Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

1Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night.

1Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night.

2All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!

2Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained.

3Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"

3“Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”

4So they said to one another, "Let's appoint a leader and go back to Egypt."

4Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”

5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community.

5Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel.

6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes

6Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing.

7and said to the entire Israelite community: "The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land.

7They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land!

8If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us.

8And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.

9Only don't rebel against the LORD, and don't be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us. Don't be afraid of them!"

9Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

10While the whole community threatened to stone them, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.

10But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.

11The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them?

11And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?

12I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are."

12I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!” Moses Intercedes for the People

13But Moses replied to the LORD, "The Egyptians will hear about it, for by your strength you brought up this people from them.

13But Moses objected. “What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?” he asked the LORD. “They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt.

14They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, LORD, are among these people, how you, LORD, are seen face to face, how your cloud stands over them, and how you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

14Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, LORD, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

15If you kill this people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will declare,

15Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say,

16'Since the LORD wasn't able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them, he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.'

16‘The LORD was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’

17"So now, may my Lord's power be magnified just as you have spoken:

17“Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said,

18The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation.

18‘The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’

19Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now."

19In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

20The LORD responded, "I have pardoned them as you requested.

20Then the LORD said, “I will pardon them as you have requested.

21Yet as surely as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the LORD's glory,

21But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD’s glory,

22none of the men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me,

22not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice.

23will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have despised me will see it.

23They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it.

24But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it.

24But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.

25Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea."

25Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea. ” The LORD Punishes the Israelites

26Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron:

26Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

27"How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about me? I have heard the Israelites' complaints that they make against me.

27“How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me.

28Tell them: As surely as I live--this is the LORD's declaration--I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.

28Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.

29Your corpses will fall in this wilderness--all of you who were registered in the census, the entire number of you twenty years old or more--because you have complained about me.

29You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die.

30I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

30You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

31I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it.

31“‘You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised.

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

32But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness.

33Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie scattered in the wilderness.

33And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.

34You will bear the consequences of your iniquities forty years based on the number of the forty days that you scouted the land, a year for each day. You will know my displeasure.

34“‘Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’

35I, the LORD, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against me. They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die."

35I, the LORD, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!”

36So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a negative report about the land--

36The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the LORD with their bad report—

37those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the LORD.

37were struck dead with a plague before the LORD.

38Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.

38Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.

39When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief.

39When Moses reported the LORD’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief.

40They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Let's go to the place the LORD promised, for we were wrong."

40Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. “Let’s go,” they said. “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the LORD has promised us.”

41But Moses responded, "Why are you going against the LORD's command? It won't succeed.

41But Moses said, “Why are you now disobeying the LORD’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work.

42Don't go, because the LORD is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies.

42Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you.

43The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The LORD won't be with you, since you have turned from following him."

43When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD.”

44But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the LORD's covenant and Moses did not leave the camp.

44But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant left the camp.

45Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.

45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.