Numbers 14
Modern English Version
Israel Refuses to Enter Canaan
14 And the whole assembly lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 All the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “O that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or that we had died in this wilderness! 3 And why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should become prey? Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 And they said one to another, “Let us select a leader, and let us return to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the congregation of the assembly of the children of Israel. 6 Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, from the ones who explored the land, tore their clothes. 7 And they spoke to all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to explore it is a very, very good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land because they are bread for us. Their defense is gone from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
10 But all the assembly said, “Stone them with stones.” And the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting before all the children of Israel. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people disgrace Me? And how long will they not believe Me, in spite of all the signs which I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make from you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
Moses Intercedes for the People
13 Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your power You brought this people up from among them, 14 and they will say to the inhabitants of this land that they heard that You, Lord, are among this people, that You, Lord, are seen face to face, and Your cloud stands over them, and in the pillar of cloud You go before them by day and by a pillar of fire at night. 15 Now if You kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of You will speak, saying, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to them, so He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17 “So now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your grace, just as You have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now.”
20 The Lord said, “I have forgiven according to your word. 21 But truly as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 Because all those men seeing My glory and My signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times, and have not listened to My voice, 23 surely they will not see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor will any of them who disgraced Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit with him and followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land where he went, and his seed will possess it. 25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites lived in the valley. Tomorrow you will turn, and you will set out for the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
Death of Rebels Predicted
26 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: 27 How long will this evil assembly be murmuring against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against Me. 28 Say to them, “As I live,” says the Lord, “just as you have spoken in My ears, so I will do to you. 29 In this wilderness your corpses will fall, and all who were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me, 30 you will not go into the land which I swore by My hand to cause you to dwell in it, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your children, whom you said would be a prey, I will bring them in and they will know the land, which you rejected. 32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and they will suffer for your fornications, until your corpses are in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day you will bear your iniquity, forty years, and you will know My displeasure.” 35 I the Lord have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil assembly gathered against Me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die.
36 The men whom Moses sent to explore the land, who returned and made all the assembly murmur against him by bringing up an evil report about the land, 37 the men who brought an evil report about the land, died by the pestilence before the Lord. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, from the men that went to explore the land, lived.
Defeat in Battle
39 Moses spoke these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. 40 They rose up early in the morning, and they went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned.”
41 Moses said, “Why do you now transgress the commandment of the Lord? This will not prosper. 42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you; do not let yourselves be defeated by your enemies. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword because you are turned from the Lord, and the Lord will not be with you.”
44 But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. But the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses did not depart from the midst of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt on that mountain went down and defeated them, pursuing them as far as Hormah.
Numbers 14
21st Century King James Version
14 And 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 against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness!
3 And why hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?”
4 And they said one to another, “Let us make a captain, and let us 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, who were of those who searched the land, rent their clothes;
7 and they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land.
8 If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not.”
10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
11 And the Lord said unto Moses, “How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will it be ere they believe Me for all the signs which I have shown among them?
12 I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.”
13 And Moses said unto the Lord, “Then the Egyptians shall hear it (for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them),
14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land; for they have heard that Thou, Lord, art among this people, that Thou, Lord, art seen face to face, and that Thy cloud standeth over them, and that Thou goest before them by daytime in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 Now if Thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying,
16 ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.’
17 And now, I beseech Thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying,
18 ‘The Lord is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.’
19 Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”
20 And the Lord said, “I have pardoned according to thy word;
21 but as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.
22 Because all those men who have seen My glory and My miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times and have not hearkened to My voice—
23 surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of those who provoked Me see it.
24 But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went, and his seed shall possess it.”
25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) “Tomorrow turn you and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
26 And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who murmur against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me.
28 Say unto them, ‘As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you.
29 Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me,
30 doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
31 But your little ones, whom ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
32 But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.
34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, for each day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know My altering of My purpose.
35 I, the Lord, have said: I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’”
36 And the men, whom Moses sent to search the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land,
37 even those men who brought up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.
38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of the men who went to search the land, lived still.
39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.
40 And they rose up early in the morning and got them up into the top of the mountain, saying, “Lo, we are here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised; for we have sinned.”
41 And Moses said, “Why now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? But it shall not prosper.
42 Go not up, for the Lord is not among you, that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword. Because ye have turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.”
44 But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop. Nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses departed not out of the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill, and smote them and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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