Numbers 14
1 Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept.
That night, all the Israeli people cried loudly.
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
The next day they all complained to Aaron and Moses/me. All the men said, “We wish that we had died in Egypt, or in this desert!
3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
Why is Yahweh bringing us to this land, where we men will be killed with swords? And our wives and children will be taken away [to be slaves]. [Instead of going to Canaan]. It would be better for us to return to Egypt!”
4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
Then [some of] them said to each other, “We should choose a leader who will take us back to Egypt!”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.
Then Aaron and Moses/I bowed down [to pray] in front of all the Israeli people who had gathered there.
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
Joshua and Caleb, two of the men who had explored the land, tore their clothes [because they were very dismayed].
7 and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land.
They said to the Israeli people, “The land that we explored is very good.
8 If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.
If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will lead us into that very fertile [IDM] land, and he will give it to us.
9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”
So do not rebel against Yahweh! And do not be afraid of the people in that land! We will (gobble them up/completely destroy them) [MET]! They do not have anyone who will protect them, but Yahweh will be with us [and help us]. So do not be afraid of them!”
10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting.
Then all the Israeli people talked about [killing Caleb and Joshua by] throwing stones at them. But [suddenly] Yahweh’s glory appeared to them at the Sacred Tent.
11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “How long will these people reject me [RHQ]? I am tired of them not believing in what I [can do], in spite of all the miracles I have performed among them [RHQ]!
12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them—and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.”
So I will cause a (plague/widespread sickness) to strike them and get rid of them. But I will cause your [descendants] to become a great nation. They will be a nation that is much greater and stronger than these people are.”
13 But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them.
But Moses/I replied to Yahweh, “[Please do not do that, because] the people of Egypt will hear about it! You brought these Israeli people from Egypt by your great power,
14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
and the people of Egypt will tell that to the [descendants of Canaan] who live in this land. Yahweh, they have already heard about you. They know that you have (been with/helped) these people and that they have seen you face-to-face. They have heard that your cloud is like a huge pillar that stays over them, and by using that cloud you lead them during the day, and the cloud becomes like a fire at night [to give them light].
15 If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,
If you kill these people all at one time, the people-groups who have heard about your [power] will say,
16 ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
‘Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land that he promised to give to them, so he killed them in the desert.’
17 So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared:
“So Yahweh, now show that you are very powerful. You said,
18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’
‘I do not quickly become angry; instead, I love people very much, and I forgive people for having sinned and having disobeyed my laws. But I will always punish [LIT] people who are guilty of doing what is wrong. When parents sin, I will punish them, but I will also punish their children and their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren and their great-great-grandchildren.’
19 Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”
So, because you love people like that, forgive these people for the sins that they have committed, just like you have continued to forgive them ever since they left Egypt.”
20 “I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied.
Then Yahweh replied, “I have forgiven them, as you requested me to.
21 “Yet as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled with the glory of the LORD,
But, just as certainly as I live and that people all over the world [can see] my (glory/glorious power), [I solemnly declare this: ]
22 not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times—
All these people saw my glory and all the miracles that I performed in Egypt and in the desert, but they disobeyed me, and many times they tested [whether they could continue to do evil things without my punishing them].
23 not one will ever see the land that I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have treated Me with contempt will see it.
Because of that, not one of them will see the land that I promised their ancestors [that I would give to them]. No one who rejected me will see that land.
24 But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it.
But Caleb, who serves me [well], is different from the others. He obeys me completely. So I will bring him into that land that he has already seen, and his descendants will inherit/possess some of it.
25 Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”
So, since the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who are living in the valleys [in Canaan are very strong], when you leave here tomorrow, [instead of traveling toward Canaan], go back along the road through the desert towards the Red Sea.”
26 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
Then Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,
27 “How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints that the Israelites are making against Me.
“How long will the wicked people of this nation keep complaining about me [RHQ]? I have heard everything that they have grumbled/complained against me.
28 So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.
So now tell them this: ‘Just as certainly as I, Yahweh, live, I will do exactly what you said would happen.
29 Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.
[I will cause] all of you to die here in this desert! Because you grumbled about me, none of you who are more than 20 years old and who were counted when Moses counted everyone
30 Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give to you. Only Caleb and Joshua will enter that land.
31 But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.
You said that your children would be taken from you [to become slaves], but I will take them into the land, and they will enjoy living in the land that you (rejected/said that you could not conquer).
32 As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
But as for you [adults], you will die here in this desert.
33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.
And like shepherds [wander around in the desert as they take care of their sheep], your children will wander around in this desert for 40 years. Because you adults were not loyal/faithful to me, your children will suffer until you all die in the desert.
34 In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.
You will suffer for your sins for 40 years. That will be one year for each of the 40 days that the twelve men explored Canaan land. And I will be like an enemy to you.’
35 I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this entire wicked congregation, which has conspired against Me. They will meet their end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”
[This will certainly happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it! I will do these things to every one in this group who conspired against me. They (conspired against/decided together to reject) me here in the desert, and they will all die right here in this desert!”
36 So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land—
Then the ten men [who had explored Canaan and] who had urged the people to rebel against Yahweh by giving reports that discouraged the people
37 those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.
were immediately struck with a plague/disease that Yahweh sent, and they died.
38 Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
Of the twelve men who had explored Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
39 And when Moses relayed these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly.
When Moses/I reported to the Israeli people what Yahweh had said, many of them were very sad.
40 Early the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.”
So the people got up early the next morning and started to go toward the hilly area in Canaan. They said, “[We know that] we have sinned, but now we [are ready to] enter the land that Yahweh promised to give to us.”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed!
But Moses/I said, “Yahweh commanded you [to return to the desert, so] why are you now disobeying him [RHQ]? It will not (succeed/be possible).
42 Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you.
Do not try to enter the land now! [If you try], your enemies will defeat you, because Yahweh will not (be with/help) you.
43 For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.”
When you begin to fight the descendants of Amalek and Canaan, they will slaughter you! Yahweh will abandon you, because you have abandoned him.”
44 But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp.
But even though Moses/I did not leave the camp, and the sacred chest that contained the Ten Commandments was not taken from the camp, the people began to go towards the hilly area in Canaan.
45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.
Then the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who lived in that hilly area came down and attacked them and chased them as far [south] as [the town of] Hormah.
