Numbers 14

(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)

1Then the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 lifted upH5375 their voicesH6963 and cried outH5414, and thatH1931 nightH3915 the peopleH5971 weptH1058. 2AllH3605 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 grumbledH3885 againstH5921 MosesH4872H5921 and AaronH175, and the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 saidH559 to themH413, “If onlyH3863 we had diedH4191 in the landH776 of EgyptH4714, orH176 if onlyH3863 we had diedH4191 in thisH2088 wildernessH4057! 3WhyH4100 is the LORDH3068 bringingH935 usH853 intoH413 thisH2063 landH776 to fallH5307 by the swordH2719? Our wivesH802 and childrenH2945 will becomeH1961 plunderH957. Would it notH3808 be betterH2896 for us to go backH7725 to EgyptH4714?”

4So they saidH559 toH413 oneH376 anotherH251, “Let us appointH5414 a leaderH7218 and returnH7725 to EgyptH4714.”

5Then MosesH4872 and AaronH175 fellH5307 facedownH6440 beforeH6440 the wholeH3605 assemblyH6951 of the congregationH5712H1121 of IsraelH3478.

6JoshuaH3091 sonH1121 of NunH5126 and CalebH3612 sonH1121 of JephunnehH3312, who wereH4480 among those who had spied outH8446 the landH776, toreH7167 their clothesH899 7and saidH559 toH413 the wholeH3605 congregationH5712H1121 of IsraelH3478H559, “The landH776 we passed throughH5674 and exploredH8446 is an exceedinglyH3966 goodH2896 landH776. 8IfH518 the LORDH3068 delightsH2654 in us, He will bringH935 usH853 intoH413 thisH2063 landH776, a landH776 flowingH2100 with milkH2461 and honeyH1706, and He will give itH5414 to us. 9OnlyH389 do notH408 rebelH4775H859 against the LORDH3068, and do notH408 be afraidH3372 of the peopleH5971 of the landH776, forH3588 they will be like bread for usH3899H1992. Their protectionH6738 has been removedH5493H5921, and the LORDH3068 is with usH854. Do notH408 be afraid of themH3372!”

10But the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 threatenedH559 to stoneH7275 Joshua and Caleb.

Then the gloryH3519 of the LORDH3068 appearedH7200 toH413 allH3605 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 at the TentH168 of MeetingH4150. 11And the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 MosesH4872, “How longH5704H575 will thisH2088 peopleH5971 treat Me with contemptH5006? How longH5704H575 will they refuseH3808 to believeH539 in Me, despite allH3605 the signsH226 I have performedH6213 among themH7130? 12I will strike themH5221 with a plagueH1698 and destroy themH3423—and I will makeH6213 youH853 into a nationH1471 greaterH1419 and mightierH6099 than they areH4480.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

13But MosesH4872 saidH559 toH413 the LORDH3068, “The EgyptiansH4713 will hearH8085 of itH3588, for by Your strengthH3581 You broughtH5927 thisH2088 peopleH5971 from among themH7130. 14And they will tell itH559 toH413 the inhabitantsH3427 of thisH2063 landH776. They have already heardH8085 thatH3588 YouH859, O LORDH3068, are in the midstH7130 of thisH2088 peopleH5971, thatH834 YouH859, O LORDH3068, have been seenH7200 faceH5869 to faceH5869, that Your cloudH6051 standsH5975 over themH5921, and that YouH859 goH1980 before themH6440 in a pillarH5982 of cloudH6051 by dayH3119 and a pillarH5982 of fireH784 by nightH3915.

15If You killH4191 thisH2088 peopleH5971 as oneH259 manH376, the nationsH1471 whoH834 have heardH8085 of Your fameH8088H559 will sayH559, 16‘Because the LORDH3068 was unableH1115H3201 to bringH935 thisH2088 peopleH5971 intoH413 the landH776 He swore to giveH7650 them, He has slaughtered themH7819 in the wildernessH4057.’

17So nowH6258 I prayH4994, may the powerH3581 of my LordH136 be magnifiedH1431, just asH834 You have declaredH1696H559: 18‘The LORDH3068 is slowH750 to angerH639 and aboundingH7227 in loving devotionH2617,1 forgivingH5375 iniquityH5771 and transgressionH6588. Yet He will by no meansH3808H5352 leave the guilty unpunishedH5352; He will visitH6485 the iniquityH5771 of the fathersH1 uponH5921 their childrenH1121 toH5921 the thirdH8029H5921 and fourthH7256 generation.’

19PardonH5545, I prayH4994, the iniquityH5771 of thisH2088 peopleH5971, in keeping with the greatnessH1433 of Your loving devotionH2617, just asH834 You have forgivenH5375 them everH5704 sinceH2008 they left EgyptH4714.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)

20“I have pardoned themH5545 as you requestedH1697,” the LORDH3068 repliedH559. 21“YetH199 as surely as IH589 liveH2416 and as surely as the wholeH3605 earthH776 is filledH4390 with the gloryH3519 of the LORDH3068, 22not one of the menH582 who have seenH7200 My gloryH3519 and the signsH226 I performedH6213 in EgyptH4714 and in the wildernessH4057—yet have testedH5254 MeH853 and disobeyedH3808H8085 MeH6963 theseH2088 tenH6235 timesH6471— 23not oneH518 will ever seeH7200 the landH776 thatH834 I sworeH7650 to give their fathersH1. NoneH3605H3808 of those who have treated Me with contemptH5006 will see itH7200.

24But becauseH6118 My servantH5650 CalebH3612 hasH1961H5973 a differentH312 spiritH7307 and has followed MeH310 wholeheartedlyH4390, I will bring himH935 intoH413 the landH776 he has enteredH935H8033, and his descendantsH2233 will inherit itH3423.

25Now since the AmalekitesH6003 and CanaanitesH3669 are livingH3427 in the valleysH6010, turn backH6437 tomorrowH4279 and head forH5265 the wildernessH4057 along the route toH1870 the RedH5488 SeaH3220.2”

26Then the LORDH3068 saidH1696 toH413 MosesH4872H413 and AaronH175H559, 27“How longH5704H4970 will thisH2063 wickedH7451 congregationH5712 grumbleH3885 againstH5921 MeH853? I have heardH8085 the complaintsH8519 thatH834 the IsraelitesH1121H3478H1992H3885 are making against MeH5921. 28So tell themH559H413: As surely as IH589 liveH2416, declaresH5002 the LORDH3068, I will doH6213 to you exactlyH518H3808 asH834 I heardH241H3651 you sayH1696. 29Your bodiesH6297 will fallH5307 in thisH2088 wildernessH4057—allH3605 who were numberedH6485 in the censusH4557, everyoneH3605 twentyH6242 years of ageH1121H8141 or olderH4605—becauseH834 you have grumbledH3885 against MeH5921.

30Surely noneH518 of youH859 will enterH935H413 the landH776 in whichH834 I sworeH5375 to settle youH7931, exceptH3588H518 CalebH3612 sonH1121 of JephunnehH3312 and JoshuaH3091 sonH1121 of NunH5126. 31But I will bring your childrenH2945, whomH834 you saidH559 would becomeH1961 plunderH957, intoH935 the landH776 you have rejectedH3988—and they will enjoy itH3045. 32As for youH859, however, your bodiesH6297 will fallH5307 in thisH2088 wildernessH4057.

33Your childrenH1121 will beH1961 shepherdsH7462 in the wildernessH4057 for fortyH705 yearsH8141, and they will sufferH5375 for your unfaithfulnessH2184 until the lastH5704 of your bodiesH6297 liesH8552 in the wildernessH4057. 34In keeping with theH4557 fortyH705 daysH3117 you spiedH8446 out the landH776, you shall bearH5375 your guiltH5771 fortyH705 yearsH8141—a yearH8141 for each dayH8141—and you will experienceH3045 My alienationH8569.

35IH589, the LORDH3068, have spokenH1696, and I will surelyH518H3808 doH6213 these thingsH2063 to this entireH3605 wickedH7451H2063 congregationH5712, which has conspiredH3259 against MeH5921. They will meet their endH8552 in the wildernessH4057H2088, and thereH8033 they will dieH4191.”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

36So the menH582 MosesH4872 had sentH7971 to spy outH8446 the landH776, whoH834 had returnedH7725 and made the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 grumbleH3885 against himH5921 by bringing outH3318 a bad reportH1681 aboutH5921 the landH776— 37those menH582 who had brought outH3318 the badH7451 reportH1681 about the landH776—were struck downH4191 by a plagueH4046 beforeH6440 the LORDH3068. 38OfH4480 thoseH1992 menH376 who had goneH1980 to spy outH8446 the landH776, only JoshuaH3091 sonH1121 of NunH5126 and CalebH3612 sonH1121 of JephunnehH3312 remained aliveH2421.

39And when MosesH4872 relayedH1696 theseH428 wordsH1697 toH413 allH3605 the IsraelitesH1121H3478, the peopleH5971 mournedH56 bitterlyH3966.

The Defeat at Hormah

(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)

40Early the next morningH1242 they got upH7925 and went upH5927 towardH413 the ridgeH7218 of the hill countryH2022. “We have indeedH2005 sinnedH2398,” they saidH559, “but we will goH5927 toH413 the placeH4725 the LORDH3068 has promisedH559.”

41But MosesH4872 saidH559, “WhyH4100H2088 are youH859 transgressingH5674 the commandmentH6310 of the LORDH3068? ThisH1931 will notH3808 succeedH6743! 42Do notH408 go upH5927, lestH3808 you be struck downH5062 byH6440 your enemiesH341, becauseH3588 the LORDH3068 is notH369 among youH7130. 43ForH3588 thereH8033 the AmalekitesH6003 and CanaanitesH3669 will face youH6440, and you will fallH5307 by the swordH2719. BecauseH3588H5921H3651 you have turnedH7725 awayH310 from the LORDH3068, He will notH3808 beH1961 with youH5973.”

44But they daredH6075 to go upH5927 toH413 the ridgeH7218 of the hill countryH2022, though neitherH3808 MosesH4872 nor the arkH727 of the covenantH1285 of the LORDH3068 movedH4185 fromH7130 the campH4264. 45Then the AmalekitesH6003 and CanaanitesH3669 who livedH3427 in thatH1931 part of the hill countryH2022 came downH3381, attacked themH5221, and routed themH3807 all the wayH5704 to HormahH2767.