¹⁰ But the entire congregation was talking about stoning them to death.

God Rebukes Unbelieving Israel

Suddenly, the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all of the Israelis. ¹¹ “How long will this people keep on spurning me and refusing to trust me, despite all the miracles^[a] that I’ve done among them?” the Lord asked Moses. ¹² “That’s why I’m going to attack them with pestilence and disinherit them. Instead, I’ll make you a great nation—even mightier than they are!”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

¹³ But Moses responded to the Lord, “When Egypt hears that you’ve brought this people out from among them with a mighty demonstration of power,^{[b] 14} they’ll also proclaim to the inhabitants of this land that they’ve heard you’re among this people, Lord, whom they’ve seen face to face,^[c] since your cloud stands guard over them. You’ve guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵ But if you slaughter this people all at the same time,^[d] then the nations who heard about your fame^[e] will say, ¹⁶ ‘The Lord slaughtered this people in the wilderness because he wasn’t able to bring them to the land that he promised them.’

¹⁷ “Now, let the power of the Lord be magnified, just as you promised when you said, ¹⁸ ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he won’t acquit the guilty. He recalls the iniquity of fathers to the third and fourth generation.’^[f]

¹⁹ “Forgive, please, the iniquity of this people, according to your great, faithful love, in the same way that you’ve carried this people from Egypt to this place.”