³⁶ So the men Moses had sent^(A) to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble^(B) against him by spreading a bad report^(C) about it— ³⁷ these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report^(D) about the land were struck down and died of a plague^(E) before the Lord. ³⁸ Of the men who went to explore the land,^(F) only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.^(G)

³⁹ When Moses reported this^(H) to all the Israelites, they mourned^(I) bitterly. ⁴⁰ Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country,^(J) saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!^(K)”

⁴¹ But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed!^{(L) 42} Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,^{(M) 43} for the Amalekites^(N) and the Canaanites^(O) will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you^(P) and you will fall by the sword.”

⁴⁴ Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up^(Q) toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.^{(R) 45} Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites^(S) who lived in that hill country^(T) came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.^(U)