New King James Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

1Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

2And all the children 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!

2All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!

3Why has the LORD 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?”

3"Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?"

4So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

4So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt."

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

5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

6But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;

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

7and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

7and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

8If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’

8"If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us-- a land which flows with milk and honey.

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

9"Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them."

10And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

10But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

11Then the LORD said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?

11The LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?

12I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

12"I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they."

13And Moses said to the LORD: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them,

13But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst,

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

14and 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 You, 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.

15Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying,

15"Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,

16‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’

16'Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.'

17And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying,

17"But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared,

18‘The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’

18The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.'

19Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

19"Pardon, 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."

20Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word;

20So the LORD said, "I have pardoned them according to your word;

21but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD—

21but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.

22because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice,

22"Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,

23they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.

23shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.

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

24"But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.

25Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”

25"Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea."

26And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

26The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

27“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.

27"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me.

28Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

28"Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you;

29The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.

29your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.

30Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.

30'Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

31But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.

31'Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey-- I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.

32But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.

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

33And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.

33Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.

34According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.

34According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition.

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

35'I, 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.'"

36Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land,

36As 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,

37those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

37even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the LORD.

38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.

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

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

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

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 which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!”

40In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised."

41And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD? For this will not succeed.

41But Moses said, "Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD, when it will not succeed?

42Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you.

42"Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the LORD is not among you.

43For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”

43"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."

44But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp.

44But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses left the camp.

45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.

45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org