel
, which
they are 1making
against
Me.
"Say to them, ` aAs I live
,' says
the LORD
, `just
as byou have spoken
in My hearing
, so
I will surely do
to you;
ayour corpses will fall
in this
wilderness
, even all
byour 1numbered
men, according to your complete
number
from twenty
years
old
and upward
, who
have grumbled
against
Me.
`Surely you shall not come
into the land
in which
I 1swore
to settle
you, aexcept
Caleb
the son
of Jephunneh
and Joshua
the son
of Nun
.
` aYour children, however, whom
you said
would become
a prey
--I will bring
them in, and they will know
the land
which
you have rejected
.
` aBut as for you, your corpses will fall
in this
wilderness
.
`Your sons shall be shepherds
for aforty
years
in the wilderness
, and they will 1suffer
for your 2unfaithfulness
, until
your corpses
3lie
in the wilderness
.
`According to the anumber of days
which
you spied
out the land
, forty
days
, for every
day
you shall bear
your 1guilt
a year
, even forty
years
, and you will know
My opposition
.
` aI, the LORD, have spoken
, surely
this
I will do
to all
this
evil
congregation
who are gathered
together against
Me. In this
wilderness
they shall be destroyed
, and there
they will die
.' "
aAs for the men whom
Moses
sent
to spy
out the land
and who returned
and made all
the congregation
grumble
against
him by bringing
out a bad
report
concerning
the land
,
even athose men who brought
out the very bad
report
of the land
died
by a bplague
before
the LORD
.
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
.
When Moses spoke
athese
words
to all
the sons
of Israel
, bthe people
mourned
greatly
.
In the morning, however, they rose
up early
and went
up to the 1ridge
of the hill
country
, saying
, " aHere
we are; 2we have indeed
sinned
, but we will go
up to the place
which
the LORD
has promised
."
But Moses said
, " aWhy
then
are you transgressing
the 1commandment
of the LORD
, when it will not succeed
?
" aDo not go up, or
you will be struck
down
before
your enemies
, for the LORD
is not among
you.
"For the Amalekites and the Canaanites
will be there
in front
of you, and you will fall
by the sword
, inasmuch
as you have turned
back
from following
the LORD
. And the LORD
will not be with you."
But they went up heedlessly
to the 1ridge
of the hill
country
; neither
athe ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
nor
Moses
left
the camp
.
Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites
who lived
in that hill
country
came
down
, and struck
them and beat
them down
as far
as aHormah
.