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Unsuccessful Invasion. 39 When Moses repeated these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned greatly. 40 Early the next morning they started up high into the hill country, saying, “Here we are, ready to go up to the place that the Lord spoke of:(A) for we did wrong.” 41 But Moses said, “Why are you now transgressing the Lord’s order? This cannot succeed. 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not in your midst; do not allow yourself to be struck down by your enemies.(B) 43 For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. You have turned back from following the Lord; therefore the Lord will not be with you.”

44 Yet they dared to go up high into the hill country,(C) even though neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp. 45 And the Amalekites and Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came down and defeated them, beating them back as far as Hormah.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 14:45 Hormah: one of the Canaanite royal cities in southern Judah, according to the tradition attested in Jos 12:14, although Nm 21:1–3 gives it as the new name for the city of Arad when it was destroyed by Israel. According to the list of conquered cities preserved in Jgs 1, the earlier name for the city of Hormah was Zephath. The precise location is unknown.

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

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

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up(J) toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.(K) 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites(L) who lived in that hill country(M) came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.(N)

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