Numbers 14
New Century Version
The People Complain Again
14 That night all the people in the camp began crying loudly. 2 All the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron, and all the people said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or in this desert. 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to be killed with swords? Our wives and children will be taken away. We would be better off going back to Egypt.” 4 They said to each other, “Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron bowed facedown in front of all the Israelites gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who had explored the land, tore their clothes. 7 They said to all of the Israelites, “The land we explored is very good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land and give us that fertile land. 9 Don’t turn against the Lord! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land! We will chew them up. They have no protection, but the Lord is with us. So don’t be afraid of them.”
10 Then all the people talked about killing them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the Meeting Tent to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people ignore me? How long will they not believe me in spite of the miracles I have done among them? 12 I will give them a terrible sickness and get rid of them. But I will make you into a great nation that will be stronger than they are.”
13 Then Moses said to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it! You brought these people from there by your great power, 14 and the Egyptians will tell this to those who live in this land. They have already heard about you, Lord. They know that you are with your people and that you were seen face to face. They know that your cloud stays over your people and that you lead your people with that cloud during the day and with fire at night. 15 If you put these people to death all at once, the nations who have heard about your power will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he promised them. So he killed them in the desert.’
17 “So show your strength now, Lord. Do what you said: 18 ‘The Lord doesn’t become angry quickly, but he has great love. He forgives sin and law breaking. But the Lord never forgets to punish guilty people. When parents sin, he will also punish their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and their great-great-grandchildren.’ 19 By your great love, forgive these people’s sin, just as you have forgiven them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20 The Lord answered, “I have forgiven them as you asked. 21 But, as surely as I live and as surely as my glory fills the whole earth, I make this promise: 22 All these people saw my glory and the miracles I did in Egypt and in the desert, but they disobeyed me and tested me ten times. 23 So not one of them will see the land I promised to their ancestors. No one who rejected me will see that land. 24 But my servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely. So I will bring him into the land he has already seen, and his children will own that land. 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, leave tomorrow and follow the desert road toward the Red Sea.”
The Lord Punishes the People
26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long will these evil people complain about me? I have heard the grumbling and complaining of these Israelites. 28 So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says. I heard what you said, and as surely as I live, I will do those very things to you: 29 You will die in this desert. Every one of you who is twenty years old or older and who was counted with the people—all of you who complained against me—will die. 30 Not one of you will enter the land where I promised you would live; only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun will go in. 31 You said that your children would be taken away, but I will bring them into the land to enjoy what you refused. 32 As for you, you will die in this desert. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years. Because you were not loyal, they will suffer until you lie dead in the desert. 34 For forty years you will suffer for your sins—a year for each of the forty days you explored the land. You will know me as your enemy.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will certainly do these things to all these evil people who have come together against me. So they will all die here in this desert.”
36 The men Moses had sent to explore the land had returned and spread complaints among all the people. They had given a bad report about the land. 37 The men who gave a very bad report died; the Lord killed them with a terrible sickness. 38 Only two of the men who explored the land did not die—Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh.
39 When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, they were very sad. 40 Early the next morning they started to go toward the top of the mountains, saying, “We have sinned. We will go where the Lord told us.”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? You will not win! 42 Don’t go, because the Lord is not with you and you will be beaten by your enemies. 43 You will run into the Amalekites and Canaanites, who will kill you with swords. You have turned away from the Lord, so the Lord will not be with you.”
44 But they were proud. They went toward the top of the mountains, but Moses and the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord did not leave the camp. 45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those mountains came down and attacked the Israelites and beat them back all the way to Hormah.
Numbers 14
Evangelical Heritage Version
The People Rebel
14 The entire community raised a loud cry. The people wept that night. 2 All of the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The entire community said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! If only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our children will be taken as captives! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let’s put someone in charge and return to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the entire assembly of the Israelite community.
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had scouted the land, tore their clothes. 7 They spoke to the entire Israelite community, “The land that we explored and scouted is a very good land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that is flowing with milk and honey. 9 Only do not revolt against the Lord. Do not fear the people of the land, for we will eat them up.[a] Their protection is taken away from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
10 Still the entire community threatened to stone them to death. The Glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites over the Tent of Meeting. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with a plague and disown them. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.”
Moses Intercedes for Israel
13 Moses said to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear it, since by your own power you brought these people up from the midst of the Egyptians. 14 They will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have heard that you, the Lord, are in the midst of this people. You, the Lord, are seen face-to-face.[b] Your cloud stands over them. You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you killed these people, leaving no one, then the nations which have heard about your fame will say, 16 ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring these people into the land which he swore to them, he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 Now please let the power of the Lord be great, just as you have said, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, forgiving guilt and rebellion. He certainly does not leave the guilty unpunished, following up on the guilt of the fathers with the children unto the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 According to your great mercy, please pardon the guilt of these people, just as you have forgiven these people from Egypt until now.”
God Decrees Forty Years of Wandering
20 The Lord said, “I have pardoned them just as you have said. 21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the entire earth is filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 not one of the men who has seen my glory and my signs, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who has tested me these ten times and has not listened to my voice— 23 I promise that none of them will see the land which I swore to their fathers. None of those who treated me with contempt will see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb had a different spirit and has followed me completely, I will bring him into the land to which he traveled. His descendants will possess it. 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys and lowlands, tomorrow you are to turn back and set out into the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”
26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the Israelites’ constant grumblings against me. 28 Tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you just as I have heard you say. 29 In this wilderness your corpses will fall. All of you who were registered in the census, every one of you twenty years old and up who have grumbled against me, 30 I swear that none of you will go into the land where I promised to settle you, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 But your children, whom you said would become plunder, I will bring in, and they will experience the land which you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years. They will have to endure your prostitution until your corpses perish in the wilderness. 34 You will bear the consequences of your guilt for forty years, based on the number of days that you scouted the land, forty days, one year for every day. You will experience my opposition.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to this entire wicked community, who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will perish. There they will die.”
36 The men whom Moses had sent to scout the land, who returned and made the entire community grumble against him by giving a negative report about the land— 37 those men who brought the wicked, negative report about the land—died by the plague before the Lord. 38 Of those men who had gone to scout the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
Israel Defeated in Battle
39 Moses told these things to all the Israelites, and the people mourned bitterly. 40 They got up early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country. They said, “We are ready. We will go up to the place which the Lord spoke about. We admit we have sinned.”
41 Moses said, “What is this? Why are you going against the Lord’s command? This will not succeed. 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not among you. You will be struck down before your enemies, 43 because the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there to oppose you. You will fall by the sword because you turned away from following the Lord. Therefore the Lord will not be with you.”
44 But they dared to go up to the heights of the hill country. Nevertheless, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and Moses did not leave the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites, who lived in that hill country, came down, attacked them, and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
Footnotes
- Numbers 14:9 Literally they are bread to us
- Numbers 14:14 Literally eye to eye
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.