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10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone them.

Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.(A) 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?(B) 12 I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”(C)

Moses Intercedes for the People

13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them,(D) 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.(E) 15 Now if you kill this people as one, then the nations who have heard about you will say, 16 ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’(F) 17 And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying,

18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents
upon the children
to the third and the fourth generation.’(G)

19 “Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now.”(H)

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10 While the whole community threatened to stone them,(A) the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.

God’s Judgment of Israel’s Rebellion

11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people despise Me? How long will they not trust in Me despite all the signs I have performed among them?(B) 12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are.”(C)

13 But Moses replied to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from them. 14 They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land.(D) They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people, how You, Lord, are seen face to face, how Your cloud stands over them, and how You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.(E) 15 If You kill this people with a single blow,[a](F) the nations that have heard of Your fame(G) will declare, 16 ‘Since the Lord wasn’t able to bring this people into the land He swore to give them,(H) He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’(I)

17 “So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as You have spoken: 18 The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love,(J) forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion.(K) But He will not leave the guilty unpunished,(L) bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation.(M) 19 Please pardon the wrongdoing of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your faithful love,(N) just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 14:15 Lit people as one man