Israel’s Rebellion
(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)

1And all the congregation lifted up and gave forth their voices, and the people wept that night. 2And all the sons of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3And why has YHWH brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”

4And they said a man to his brother, “Let us set a leader and return to Egypt.”

5And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the face of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

6And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes, 7and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land that we passed through to spy out is a very exceedingly good land. 8And if YHWH delights in us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9Only against YHWH do not rebel—you⁺—nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread. Their protection has departed from them, and YHWH is with us. Do not fear them!”

10And all the congregation said to stone them with stones.

And the glory of YHWH appeared in the Tent of Meeting before all the sons of Israel. 11And YHWH said to Moses, “How long will this people reject Me, and how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed among them? 12I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

13And Moses said to YHWH, “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your power You brought this people up from among them. 14And they will tell to those dwelling in this land that they have heard that You, O YHWH, are among this people, that eye to eye You are seen, O YHWH, and Your cloud stands above them, and in a pillar of cloud You go before them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

15And if You kill this people as one man, the nations that have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, 16‘Because YHWH was not able to bring this people to the land that He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’

17And now, please, let the power of my Lord be great, as You have spoken, saying, 18‘YHWH is slow to anger, and abundant in loving devotion,† forgiving iniquity and transgression, and He aquits by no means, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons on the thirds and on the fourths.’

19Pardon, please, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your loving devotion, and as You have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment
(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)

20And YHWH said, “I have pardoned according to your word, 21but truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of YHWH; 22indeed all these men who have seen My glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test these ten times and have not heeded My voice, 23they shall surely not see the land that I swore to their fathers. And any of those who rejected Me shall not see it.

24And My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has fully followed Me, I will bring into the land that he went into, and his seed shall inherit it.

25And the Amalekite and the Canaanite are dwelling in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out for yourselves into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.†”

26And YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27“How long do I bear this evil congregation, they who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they make against Me. 28Say to them, as I live, says YHWH, very truly as you⁺ have spoken in My hearing, so will I do to you⁺. 29In this wilderness your⁺ corpses shall fall, and all your⁺ numbered, according to your⁺ entire number, from a son of twenty years and above, because you⁺ have grumbled against Me.

30By no means shall you⁺ enter into the land, which I lifted up My hand to make you⁺ dwell in it, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31And your⁺ little ones, whom you⁺ said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have despised. 32And as for you⁺, your⁺ carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.

33And your⁺ sons shall be shepherds wandering in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear the brunt of your⁺ infidelity, until your⁺ carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. 34By the number of the days in which you⁺ spied out the land, forty days—a day for the year, a day for the year—you⁺ shall bear your⁺ guilt forty years, and you⁺ shall know My rejection.

35I, YHWH, have spoken. Surely I will do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

36And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who returned and made complain all the congregation against him by bringing a bad report of the land— 37those very men who brought an evil report about the land died by the plague before the face of YHWH. 38And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.

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

The Defeat at Hormah
(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)

40And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place that YHWH has promised. For we have sinned.”

41And Moses said, “Why is this—you⁺ are passing over the mouth of YHWH? For that will not succeed. 42Do not go up, for YHWH is not among you⁺, lest you⁺ be struck down before the face of your⁺ enemies. 43For the Amalekite and the Canaanite are there before you⁺, and you⁺ shall fall by the sword, for upon thus you⁺ have turned away from YHWH, and YHWH will not be with you⁺.”

44And they presumed to go up unto the top of the hill; and neither the ark of the covenant of YHWH, nor Moses, departed from the camp. 45And the Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.