Numbers 14

1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!

3 And wherefore doth the LORD bring us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones shall be a prey: were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Why does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?”

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

They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that spied out the land, rent their clothes:

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.

7 and they spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.

They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.

8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it unto us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey.

9 Only rebel not against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Only don’t rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defence is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t fear them.”

10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting unto all the children of Israel.

But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. The LORD’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.

11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?

The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? How long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked amongst them?

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

I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it; for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;

Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from amongst them.

14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: they have heard that thou LORD art in the midst of this people; for thou LORD art seen face to face, and thy cloud standeth over them, and thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you LORD are amongst this people; for you LORD are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 Now if thou shalt kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,

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

‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’

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

Now please let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying,

18 The LORD is slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.

‘The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’

19 Pardon, I pray thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and according as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

The LORD said, “I have pardoned according to your word;

21 but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD;

but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the LORD’s glory—

22 because all those men which have seen my glory, and my signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

because all those men who have seen my glory and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;

23 surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised me see it:

surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.

24 but my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.

25 Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley: tomorrow turn ye, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

27 How long [shall I bear] with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation that complain against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel, which they complain against me.

28 Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD, surely as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

Tell them, ‘As I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you.

29 your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,

Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have complained against me,

30 surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I lifted up my hand that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

surely you shall not come into the land concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have rejected.

But I will bring in your little ones that you said should be captured or killed, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.

32 But as for you, your carcases shall fall in this wilderness.

But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.

33 And your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be consumed in the wilderness.

Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in which ye spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my alienation.

After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’

35 I the LORD have spoken, surely this will I do unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

I, the LORD, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”

36 And the men, which Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,

The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up an evil report against the land,

37 even those men that did bring up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men that went to spy out the land.

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.

39 And Moses told these words unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.

Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up to the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.

They rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.”

41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD, seeing it shall not prosper?

Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper?

42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten down before your enemies.

Don’t go up, for the LORD isn’t amongst you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies.

43 For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned back from following the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.

For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you will fall by the sword because you turned back from following the LORD; therefore the LORD will not be with you.”

44 But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of the LORD’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp.

45 Then the Amalekite came down, and the Canaanite which dwelt in that mountain, and smote them and beat them down, even unto Hormah.

Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.