14 2 The people murmur against Moses. 10 They would have stoned Caleb and Joshua. 23 Moses pacifieth God by his prayer. 45 The people that would enter into the land contrary to God’s will, are slain.

Then all the Congregation lifted up their voice, and cried: and the [a]people wept that night,

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: and the whole assembly said unto them, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness: would God we were dead.

Wherefore now hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall upon the sword? our wives and our children shall be [b]a prey: were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

And they said one to another, Let us make a captain and return into Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron [c]fell on their faces before all the assembly of the Congregation of the children of Israel.

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh two of them that searched the land, [d]rent their clothes,

And spake unto all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we walked through to search it, is a very good land.

If the Lord love us, he will bring us into this land, and give it us, which is a land that floweth with milk and honey.

But rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land: for they are but [e]bread for us: their shield is departed from them, and the Lord is with us, fear them not.

10 And all the multitude said, [f]Stone them with stones: but the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation before all the children of Israel.

11 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me, and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?

12 I will smite them with the pestilence and destroy them, and will make thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

13 But Moses said unto the Lord, (A)When the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest this people by thy power from among them)

14 Then they shall say to the inhabitants of the land, (for they have heard, that thou Lord, art among this people, and that thou, Lord, art seen [g]face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou (B)goest before them, by daytime in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.)

15 That thou wilt kill this people as [h]one man: so the heathen which have heard the fame of thee, shall thus say,

16 Because the Lord was not (C)able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore hath he slain them in the wilderness.

17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

18 The Lord is (D)slow to anger, and of great mercy, and (E)forgiving iniquity and sin, but not making the wicked innocent, and (F)visiting the wickedness of the fathers upon the children, in the third and fourth generation:

19 Be merciful, I beseech thee, unto the iniquity of this people, according to thy great mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt, even until now.

20 And the Lord said, I have forgiven [i]it, according to thy request.

21 Notwithstanding, as I live, all the earth, shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.

22 For all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles which I did in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have tempted me this [j]ten times, and have not obeyed my voice,

23 Certainly they shall not see the land, whereof I sware unto their fathers: neither shall any that provoke me, see it.

24 But my servant (G)Caleb, because he had another [k]spirit, and hath followed me still, even him will I bring into the land, whither he went, and his seed shall inherit it.

25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites [l]remain in the valley: wherefore turn back tomorrow, and get you into the [m]wilderness, by the way of the red sea.

26 ¶ After, the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

27 (H)How long shall I suffer this wicked multitude to murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

28 Tell them, As I (I)live (saith the Lord) I will surely do unto you, even as ye have spoken in mine ears.

29 Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all you that were (J)counted through all your numbers, from twenty years old and above, which have murmured against me,

30 Ye shall not doubtless come into the land, for the which I (K)lifted up mine hand, to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

31 But your children (which ye said should be a prey) them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have refused:

32 But even your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.

33 And your children shall [n]wander in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your [o]whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in the which ye searched out the land, even forty days, (L)every day for a year, shall you bear your iniquity, for (M)forty years, and ye [p]shall feel my breach of promise.

35 I the Lord have said, Certainly I will do so to all this wicked company that are gathered together against me: for in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

36 And the men which Moses had sent to search the land (which when they came again, made all the people to murmur against him, and brought up a slander upon the land.)

37 Even those men that did bring up that vile slander upon the land, (N)shall die by a plague before the Lord.

38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those men that went to search the land, shall live.

39 ¶ Then Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel, and the people sorrowed greatly.

40 (O)And they rose up early in the morning, and got them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be ready to go up to the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have [q]sinned.

41 But Moses said, Wherefore transgress ye thus the commandment of the Lord? it will not so come well to pass.

42 Go not up, (for the Lord is not among you) lest ye be overthrown before your enemies.

43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: for inasmuch as ye are turned away from the Lord, the Lord also will not be with you.

44 Yet they presumed [r]obstinately to go up to the top of the mountain: but the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses departed not out of the camp.

45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites, which dwelt in that mountain, came down and smote them, (P)and consumed them unto Hormah.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 14:1 Such as were afraid at the report of the ten spies.
  2. Numbers 14:3 To our enemies the Canaanites.
  3. Numbers 14:5 Lamenting the people, and praying for them.
  4. Numbers 14:6 For sorrow, hearing their blasphemy.
  5. Numbers 14:9 We shall easily overcome them.
  6. Numbers 14:10 This is the condition of them that would persuade in God’s cause, to be persecuted of the multitude.
  7. Numbers 14:14 Hebrew, eye to eye.
  8. Numbers 14:15 So that none shall escape.
  9. Numbers 14:20 In that he destroyed not them utterly, but left their posterity and certain to enter.
  10. Numbers 14:22 That is, sundry times and often.
  11. Numbers 14:24 A meek and obedient spirit, and not rebellious.
  12. Numbers 14:25 And lie in wait for you.
  13. Numbers 14:25 For I will not defend you.
  14. Numbers 14:33 The word signifieth to be shepherds, or to wander like shepherds to and fro.
  15. Numbers 14:33 Your infidelity and disobedience against God.
  16. Numbers 14:34 Whether my promise be true or no.
  17. Numbers 14:40 They confess they sinned by rebelling against God, but consider not they offended in going up without God’s commandment.
  18. Numbers 14:44 They could not be stayed by any means.

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