Numbers 14:1-40
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 14
1Then all the congregation raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept that night. 2And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, 'If 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 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’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!'
5Then 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, 'The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
8If 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; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection is gone from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.'
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.
11And the Lord said to Moses, 'How long will this people be disrespectful to Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?
12I will strike them with plague and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.'
13But 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 You, 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 all at once, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,
16‘Since the Lord could 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,
18‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in mercy, forgiving wrongdoing and violation of His Law; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’
19Please forgive 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.'
20So the Lord said, 'I have forgiven them in accordance with your word;
21however, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.
22Certainly all the people 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,
23shall 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, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
25Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.'
26The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying,
27How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are voicing against Me.
28Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you;
29your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all your 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 swore to settle you, except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
31Your children, however, whom you said would become plunder—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.
32But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.
33Also, your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your bodies perish in the wilderness.
34In accordance with the number of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your guilt a year, that is, forty years, and you will know My opposition.
35I, 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.’?'
36As 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,
37those men who brought the bad report of the land also died by a plague 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.
King James Version
Chapter 14
1And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
8If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.
10But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
11And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
12I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
13And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
17And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
20And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
21But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.
22Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
24But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
25(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
26And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
29Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
30Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
32But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
34After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
35I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
36And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
37Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.
38But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
39And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 14
1Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that 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! 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?" 4So they said to one another, "Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt."
5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community.
6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes
7and said to the entire Israelite community: "The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good 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.
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!"
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?
12I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are."
13But Moses replied to the Lord, "The Egyptians will hear about it, for by your strength you brought up this people from them.
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.
15If you kill this people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will declare,
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.’
17"So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as you have spoken:
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.
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."
20The Lord responded, "I have pardoned them as you requested.
21Yet as surely as I live and as the whole 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,
23will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have despised me will 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.
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."
26Then the Lord spoke 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.
28Tell them: As surely as I live—this is the Lord’s declaration—I will do to you exactly as 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.
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.
31I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it.
32But as for you, your corpses will fall 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.
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.
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."
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—
37those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the Lord.
38Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.
New Living Translation
Chapter 14
1Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. 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 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?' 4Then they plotted among themselves, 'Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!'
5Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel.
6Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing.
7They said to all the people of Israel, 'The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land!
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.
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!'
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.
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 disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!'
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.
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 slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say,
16‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’
17Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said,
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.’
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 will pardon them as you have requested.
21But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory,
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 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 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 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. '
26Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
27How 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.
28Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.
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.
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.
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, you will drop dead in this 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.
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 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!'
36The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land — the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report —
37were struck dead with a plague before the Lord.
38Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
39When Moses reported the Lord’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief.
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.'
English Standard Version
Chapter 14
1Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 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 is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel.
6And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
7and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.
8If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.
9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them."
10Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
11And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that 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."
13But Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them,
14and they will tell 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 face to face, and 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 this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say,
16‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’
17And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying,
18‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, 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 generation.’
19Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now."
20Then the Lord said, "I have pardoned, according to your word.
21But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord,
22none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice,
23shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.
24But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
25Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea."
26And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27"How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.
28Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:
29your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me,
30not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
31But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected.
32But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
33And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.
34According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’
35I, the Lord, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die."
36And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land —
37the men who brought up a bad report of the land — died by plague before the Lord.
38Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.
New International Version
Chapter 14
1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there.
6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes
7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.
8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them."
10But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.
11The Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?
12I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they."
13Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.
14And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
15If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say,
16‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17"Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared:
18‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’
19In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now."
20The Lord replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked.
21Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth,
22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—
23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.
24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
25Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. "
26The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
27"How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.
28So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say:
29In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.
30Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.
32But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.
34For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’
35I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die."
36So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it—
37these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord.
38Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.
New King James Version
Chapter 14
1So 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! 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?” 4So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”
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;
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.
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.’
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.”
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?
12I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you 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,
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.
15Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying,
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.’
17And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying,
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.’
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.”
20Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word;
21but truly, as I live, all the earth shall 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,
23they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected 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.
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.”
26And the 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.
28Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will 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.
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.
31But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.
32But as for you, your carcasses shall 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.
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.
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.’ ”
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,
37those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the 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.