Numbers 14:25-45

251Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way of the 2Red Sea.”

26The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying, 27“How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are 3grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are 4voicing against Me. 28Say to them, ‘5As I live,’ declares the Lord, ‘just as 6you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you; 297your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all 8your 9numbered 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 10swore to settle you, 11except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 3112Your children, however, whom you said would become plunder--I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 3213But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Also, your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for 14forty years, and they will 15suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your bodies perish in the wilderness. 34In accordance with the 16number of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your 17guilt a year, that is, forty years, and you will know My opposition. 3518I, 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.’”

3619As 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, 3720those men who brought the bad report of the land also died by a 21plague 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.

39Now when Moses spoke 22these words to all the sons of Israel, 23the people mourned greatly. 40In the morning, however, they got up early and went up to the 24ridge of the hill country, saying, “25Here we are; and we will go up to the place which the Lord has 26promised, for 27we have sinned.” 41But Moses said, “28Why then are you 29violating the 30command of the Lord, when doing so will not succeed? 4231Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, 32to prevent you from being defeated 33by your enemies. 43For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there 34to 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 35ridge of the hill country; neither 36the 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 37Hormah.