Numbers 14:39-44

New King James Version

A Futile Invasion Attempt^(A)

³⁹ Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, ^(B)and the people mourned greatly. ⁴⁰ And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, ^(C)“Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned!”

⁴¹ And Moses said, “Now why do you ^[a]transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed. ^42 (D)Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. ⁴³ For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; ^(E)because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.”

^44 (F)But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.