Numbers 14
1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried; and the people wept all that night.
That night, all the Israeli people cried loudly.
2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; and all the congregation said to them,
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 Would we had died in the land of Egypt! or in this wilderness, would we had died! and why does the Lord bring us into this land to fall in war? our wives and our children shall be for a prey: now then it is better to return into 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 And they said one to another, Let us make a ruler, and return into Egypt.
Then [some of] them said to each other, “We should choose a leader who will take us back to Egypt!”
5 And Moses and Aaron fell upon their face before all the congregation of the children of Israel.
Then Aaron and Moses/I bowed down [to pray] in front of all the Israeli people who had gathered there.
6 But Joshua the [son] of Naue, and Chaleb the [son] of Jephonne, of [the number of] them that spied out the land, tore their garments,
Joshua and Caleb, two of the men who had explored the land, tore their clothes [because they were very dismayed].
7 and spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we surveyed is indeed extremely good.
They said to the Israeli people, “The land that we explored is very good.
8 If the Lord choose us, he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flows with milk and honey.
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 depart not from the Lord; and fear you not the people of the land, for they are meat for us; for the season [of prosperity] is departed from them, but the Lord [is] amongst us: fear them not.
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 And all the congregation bade stone them with stones; and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud on the tabernacle of witness to all the children of Israel.
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 does this people provoke me? and how long do they refuse to believe me for all the signs which I have wrought amongst 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 death, and destroy them; and I will make of you and of your father's house a great nation, and much greater than this.
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 And Moses said to the Lord, So Egypt shall hear, for you have brought up this people from them by your might.
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 Moreover all the dwellers upon this land have heard that you are Lord in the midst of this people, who, O Lord, are seen [by them] face to face, and your cloud rests upon them, and you go before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire.
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 And [if] you shall destroy this nation as one man; then all the nations that have heard your name shall speak, saying,
If you kill these people all at one time, the people-groups who have heard about your [power] will say,
16 Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which he sware to them, he has overthrown 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 And now, O Lord, let your strength be exalted, as you spoke, saying,
“So Yahweh, now show that you are very powerful. You said,
18 The Lord [is] longsuffering and merciful, and true, removing transgressions and iniquities and sins, and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the 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 Forgive this people their sin according to your great mercy, as you were favourable to them from Egypt until now.
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 And the Lord said to Moses, I am gracious to them according to your word.
Then Yahweh replied, “I have forgiven them, as you requested me to.
21 But [as] I live and my name is living, so the glory of the Lord shall fill all the earth.
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 For all the men who see my glory, and the signs which I wrought in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have tempted me this tenth time, and have not listened to my voice,
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 surely they shall not see the land, which I sware to their fathers; but their children which are with me here, as many as know not good or evil, every inexperienced youth, to them will I give the land; but none who have provoked me shall 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 my servant Chaleb, because there was another spirit in him, and he followed me, I will bring him into the land into which he entered, and his seed shall 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 But Amalec and the Chananite dwell in the valley: to-morrow turn and depart for the wilderness by the way of 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 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
Then Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,
27 How long [shall I endure] this wicked congregation? I have heard their murmurings against me, [even] the murmuring of the children of Israel, which they have murmured concerning you.
“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 Say to them, [As] I live, says the Lord: surely as you spoke into my ears, so will I do to you.
So now tell them this: ‘Just as certainly as I, Yahweh, live, I will do exactly what you said would happen.
29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all those of you that were reviewed, and those of you that were numbered from twenty years old and upward, all that murmured 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 you shall not enter into the land for which I stretched out my hand to establish you upon it; except only Chaleb the son of Jephonne, and Joshua the [son] of Naue.
will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give to you. Only Caleb and Joshua will enter that land.
31 And your little ones, who you said should be a prey, them will I bring into the land; and they shall inherit the land, which you rejected.
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 And your carcases shall fall in this wilderness.
But as for you [adults], you will die here in this desert.
33 And your sons shall be fed in the wilderness forty years, and they shall bear your fornication, until your carcases be consumed 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 According to the number of the days during which you spied the land, forty days, a day for a year, you shall bear your sins forty years, and you shall know my fierce anger.
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, Surely will I do thus to this evil congregation that has risen up together against me: in this wilderness they shall be utterly consumed, and there they shall 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 And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who came and murmured against it to the assembly so as to bring out evil words concerning 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 the men that spoke evil reports against the land, even died of the plague before the Lord.
were immediately struck with a plague/disease that Yahweh sent, and they died.
38 And Joshua the son of Naue and Chaleb the son of Jephonne [still] lived of those men that went to spy out the land.
Of the twelve men who had explored Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
39 And Moses spoke these words to all the children of Israel; and the people mourned exceedingly.
When Moses/I reported to the Israeli people what Yahweh had said, many of them were very sad.
40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, Behold, we that are here will go up to the place of which the Lord has spoken, because we have sinned.
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 And Moses said, Why do you transgress the word of the Lord? you shall not prosper.
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 Go not up, for the Lord is not with you; so shall you fall before the face of your enemies.
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 Amalec and the Chananite [are] there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have disobeyed the Lord and turned aside, and the Lord will not be amongst 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 And having forced their passage, they went up to the top of the mountain; but the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses stirred not out of 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 And Amalec and the Chananite that lived in that mountain came down, and routed them, and destroyed them to Herman; and they returned to the camp.
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.
