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Numbers 14
New American Standard Bible 1995

The People Rebel

14 Then all the congregation [a]lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept [b]that night. 2 All the sons of Israel (A)grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “(B)Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, (C)to fall by the sword? (D)Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “(E)Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

5 (F)Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “(G)The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 (H)If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—(I)a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only (J)do not rebel against the Lord; and do not (K)fear the people of the land, for they will be our [c]prey. Their [d]protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 (L)But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then (M)the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

Moses Pleads for the People

11 (N)The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will (O)they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 12 I will smite them with [e](P)pestilence and dispossess them, and I (Q)will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 (R)But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, 14 and 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 (S)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. 15 Now if You slay this people as one man, (T)then the nations who have heard of Your fame will [f]say, 16 ‘Because the Lord (U)could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have [g]declared, 18 ‘(V)The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but (W)He will by no means clear the guilty, (X)visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children [h]to the third and the fourth generations.’ 19 (Y)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.”

The Lord Pardons and Rebukes

20 So the Lord said, “(Z)I have pardoned them according to your word; 21 but indeed, (AA)as I live, [i](AB)all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 Surely (AC)all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet (AD)have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 (AE)shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, (AF)because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, [j](AG)I will bring into the land [k]which he entered, and his [l]descendants shall take possession of it. 25 (AH)Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the [m]Red Sea.”

26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are (AI)grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are [n]making against Me. 28 Say to them, ‘(AJ)As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as (AK)you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; 29 (AL)your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all (AM)your [o]numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 30 Surely you shall not come into the land in which I [p]swore to settle you, (AN)except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 (AO)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. 32 (AP)But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your sons shall be shepherds for (AQ)forty years in the wilderness, and they will [q]suffer for your [r]unfaithfulness, until your corpses [s]lie in the wilderness. 34 According to the (AR)number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your [t]guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. 35 (AS)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.’”

36 (AT)As 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, 37 even (AU)those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a (AV)plague before the Lord. 38 But 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 When Moses spoke (AW)these words to all the sons of Israel, (AX)the people mourned greatly. 40 In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the [u]ridge of the hill country, saying, “(AY)Here we are; [v]we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised.” 41 But Moses said, “(AZ)Why then are you transgressing the [w]commandment of the Lord, when it will not succeed? 42 (BA)Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the Lord is not among 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.” 44 But they went up heedlessly to the [x]ridge of the hill country; neither (BB)the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as (BC)Hormah.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 14:1 Lit lifted and gave their voice
  2. Numbers 14:1 Lit in that
  3. Numbers 14:9 Lit food
  4. Numbers 14:9 Lit shadow
  5. Numbers 14:12 Lit the pestilence
  6. Numbers 14:15 Lit speak, saying
  7. Numbers 14:17 Lit spoken, saying
  8. Numbers 14:18 Lit on
  9. Numbers 14:21 Lit and all
  10. Numbers 14:24 Lit him I
  11. Numbers 14:24 Lit where
  12. Numbers 14:24 Lit seed
  13. Numbers 14:25 Lit Sea of Reeds
  14. Numbers 14:27 Lit complaining
  15. Numbers 14:29 Lit mustered
  16. Numbers 14:30 Lit raised My hand
  17. Numbers 14:33 Lit bear
  18. Numbers 14:33 Lit fornications
  19. Numbers 14:33 Lit are finished
  20. Numbers 14:34 Or iniquities
  21. Numbers 14:40 Or top of the mountain
  22. Numbers 14:40 Or and we will go up...for we have sinned
  23. Numbers 14:41 Lit mouth
  24. Numbers 14:44 Or top of the mountain
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Numbers 14
New International Version

The People Rebel

14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.(A) 2 All the Israelites grumbled(B) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!(C) Or in this wilderness!(D) 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?(E) Our wives and children(F) will be taken as plunder.(G) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?(H)” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.(I)”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown(J) in front of the whole Israelite assembly(K) gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun(L) and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes(M) 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.(N) 8 If the Lord is pleased with us,(O) he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey,(P) and will give it to us.(Q) 9 Only do not rebel(R) against the Lord. And do not be afraid(S) of the people of the land,(T) because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with(U) us.(V) Do not be afraid of them.”(W)

10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning(X) them. Then the glory of the Lord(Y) appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?(Z) How long will they refuse to believe in me,(AA) in spite of all the signs(AB) I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague(AC) and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation(AD) greater and stronger than they.”(AE)

13 Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.(AF) 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard(AG) that you, Lord, are with these people(AH) and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face,(AI) that your cloud stays over them,(AJ) and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.(AK) 15 If 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,(AL) so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’(AM)

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.(AN) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’(AO) 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive(AP) the sin of these people,(AQ) just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”(AR)

20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them,(AS) as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live(AT) and as surely as the glory of the Lord(AU) fills the whole earth,(AV) 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs(AW) I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times(AX)— 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath(AY) to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt(AZ) will ever see it.(BA) 24 But because my servant Caleb(BB) has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly,(BC) I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.(BD) 25 Since the Amalekites(BE) and the Canaanites(BF) are living in the valleys, turn(BG) back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.[a](BH)”

26 The 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.(BI) 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live,(BJ) declares the Lord, I will do to you(BK) the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall(BL)—every one of you twenty years old or more(BM) who was counted in the census(BN) and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land(BO) I swore with uplifted hand(BP) to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh(BQ) and Joshua son of Nun.(BR) 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.(BS) 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall(BT) in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years,(BU) suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years(BV)—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land(BW)—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things(BX) to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.(BY)”

36 So the men Moses had sent(BZ) to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble(CA) against him by spreading a bad report(CB) about it— 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report(CC) about the land were struck down and died of a plague(CD) before the Lord. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land,(CE) only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.(CF)

39 When Moses reported this(CG) to all the Israelites, they mourned(CH) bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country,(CI) saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!(CJ)”

41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed!(CK) 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,(CL) 43 for the Amalekites(CM) and the Canaanites(CN) will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you(CO) and you will fall by the sword.”

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up(CP) toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.(CQ) 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites(CR) who lived in that hill country(CS) came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.(CT)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 14:25 Or the Sea of Reeds
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New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

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