New King James Version

New Living Translation

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

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

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 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 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 us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

4Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back 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 face down on the ground before the whole community 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;

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

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.

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

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 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.”

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!”

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 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.

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?

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

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

15Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that 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‘The LORD was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’

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

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

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.’

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.’

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.”

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.”

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

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

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

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

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,

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.

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

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.

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.”

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

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

26Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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“‘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 carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.

32But as for you, you will drop dead 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.

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.

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.

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 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.’ ”

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!”

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,

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

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

37were struck dead with 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.

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

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

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

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!”

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.”

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

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

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

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

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 presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from 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 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 those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.

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

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.