Israel Refuses to Enter Canaan

14 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people ^(A)wept that night. ^2 (B)And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why has the Lord brought us to this land to ^[a]fall by the sword, that our wives and ^(C)children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, ^(D)“Let us select a leader and ^(E)return to Egypt.”

⁵ Then Moses and Aaron ^[b]fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

⁶ But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; ⁷ and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: ^(F)“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. ⁸ If the Lord ^(G)delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ^(H)‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ ⁹ Only ^(I)do not rebel against the Lord, ^(J)nor fear the people of the land, for ^(K)they^[c] are our bread; their protection has departed from them, ^(L)and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

^10 (M)And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now ^(N)the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

Death Sentence on the Rebels

²⁶ And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ^27 (A)“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? ^(B)I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. ²⁸ Say to them, ^(C)‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: ²⁹ The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, ^(D)all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. ^30 (E)Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I ^[a]swore I would make you dwell in.

³⁶ Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, ³⁷ those very men who brought the evil report about the land, ^(A)died by the plague before the Lord. ^38 (B)But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.