Numbers 14

1The whole assembly raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept that night.

2All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, and the entire assembly said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!"

3Why is Yahweh bringing us to this land to fall by the sword, our wives and little ones to become plunder? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?

4They said to one another, "Let us appoint a captain and return to Egypt."

5Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the whole assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, from those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.

7They spoke to the whole assembly of the Israelites, saying, “The land we passed through to spy it out is an exceedingly good land.”

8If Yahweh delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land flowing with milk and honey.

9Only do not rebel against Yahweh, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from above them, and Yahweh is with us—do not fear them.

10All the congregation talked of stoning them with stones, and the glory of Yahweh appeared in the tent of meeting to all the children of Israel.

11Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn me? And how long will they refuse to trust me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?"

12I will strike them with plague and consume them, and I will make you a nation greater and mightier than they.

13Moses said to Yahweh, "Egyptians will hear, for you brought this people up in your power from their midst."

14They will tell the inhabitants of this land that they have heard you, Yahweh, dwell in the midst of this people—that you, Yahweh, appear face to face, your cloud stands over them, and you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire.

15If you destroy this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will declare, saying.

16Because Yahweh could not bring this people into the land he swore to them, he slaughtered them in the wilderness.

17Now please let the power of my Lord be great, as you spoke, saying,

18Yahweh is slow to anger and abounds in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, yet by no means acquits the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation.

19Please forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your mercy, and as you have forgiven this people from Egypt until now.

20Yahweh said, "I have forgiven according to your word."

21But as I live, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of Yahweh.

22Because all the men who saw my glory and my signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, have tested me these ten times and have not listened to my voice.

23They will not see the land that I swore to their fathers, nor will any of those who despise me see it.

24But my servant Caleb, because another spirit was with him and he followed me wholly, I will bring him to the land where he came, and his offspring shall possess it.

25The Amalekites and the Canaanites are dwelling in the valley; tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

26Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

27How long must I tolerate this wicked congregation that keeps grumbling against me? I have heard the grumblings of Israel's sons, which they keep grumbling against me.

28Say to them, As I live, declares Yahweh, surely just as you have spoken in my hearing, so will I do to you.

29Your corpses shall fall in this wilderness, and all your numbered ones according to your entire count, from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me.

30You will not enter the land on which I raised my hand to settle you there, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

31Your little ones, whom you said would become plunder, I will bring in, and they will know the land that you despised.

32But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness.

33Your children will roam the wilderness forty years and bear your harlotries until your dead bodies are completely gone in the wilderness.

34For the number of the days you explored the land, forty days—a day for a year, a day for a year—you will bear your iniquities forty years, and you will know my alienation.

35I, Yahweh, have spoken; I will surely do this to this whole evil congregation gathered against me—in this wilderness they will come to an end, and there they will die.

36The men whom Moses sent to explore the land returned and provoked the entire congregation against him by spreading defamation of the land.

37The men who brought the evil report of the land died by the plague before Yahweh.

38Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived among those men who went to explore the land.

39Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

40They rose early in the morning and climbed to the top of the mountain, saying, "Here we are, and we will go up to the place Yahweh spoke of, for we have sinned."

41Moses said, "Why now do you disobey Yahweh's command? It will not succeed."

42Do not go up, for Yahweh is not in your midst, lest you be struck down before your enemies.

43For the Amalekites and Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword, because you turned back from following Yahweh, so Yahweh will not be with you.

44They presumptuously set out to climb to the top of the mountain, but the ark of Yahweh's covenant and Moses did not leave the camp.

45The Amalekites and Canaanites living in that mountain came down, struck them, and crushed them to Hormah.