²⁸ Say to them, ‘^(A)As I live,’ declares Yahweh, ‘just as ^(B)you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; ^29 (C)your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all ^(D)your ^[a]numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. ³⁰ Surely you shall not come into the land in which I ^[b]swore to make you dwell, ^(E)except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. ^31 (F)Your little ones, however, who you said would become plunder—I will bring them in, so that they will know the land which you have rejected. ^32 (G)But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. ³³ And your sons shall be shepherds for ^(H)forty years in the wilderness, and they will ^[c]suffer for your ^[d]unfaithfulness, until your corpses come to an end in the wilderness. ³⁴ According to the ^(I)number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your ^[e]guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition.

Yahweh’s Plan to Break Assyrian Rule

²⁴ Yahweh of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, ^(A)just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have counseled so it will stand,

¹⁰ Then they will know that I am Yahweh; I have not said in vain that I would do this calamitous evil against them.”’

²⁸ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be done,”’” declares Lord Yahweh.