⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.^(A)

¹⁷ And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?^(A)

⁵ Though you already know all this,^(A) I want to remind you^(B) that the Lord^[a] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.^(C)

⁶⁴ Not one of them was among those counted^(A) by Moses and Aaron^(B) 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,^(C) and not one of them was left except Caleb^(D) son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.^(E)

³⁷ these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report^(A) about the land were struck down and died of a plague^(B) before the Lord.

²⁸ So tell them, ‘As surely as I live,^(A) declares the Lord, I will do to you^(B) the very thing I heard you say: ²⁹ In this wilderness your bodies will fall^(C)—every one of you twenty years old or more^(D) who was counted in the census^(E) and who has grumbled against me. ³⁰ Not one of you will enter the land^(F) I swore with uplifted hand^(G) to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh^(H) and Joshua son of Nun.^{(I) 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.^{(J) 32} But as for you, your bodies will fall^(K) in this wilderness. ³³ Your children will be shepherds here for forty years,^(L) suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. ³⁴ For forty years^(M)—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land^(N)—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^(O) to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.^(P)”

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?^(A) How long will they refuse to believe in me,^(B) in spite of all the signs^(C) I have performed among them? ¹² I will strike them down with a plague^(D) and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation^(E) greater and stronger than they.”^(F)