The Lord Pardons and Rebukes

20 So the Lord said, “(A)I have forgiven them in accordance with your word; 21 however, (B)as I live, [a](C)all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. 22 Certainly (D)all the people who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet (E)have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 (F)shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who were disrespectful to Me see it. 24 But as for My servant Caleb, (G)because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, (H)I will bring him into the land which he [b]entered, and his [c]descendants shall take possession of it. 25 (I)Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way of the [d]Red Sea.”

26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying, 27 “How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are (J)grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are [e]voicing against Me. 28 Say to them, ‘(K)As I live,’ declares the Lord, ‘just as (L)you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you; 29 (M)your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all (N)your [f]numbered men according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 30 By no means will you come into the land where I [g]swore to settle you, (O)except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 (P)Your children, however, whom you said would become plunder—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 32 (Q)But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33 Also, your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for (R)forty years, and they will [h]suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your bodies perish in the wilderness. 34 In accordance with the (S)number of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your [i]guilt a year, that is, forty years, and you will know My opposition. 35 (T)I, the Lord, have spoken, I certainly will do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. They shall be worn out in this wilderness, and there they shall die.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 14:21 Lit and all
  2. Numbers 14:24 Lit entered there
  3. Numbers 14:24 Lit seed
  4. Numbers 14:25 Lit Sea of Reeds
  5. Numbers 14:27 Lit complaining
  6. Numbers 14:29 Lit mustered
  7. Numbers 14:30 Lit raised My hand
  8. Numbers 14:33 Lit bear
  9. Numbers 14:34 Or wrongdoings

20 The Lord responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested. 21 Yet as surely as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord’s glory,(A) 22 none of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested Me these 10 times and did not obey Me, 23 will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers.(B) None of those who have despised Me(C) will see it. 24 But since My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me completely, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it.(D) 25 Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands,[a] turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”(E)

26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about Me? I have heard the Israelites’ complaints that they make against Me.(F) 28 Tell them: As surely as I live,” this is the Lord’s declaration, “I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. 29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—all of you who were registered in the census, the entire number of you 20 years old or more(G)—because you have complained about Me. 30 I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised[b] to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder(H) into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it.(I) 32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie scattered in the wilderness. 34 You will bear the consequences of your sins 40 years based on the number of the 40 days that you scouted the land, a year for each day.[c](J) You will know My displeasure.[d] 35 I, Yahweh, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against Me.(K) They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 14:25 Lit valley
  2. Numbers 14:30 Lit I raised My hand
  3. Numbers 14:34 Lit a day for the year, a day for the year
  4. Numbers 14:34 Or My opposition