English Standard Version

International Standard Version

1Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.

1At this, the entire assembly complained, started to shout, and cried through the rest of 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!

2All the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron. Then the entire assembly responded, "We wish that we had died in Egypt or 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?”

3What's the point in the LORD bringing us to this land? To die by the sword so our wives and children would become war victims? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"

4And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

4Then they told each other, "Let's assign 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.

5Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire assembly of the congregation 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

6Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored 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.

7and attempted to reason with the entire congregation of Israel. They told them, "The land that we went through and explored is very, very good.

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.

8If the LORD is pleased with us, he'll bring us into this land and give it to us. It 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.”

9However, don't rebel against the LORD or be afraid of the people who live in the land, because we'll gobble them right up. Their defenses will collapse, because the LORD is with us. You are not to be afraid of 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.

10But the entire congregation was talking about stoning them to death. Suddenly, the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all of the Israelis.

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?

11"How long will this people keep on spurning me and refusing to trust me, despite all the miracles that I've done among them?" the LORD asked Moses.

12I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

12"That's why I'm going to attack them with pestilence and disinherit them. Instead, I'll make you a great nation—even mightier than they are!"

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,

13But Moses responded to the LORD, "When Egypt hears that you've brought this people out from among them with a mighty demonstration of power,

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.

14they'll also proclaim to the inhabitants of this land that they've heard you're among this people, LORD, whom they've seen face to face, since your cloud stands guard over them. You've guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with 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,

15But if you slaughter this people all at the same time, then the nations who heard about 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.’

16The LORD slaughtered this people in the wilderness because he wasn't able to bring them to the land that he promised them.'

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

17"Now, let the power of the LORD be magnified, just as you promised when you said,

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.’

18The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he won't acquit the guilty. He recalls the iniquity of fathers to the third and 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.”

19"Forgive, please, the iniquity of this people, according to your great, faithful love, in the same way that you've carried this people from Egypt to this place."

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

20The LORD responded, "I've forgiven them based on what you've said.

21But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD,

21But just as I live, and just as the whole earth will be filled with the LORD's glory,

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,

22none of those men who saw my glory and watched my miracles that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness—even though they've tested me these ten times and never listened to my voice—

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

23will ever see the land that I promised to their ancestors. Those who spurned me won't 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.

24Now as to my servant Caleb, because a different spirit is within him and he has remained true to me, I'm going to bring him into the land that he explored, and his descendants are to inherit 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.”

25Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite live in the valley. Tomorrow, turn and then travel to the wilderness in the direction of the Reed Sea."

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

26Then the LORD told Moses and Aaron,

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.

27"How long will this wicked assembly keep complaining about me? I've heard the complaints of the Israelis that they've been murmuring against me.

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

28So tell them that as long as I live—consider this to be an oracle from the LORD—as certainly as you've spoken right into my ears, that's how I'm going to treat 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,

29Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—every single one of you who has been counted among you, according to your number from 20 years and above, who complained 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.

30You will certainly never enter the land about which I made an oath with my uplifted hand to settle you in it, except for Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua.

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.

31However, I'll bring your little ones—the ones whom you claimed would become war victims—into the land so that they'll know by experience the land that you've rejected.

32But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.

32"Now as for you, your corpses will 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.

33and your children will wander throughout the wilderness for 40 years. They'll bear the consequences of your idolatries until your bodies are entirely consumed 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.’

34Just as you explored the land for 40 days, you'll bear the consequences of your iniquities for 40 years—one year for each day—as you experience my hostility.

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.”

35I, the LORD, have spoken. I will indeed do this to this evil congregation, who gathered together against me. They'll be eliminated in this wilderness and will surely 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—

36After this, the men whom Moses sent out to explore the land, who returned and made the whole congregation complain against him by bringing an evil report concerning the land,

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

37and who produced an evil report about the land, died of pestilence in the LORD's presence.

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

38However, Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had explored the land, remained alive.

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

39After Moses had told all of this to the Israelis, the people deeply mourned.

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.”

40So they got up early the next morning and traveled to the top of the mountain, telling themselves, "Look, we're here and we're going to go up to the place that the LORD had spoken about, even though we've sinned."

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

41But Moses asked them, "Why do you continue to sin against what the LORD said? Don't you know that you can never succeed?

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

42Don't go up, since you know that the LORD is no longer with you. You'll be attacked right in front of your own enemies.

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.”

43The Amalekites and Canaanites are there waiting for you. You'll die violently, since you've turned your back and have stopped following the LORD. The LORD won't be with you."

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.

44But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain, even though the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and Moses didn't leave the camp.

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

45The Amalekites came down, accompanied by some Canaanites who lived in the mountains. They attacked and defeated them even while the Israelis were retreating to Hormah.

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