Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night.

1Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, 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!

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 die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"

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?”

4So they said to one another, "Let's appoint a leader and 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 facedown in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community.

5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel.

6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes

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 the entire Israelite community: "The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land.

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 is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us.

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 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!"

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.”

10While the whole community threatened to stone them, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.

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.

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?

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 a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are."

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 replied to the LORD, "The Egyptians will hear about it, for by your strength you brought up this people from them.

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,

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.

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.

15If you kill this people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will declare,

15Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say,

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.'

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.’

17"So now, may my Lord's power be magnified just as you have spoken:

17And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying,

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.

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, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now."

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.”

20The LORD responded, "I have pardoned them as you requested.

20Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word.

21Yet as surely as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the LORD's glory,

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 the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me,

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,

23will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have despised me will see it.

23shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall 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.

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.

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."

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.”

26Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron:

26And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

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.

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.

28Tell them: As surely as I live--this is the LORD's declaration--I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.

28Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:

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.

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,

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.

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.

31I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it.

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 corpses will fall in this wilderness.

32But as for you, your dead bodies shall 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.

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.

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.

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. 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."

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.”

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--

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—

37those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the LORD.

37the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the LORD.

38Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.

38Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.

39When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief.

39When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly.

40They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Let's go to the place the LORD promised, for we were wrong."

40And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.”

41But Moses responded, "Why are you going against the LORD's command? It won't succeed.

41But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed?

42Don't go, because the LORD is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies.

42Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies.

43The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The LORD won't be with you, since you have turned from following him."

43For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”

44But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the LORD's covenant and Moses did not leave the camp.

44But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp.

45Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.

45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.