⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, ^(A)it is a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now therefore ^(B)let me alone, that ^(C)my wrath may burn hot against them and ^(D)I may consume them, in order that ^(E)I may make a great nation of you.”

¹¹ But ^(F)Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? ^12 (G)Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and ^(H)relent from this disaster against your people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you ^(I)swore by your own self, and said to them, ^(J)‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” ¹⁴ And the Lord ^(K)relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

¹¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people ^(A)despise me? And how long will they not ^(B)believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? ¹² I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I ^(C)will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Moses Intercedes for the People

¹³ But ^(D)Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, ¹⁴ and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. ^(E)They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and ^(F)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 kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, ¹⁶ ‘It is because the Lord ^(G)was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷ And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, ^18 (H)‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, ^(I)visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ ¹⁹ Please ^(J)pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just ^(K)as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.”

God Promises Judgment

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, ^(L)according to your word.

¹⁹ Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ^(A)And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

²⁰ And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ^21 (B)“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them ^(C)in a moment.” ²² And they ^(D)fell on their faces and said, “O God, ^(E)the God of the spirits of all flesh, ^(F)shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” ²³ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,