| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1At this, the entire assembly complained, started to shout, and cried through the rest of that night. | 1Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. |
| 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. | 2And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness! |
| 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?" | 3Why has the LORD brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?" |
| 4Then they told each other, "Let's assign a leader and go back to Egypt." | 4So they said to one another, "Let's appoint a leader and return to Egypt." |
| 5Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel. | 5Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground before the whole assembled community of the Israelites. |
| 6Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored the land, tore their clothes | 6And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments. |
| 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. | 7They said to the whole community of the Israelites, "The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly good land. |
| 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. | 8If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us--a land that is flowing with milk and honey. |
| 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." | 9Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection has turned aside from them, but the LORD is with us. Do not fear them!" |
| 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. | 10However, the whole community threatened to stone them. But the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting. |
| 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. | 11The LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me, and how long will they not believe in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them? |
| 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!" | 12I will strike them with the pestilence, and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!" |
| 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, | 13Moses said to the LORD, "When the Egyptians hear it--for you brought up this people by your power from among them-- |
| 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. | 14then they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, LORD, are among this people, that you, LORD, are seen face to face, that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night. |
| 15But if you slaughter this people all at the same time, then the nations who heard about your fame will say, | 15If you kill this entire people at once, then the nations that have heard of your fame will say, |
| 16The LORD slaughtered this people in the wilderness because he wasn't able to bring them to the land that he promised them.' | 16Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.' |
| 17"Now, let the power of the LORD be magnified, just as you promised when you said, | 17So now, let the power of my Lord be great, just as you have said, |
| 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.' | 18The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.' |
| 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." | 19Please forgive the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now." |
| 20The LORD responded, "I've forgiven them based on what you've said. | 20Then the LORD said, "I have forgiven them as you asked. |
| 21But just as I live, and just as the whole earth will be filled with the LORD's glory, | 21But truly, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD. |
| 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— | 22For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted me now these ten times, and have not obeyed me, |
| 23will ever see the land that I promised to their ancestors. Those who spurned me won't see it. | 23they will by no means see the land that I swore to their fathers, nor will any of them who despised me see 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. | 24Only my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit and has followed me fully--I will bring him into the land where he had gone, and his descendants will possess it. |
| 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." | 25(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the valleys.) Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea." |
| 26Then the LORD told Moses and Aaron, | 26The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: |
| 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. | 27"How long must I bear with this evil congregation that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me. |
| 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. | 28Say to them, 'As I live, says the LORD, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing. |
| 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. | 29Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness--all those of you who were numbered, according to your full number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me. |
| 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. | 30You will by no means enter into the land where I swore to settle you. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. |
| 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. | 31But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war, and they will enjoy the land that you have despised. |
| 32"Now as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness | 32But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this 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. | 33and your children will wander in the wilderness forty years and suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your dead bodies lie finished in the wilderness. |
| 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. | 34According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days--one day for a year--you will suffer for your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me. |
| 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." | 35I, the LORD, have said, "I will surely do so to all this evil congregation that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die!"'" |
| 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, | 36The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing an evil report about the land, |
| 37and who produced an evil report about the land, died of pestilence in the LORD's presence. | 37those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD. |
| 38However, Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had explored the land, remained alive. | 38But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the men who went to investigate the land, lived. |
| 39After Moses had told all of this to the Israelis, the people deeply mourned. | 39When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, the people mourned greatly. |
| 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." | 40And early in the morning they went up to the crest of the hill country, saying, "Here we are, and we will go up to the place that the LORD commanded, for we have sinned." |
| 41But Moses asked them, "Why do you continue to sin against what the LORD said? Don't you know that you can never succeed? | 41But Moses said, "Why are you now transgressing the commandment of the LORD? It will not succeed! |
| 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. | 42Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, and you will be defeated before your enemies. |
| 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." | 43For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you." |
| 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. | 44But they dared to go up to the crest of the hill, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp. |
| 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. | 45So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country swooped down and attacked them as far as Hormah. |
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