Numbers 14
New American Standard Bible
The People Rebel
14 Then all the congregation [a]raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept [b]that night. 2 And all the sons of Israel (A)grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “(B)If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness! 3 So why is the Lord bringing us into this land (C)to fall by the sword? (D)Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “(E)Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”
5 (F)Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “(G)The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 (H)If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—(I)a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only (J)do not rebel against the Lord; and do not (K)fear the people of the land, for they will be our [c]prey. Their [d]protection is gone from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 (L)But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then (M)the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
Moses Pleads for the People
11 (N)And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people be disrespectful to Me? And how long will (O)they not [e]believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? 12 I will strike them with [f](P)plague and dispossess them, and I (Q)will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13 (R)But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people up from their midst, 14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are in the midst of this people, because (S)You, Lord, are seen eye to eye, while 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. 15 Now if You put this people to death [g]all at once, (T)then the nations who have heard of Your fame will [h]say, 16 ‘Since the Lord (U)could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 So now, please, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, saying, 18 ‘(V)The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in mercy, forgiving wrongdoing and violation of His Law; but (W)He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, (X)inflicting the [i]punishment of the fathers on the children [j]to the third and the fourth generations.’ 19 Please (Y)forgive the guilt of this people in accordance with the greatness of Your mercy, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
The Lord Pardons and Rebukes
20 So the Lord said, “(Z)I have forgiven them in accordance with your word; 21 however, (AA)as I live, [k](AB)all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 Certainly (AC)all the people who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet (AD)have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 (AE)shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who were disrespectful to Me see it. 24 But as for My servant Caleb, (AF)because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, (AG)I will bring him into the land which he [l]entered, and his [m]descendants shall take possession of it. 25 (AH)Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way of the [n]Red Sea.”
26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying, 27 “How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are (AI)grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are [o]voicing against Me. 28 Say to them, ‘(AJ)As I live,’ declares the Lord, ‘just as (AK)you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you; 29 (AL)your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all (AM)your [p]numbered men according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 30 By no means will you come into the land where I [q]swore to settle you, (AN)except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 (AO)Your children, however, whom you said would become plunder—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 32 (AP)But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33 Also, your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for (AQ)forty years, and they will [r]suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your bodies perish in the wilderness. 34 In accordance with the (AR)number of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your [s]guilt a year, that is, forty years, and you will know My opposition. 35 (AS)I, the Lord, have spoken, I certainly will do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. They shall be worn out in this wilderness, and there they shall die.’”
36 (AT)As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who returned and led all the congregation to grumble against him by bringing a bad report about the land, 37 (AU)those men who brought the bad report of the land also died by a (AV)plague in the presence of the Lord. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.
Israel Repulsed
39 Now when Moses spoke (AW)these words to all the sons of Israel, (AX)the people mourned greatly. 40 In the morning, however, they got up early and went up to the [t]ridge of the hill country, saying, “(AY)Here we are; and we will go up to the place which the Lord has [u]promised, for [v]we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “(AZ)Why then are you (BA)violating the [w]command of the Lord, when doing so will not succeed? 42 (BB)Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, [x]to prevent you from being defeated [y]by your enemies. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there [z]to confront you, and you will fall by the sword, since you have turned back from following the Lord. And the Lord will not be with you.” 44 But they foolishly dared to go up to the [aa]ridge of the hill country; neither (BC)the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and scattered them as far as (BD)Hormah.
Footnotes
- Numbers 14:1 Lit raised and gave their voice
- Numbers 14:1 Lit in that
- Numbers 14:9 Lit food
- Numbers 14:9 Lit shadow
- Numbers 14:11 Or trust in
- Numbers 14:12 Lit the plague
- Numbers 14:15 Lit as one man
- Numbers 14:15 Lit say, saying
- Numbers 14:18 I.e., punishment for the wrongdoing
- Numbers 14:18 Lit on
- Numbers 14:21 Lit and all
- Numbers 14:24 Lit entered there
- Numbers 14:24 Lit seed
- Numbers 14:25 Lit Sea of Reeds
- Numbers 14:27 Lit complaining
- Numbers 14:29 Lit mustered
- Numbers 14:30 Lit raised My hand
- Numbers 14:33 Lit bear
- Numbers 14:34 Or wrongdoings
- Numbers 14:40 Or top of the mountain
- Numbers 14:40 Lit said
- Numbers 14:40 I.e., by lacking faith to go
- Numbers 14:41 Lit mouth
- Numbers 14:42 Lit so that you are not
- Numbers 14:42 Lit before
- Numbers 14:43 Lit before you
- Numbers 14:44 Or top of the mountain
Números 14
Reina Valera Contemporánea
Rebelión de los israelitas
14 Toda esa noche la congregación comenzó a gritar y llorar. 2 Todos los hijos de Israel se quejaron contra Moisés y Aarón, y toda la multitud les dijo:
«¡Cómo quisiéramos haber muerto en Egipto, o morir en este desierto! 3 ¿Para qué nos ha traído el Señor a esta tierra? ¿Para morir a filo de espada, y para que nuestras mujeres y nuestros niños sean tomados prisioneros? ¿Acaso no sería mejor que regresáramos a Egipto?»
4 Y unos a otros se decían:
«Designemos un capitán, y volvámonos a Egipto.»
5 Entonces Moisés y Aarón se postraron sobre sus rostros, delante de toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel, 6 mientras Josué hijo de Nun y Caleb hijo de Yefune, que eran dos de los que habían ido a explorar la tierra, se rasgaban las vestiduras 7 y hablaban con toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel. Les decían:
«La tierra que recorrimos para explorarla es una tierra sumamente buena. 8 Si el Señor se agrada de nosotros, él mismo nos introducirá a esta tierra y nos la entregará; ¡es una tierra que fluye leche y miel! 9 Así que no se rebelen contra el Señor,(A) ni tengan miedo de la gente de esa tierra. ¡Nosotros nos los comeremos como si fueran pan! No les tengan miedo, que el dios que los protege se ha apartado de ellos, y con nosotros está el Señor.»
10 Y como toda la multitud hablaba de apedrearlos, la gloria del Señor se manifestó en el tabernáculo de reunión ante todos los hijos de Israel, 11 y el Señor le dijo a Moisés:
«¿Hasta cuándo este pueblo me va a seguir rechazando? ¿Hasta cuándo no van a creerme, a pesar de todas las señales que he hecho en medio de ellos? 12 ¡Voy a castigarlos con una plaga! Pero a ti te pondré sobre un pueblo más grande y más fuerte que ellos.»
13 Pero Moisés le respondió al Señor:
«¡Fuiste tú, con tu poder, quien sacó de Egipto a este pueblo! Cuando los egipcios sepan esto, 14 se lo dirán a los habitantes de esta tierra. Y ellos saben que tú, Señor, estás en medio de este pueblo. Saben que tú, Señor, te manifiestas cara a cara, que tu nube está sobre este pueblo, y que de día vas delante de nosotros en una columna de nube, y de noche en una columna de fuego. 15 Si haces que este pueblo muera como un solo hombre, las naciones que hayan sabido de tu fama van a murmurar, y dirán: 16 “El Señor no pudo llevar a este pueblo hasta la tierra que les había prometido, y por eso los mató en el desierto.” 17 Yo te ruego, Señor, que tu poder sea magnificado, tal y como lo expresaste al decir: 18 “Yo soy el Señor, lento para la ira pero grande en misericordia. Yo perdono la iniquidad y la rebelión, aunque de ningún modo tengo por inocente al culpable. Yo visito la maldad de los padres en sus hijos, nietos y bisnietos.”(B) 19 Por la grandeza de tu misericordia, yo te ruego que perdones la iniquidad de este pueblo, así como lo has perdonado desde Egipto y hasta este lugar.»(C)
El Señor castiga a Israel(D)
20 Entonces el Señor dijo:
«Yo los he perdonado, tal y como lo has pedido. 21 Pero tan cierto como que yo vivo, y que mi gloria llena toda la tierra, 22 ninguno de los que vieron mi gloria y las señales que hice en Egipto y en el desierto, los cuales ya me han puesto a prueba diez veces y no han querido obedecerme, 23 llegará a ver la tierra que les prometí a sus padres. ¡Ninguno de los que me han rechazado la verá!(E) 24 Sólo a mi siervo Caleb lo llevaré a la tierra donde él entró. A él y a su descendencia les daré posesión de la tierra,(F) porque en él hay otro espíritu y porque ha decidido seguirme. 25 En cuanto a los amalecitas y cananeos, que ahora habitan en el valle, vuelvan mañana y diríjanse al desierto, en dirección del Mar Rojo.»
26 El Señor habló con Moisés y Aarón, y les dijo:
27 «¿Hasta cuándo oiré las murmuraciones de esta depravada multitud contra mí? ¡Ya he escuchado las protestas de los hijos de Israel, y cómo se quejan de mí! 28 Pues diles de mi parte: “Vivo yo, que voy a hacer con ustedes lo mismo que ustedes me han dicho al oído. 29 En este desierto quedarán tendidos los cadáveres(G) de todos ustedes, los mayores de veinte años que fueron contados, los cuales han murmurado contra mí. 30 Ninguno de ustedes entrará en la tierra que, bajo juramento, prometí que les daría para que la habitaran. Sólo entrarán Caleb hijo de Yefune y Josué hijo de Nun. 31 Y a esos niños que ustedes dijeron que serían hechos prisioneros, yo los introduciré en la tierra que ustedes despreciaron, y ellos la conocerán. 32 En cuanto a ustedes, sus cuerpos quedarán tendidos en este desierto. 33 Sus hijos andarán cuarenta años(H) sin rumbo fijo por el desierto, llevando a cuestas sus rebeldías, hasta que su cuerpo sea consumido en el desierto. 34 Cuarenta años llevarán a cuestas sus iniquidades, un año por cada día, conforme al número de los días que anduvieron explorando la tierra, y así experimentarán mi castigo. 35 Así voy a tratar a toda esta multitud perversa que se ha juntado contra mí. Serán consumidos en este desierto, y aquí mismo serán condenados a muerte. Yo, el Señor, lo he dicho.”»
Muerte de los diez espías malvados
36 Los hombres que Moisés envió a explorar la tierra, y que al volver habían hecho que toda la congregación murmurara contra él, desacreditando así aquel país, 37 murieron delante del Señor por causa de una plaga y por haber hablado mal de la tierra. 38 De los hombres que habían ido a explorar la tierra, sólo Josué hijo de Nun y Caleb hijo de Yefune quedaron con vida.
La derrota en Jormá(I)
39 Moisés comunicó todo esto a todos los hijos de Israel, y ellos se entristecieron mucho. 40 Entonces madrugaron y subieron a la cumbre del monte, pues decían: «Hemos pecado, así que estamos dispuestos a ir al lugar del cual nos ha hablado el Señor.»
41 Pero Moisés dijo:
«¿Por qué quebrantan el mandamiento del Señor? Esto tampoco les saldrá bien. 42 No suban, para que no sean derrotados delante de sus enemigos, porque el Señor no está en medio de ustedes. 43 Los amalecitas y los cananeos están allí, delante de ustedes, y ustedes morirán a filo de espada por haberse negado a seguir al Señor. Por eso el Señor no está con ustedes.»
44 Y aunque ellos se obstinaron en subir a la cima del monte, el arca del pacto del Señor, y Moisés, no se apartaron de en medio del campamento. 45 Entonces bajaron los amalecitas y los cananeos que habitaban en aquel monte, y los hirieron y los derrotaron, y los persiguieron hasta Jormá.
Numbers 14
Revised Geneva Translation
14 Then all the Congregation lifted up their voice and cried. And the people wept that night.
2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron. And the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness. If only we were dead.
3 “Why has the LORD brought us into this land to fall upon the sword now? Our wives and our children shall be a prey. Would it not be better for us to return into Egypt?”
4 And they said to one another, “Let us make a captain and return into Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the Congregation of the children of Israel.
6 And Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh (two of them who searched the land), tore their clothes
7 and spoke to all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, “The land through which we walked to search is a very good land!
8 “If the LORD loves us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us. It is a land that flows with milk and honey!
9 “But do not rebel against the LORD or fear the people of the land. For they are as bread to us! Their shield has departed from them; and the LORD is with us! Do not fear them!”
10 And all the multitude said, “Stone them with stones!” But the Glory of the LORD appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, before all the children of Israel.
11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will it be before they believe Me, with all the signs which I have shown among them?
12 “I will strike them with the pestilence and destroy them and will make you a greater and mightier nation than they.”
13 But Moses said to the LORD, “When the Egyptians shall hear it (for You brought this people by Your power from among them),
14 “then they shall say to the inhabitants of the land (for they have heard that You, LORD, are among this people, and that You, LORD, are seen face to face, and that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them, by daytime in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night)
15 “that You will kill this people as one man. So, the heathen which have heard the fame of You, shall then say,
16 ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to them, therefore He has killed them in the wilderness.’
17 “And now, I beg you, let the power of my LORD be great, as You have spoken, saying,
18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and of great mercy and forgiving iniquity and sin, but not making the wicked innocent and visiting the wickedness of the fathers upon the children in the third and fourth generation.’
19 “Be merciful, I beg You, to the iniquity of this people, according to Your great mercy and as You have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”
20 And the LORD said, “I have forgiven it, according to your request.
21 “Nevertheless, as I live, all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the LORD.
22 “For all those men who have seen My Glory and My miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted Me these ten times and have not obeyed My Voice,
23 “certainly they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers. Nor shall any who provoke Me see it.
24 “But My servant, Caleb, because he had another spirit and has followed Me still, him will I bring into the land where he went. And his seed shall inherit it.
25 “Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites remain in the valley. Turn tomorrow and go into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
26 Afterward, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27 “How long shall I allow this wicked multitude to murmur against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me.
28 “Tell them, ‘As I live (says the LORD) I will surely do to you just as you have spoken in My Ears.
29 ‘Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, all you who were counted through all your numbers—from twenty years old and above—who have murmured against Me.
30 ‘Except for Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun, you shall doubtless not come into the land for which I lifted up My Hand to make you dwell in.
31 ‘But your children, which you said should be a prey, them I will bring in. And they shall know the land which you have refused.
32 ‘But even your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.
33 ‘And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years and shall bear your whoredoms until your carcasses are wasted in the wilderness.
34 ‘After the number of the days in which you searched out the land—forty days—for every day you shall bear your iniquity one year. For forty years you shall feel My breach of promise.
35 ‘I the LORD have said, “Certainly I will do so to all this wicked company who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed. And there they shall die.
36 “And the men whom Moses had sent to search the land (who, when they came back, made all the people murmur against him, and brought up a slander upon the land),
37 “even those men who brought up that vile slander upon the land, shall die by a plague before the LORD.
38 “But Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, of those men who went to search the land, shall live.”’”
39 Then Moses told these sayings to all the children of Israel. And the people sorrowed greatly.
40 And they rose up early in the morning and went up into the top of the mountain, saying, “Lo, we are ready to go up to the place which the LORD has promised. For we have sinned.”
41 But Moses said, “Why do you transgress the Commandment of the LORD? It will not go well.
42 “Do not go up, (for the LORD is not among you) lest you be overthrown before your enemies.
43 “For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you. And you shall fall by the sword. For inasmuch as you are turned away from the LORD, the LORD will also not be with you.”
44 Yet they obstinately presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. But the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, and Moses, did not depart out of the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and struck them and beat them back to Hormah.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2009, 2011 by Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.