Numbers 14:26-45

New Century Version

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.