²⁰ The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them,^(A) as you asked. ²¹ Nevertheless, as surely as I live^(B) and as surely as the glory of the Lord^(C) fills the whole earth,^{(D) 22} not one of those who saw my glory and the signs^(E) I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times^(F)— ²³ not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath^(G) to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt^(H) will ever see it.^{(I) 24} But because my servant Caleb^(J) has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly,^(K) I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.^{(L) 25} Since the Amalekites^(M) and the Canaanites^(N) are living in the valleys, turn^(O) back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.^[a](P)”

²⁶ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ²⁷ “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.^{(Q) 28} So tell them, ‘As surely as I live,^(R) declares the Lord, I will do to you^(S) the very thing I heard you say: ²⁹ In this wilderness your bodies will fall^(T)—every one of you twenty years old or more^(U) who was counted in the census^(V) and who has grumbled against me. ³⁰ Not one of you will enter the land^(W) I swore with uplifted hand^(X) to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh^(Y) and Joshua son of Nun.^{(Z) 31} As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.^{(AA) 32} But as for you, your bodies will fall^(AB) in this wilderness. ³³ Your children will be shepherds here for forty years,^(AC) suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. ³⁴ For forty years^(AD)—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land^(AE)—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ ³⁵ I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things^(AF) to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.^(AG)”

⁶³ These are the ones counted^(A) by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab^(B) by the Jordan across from Jericho.^{(C) 64} Not one of them was among those counted^(D) by Moses and Aaron^(E) the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. ⁶⁵ For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness,^(F) and not one of them was left except Caleb^(G) son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.^(H)

⁸ This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.^{(A) 9} After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol^(B) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger was aroused^(C) that day and he swore this oath:^{(D) 11} ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more^(E) when they came up out of Egypt^(F) will see the land I promised on oath^(G) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(H)— ¹² not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’^{(I) 13} The Lord’s anger burned against Israel^(J) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.^(K)

¹⁴ Thirty-eight years^(A) passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea^(B) until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation^(C) of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.^{(D) 15} The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated^(E) them from the camp.

¹⁶ Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died,

⁴ Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age^(A)—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.^{(B) 5} All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. ⁶ The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness^(C) forty years^(D) until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us,^(E) a land flowing with milk and honey.^{(F) 7} So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.