Numbers 14

The People Rebel

1 Then all the congregation
Lit raised and gave their voice
raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept
Lit in that
that night.
2And all the sons of Israel cgrumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “ dIf only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness! 3So why is the Lord bringing us into this land eto fall by the sword? fOur 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, “ gLet’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”

5 hThen Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6And Joshua 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 sons of Israel, saying, “ iThe land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 jIf the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us-- ka land which flows with milk and honey. 9Only ldo not rebel against the Lord; and do not mfear the people of the land, for they will be our
Lit food
prey. Their
Lit shadow
protection is gone from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
10 pBut all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then qthe glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

Moses Pleads for the People

11 rAnd the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people be disrespectful to Me? And how long will sthey not
Or trust in
believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?
12I will strike them with
Lit the plague
vplague and dispossess them, and I wwill make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 xBut Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people up from their midst, 14and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are in the midst of this people, because yYou, 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 put this people to death
Lit as one man
all at once, aathen the nations who have heard of Your fame will
Lit say, saying
say,
16‘Since the Lord accould not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17So now, please, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, saying, 18adThe Lord is slow to anger and abundant in mercy, forgiving wrongdoing and violation of His Law; but aeHe will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, afinflicting the
I.e., punishment for the wrongdoing
punishment of the fathers on the children
Lit on
to the third and the fourth generations.
19Please aiforgive the guilt of this people in accordance with the greatness of Your mercy, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

The Lord Pardons and Rebukes

20 So the Lord said, “ ajI have forgiven them in accordance with your word; 21however, akas I live,
Lit and all
amall the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.
22Certainly anall the people who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet aohave put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 apshall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who were disrespectful to Me see it. 24But as for My servant Caleb, aqbecause he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, arI will bring him into the land which he
Lit entered there
entered, and his
Lit seed
descendants shall take possession of it.
25 auNow the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way of the
Lit Sea of Reeds
Red Sea.”

26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying, 27“How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are awgrumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are
Lit complaining
voicing against Me.
28Say to them, ‘ ayAs I live,’ declares the Lord, ‘just as azyou have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you; 29 bayour dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all bbyour
Lit mustered
numbered men according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.
30By no means will you come into the land where I
Lit raised My hand
swore to settle you, beexcept for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
31 bfYour children, however, whom you said would become plunder--I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 32 bgBut as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Also, your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for bhforty years, and they will
Lit bear
suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your bodies perish in the wilderness.
34In accordance with the bjnumber of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your
Or wrongdoings
guilt a year, that is, forty years, and you will know My opposition.
35 blI, the Lord, have spoken, I certainly will do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. They shall be worn out in this wilderness, and there they shall die.’”

36 bmAs for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who returned and led all the congregation to grumble against him by bringing a bad report about the land, 37 bnthose men who brought the bad report of the land also died by a boplague in the presence of the Lord. 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.

Israel Repulsed

39 Now when Moses spoke bpthese words to all the sons of Israel, bqthe people mourned greatly. 40In the morning, however, they got up early and went up to the
Or top of the mountain
ridge of the hill country, saying, “ bsHere we are; and we will go up to the place which the Lord has
Lit said
promised, for
I.e., by lacking faith to go
we have sinned.”
41But Moses said, “ bvWhy then are you bwviolating the
Lit mouth
command of the Lord, when doing so will not succeed?
42 byDo not go up, for the Lord is not among you,
Lit so that you are not
to prevent you from being defeated
Lit before
by your enemies.
43For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there
Lit before you
to confront you, and you will fall by the sword, since you have turned back from following the Lord. And the Lord will not be with you.”
44But they foolishly dared to go up to the
Or top of the mountain
ridge of the hill country; neither cdthe ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp.
45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and scattered them as far as ceHormah.
Copyright information for NASB2020