Liber Numeri 14
1 Igitur vociferans omnis turba flevit nocte illa,
That night all the community wept loudly.
2 et murmurati sunt contra Moysen et Aaron cuncti filii Israël, dicentes:
All the people of Israel criticized Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, “We wish we had died in the land of Egypt, or here in this wilderness!
3 Utinam mortui essemus in Ægypto: et in hac vasta solitudine utinam pereamus, et non inducat nos Dominus in terram istam, ne cadamus gladio, et uxores ac liberi nostri ducantur captivi. Nonne melius est reverti in Ægyptum?
Why did Yahweh bring us to this land to die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become victims. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?”
4 Dixeruntque alter ad alterum: Constituamus nobis ducem, et revertamur in Ægyptum.
They said to each another, “Let us choose another leader, and let us return to Egypt.”
5 Quo audito, Moyses et Aaron ceciderunt proni in terram coram omni multitudine filiorum Israël.
Then Moses and Aaron lay facedown before all the assembly of the community of the people of Israel.
6 At vero Josue filius Nun et Caleb filius Jephone, qui et ipsi lustraverant terram, sciderunt vestimenta sua,
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were some of those sent to examine the land, tore their clothes.
7 et ad omnem multitudinem filiorum Israël locuti sunt: Terra, quam circuivimus, valde bona est.
They spoke to all the community of the people of Israel. They said, “The land that we passed through and examined is a very good land.
8 Si propitius fuerit Dominus, inducet nos in eam, et tradet humum lacte et melle manantem.
If Yahweh is pleased with us, then he will take us into this land and give it to us. The land flows with milk and honey.
9 Nolite rebelles esse contra Dominum: neque timeatis populum terræ hujus, quia sicut panem ita eos possumus devorare. Recessit ab eis omne præsidium: Dominus nobiscum est, nolite metuere.
But do not rebel against Yahweh, and do not fear the people in the land, for they are bread to us. Their protection will be removed from them, because Yahweh is with us. Do not fear them.”
10 Cumque clamaret omnis multitudo, et lapidibus eos vellet opprimere, apparuit gloria Domini super tectum fœderis cunctis filiis Israël.
Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of Yahweh appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
11 Et dixit Dominus ad Moysen: Usquequo detrahet mihi populus iste? quousque non credent mihi, in omnibus signis quæ feci coram eis?
Yahweh said to Moses, “How long must this people despise me? How long must they fail to trust me, despite all the signs of my power that I have done among them?
12 Feriam igitur eos pestilentia, atque consumam: te autem faciam principem super gentem magnam, et fortiorem quam hæc est.
I will attack them with plague, disinherit them, and make from your own clan a nation that will be greater and mightier than they are.”
13 Et ait Moyses ad Dominum: Ut audiant Ægyptii, de quorum medio eduxisti populum istum,
Moses said to Yahweh, “If you do this, then the Egyptians will hear about it, because you rescued this people from them by your power.
14 et habitatores terræ hujus, qui audierunt quod tu, Domine, in populo isto sis, et facie videaris ad faciem, et nubes tua protegat illos, et in columna nubis præcedas eos per diem, et in columna ignis per noctem:
They will tell it to this land's inhabitants. They have heard that you, Yahweh, are present with this people, because you are seen face to face. Your cloud stands over our people. You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 quod occideris tantam multitudinem quasi unum hominem, et dicant:
Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations that have heard of your fame will speak and say,
16 Non poterat introducere populum in terram pro qua juraverat: idcirco occidit eos in solitudine?
'Because Yahweh could not take this people into the land that he swore to give them, he has killed them in the wilderness.'
17 Magnificetur ergo fortitudo Domini sicut jurasti, dicens:
Now, I beg you, use your great power. For you have said,
18 Dominus patiens et multæ misericordiæ, auferens iniquitatem et scelera, nullumque innoxium derelinquens, qui visitas peccata patrum in filios in tertiam et quartam generationem.
'Yahweh is slow to anger and abundant in covenant faithfulness. He forgives iniquity and transgression. He will by no means clear the guilty when he brings the punishment of the ancestors' sin on their descendants, to the third and fourth generation.'
19 Dimitte, obsecro, peccatum populi hujus secundum magnitudinem misericordiæ tuæ, sicut propitius fuisti egredientibus de Ægypto usque ad locum istum.
Pardon, I plead with you, this people's sin because of the greatness of your covenant faithfulness, just as you have always forgiven this people from the time they were in Egypt until now.”
20 Dixitque Dominus: Dimisi juxta verbum tuum.
Yahweh said, “I have pardoned them in keeping with your request,
21 Vivo ego: et implebitur gloria Domini universa terra.
but truly, as I live, and as all the earth will be filled with my glory,
22 Attamen omnes homines qui viderunt majestatem meam, et signa quæ feci in Ægypto et in solitudine, et tentaverunt me jam per decem vices, nec obedierunt voci meæ,
all those people who saw my glory and the signs of power that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness—they have still tempted me these ten times and have not listened to my voice.
23 non videbunt terram pro qua juravi patribus eorum, nec quisquam ex illis qui detraxit mihi, intuebitur eam.
So I say that they will certainly not see the land about which I made an oath to their ancestors. Not one of them who despised me will see it,
24 Servum meum Caleb, qui plenus alio spiritu secutus est me, inducam in terram hanc, quam circuivit; et semen ejus possidebit eam.
except for my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit. He has followed me fully; I will bring him into the land which he went to examine. His descendants will possess it.
25 Quoniam Amalecites et Chananæus habitant in vallibus. Cras movete castra, et revertimini in solitudinem per viam maris Rubri.
(Now the Amalekites and Canaanites lived in the valley.) Tomorrow turn and go to the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds.”
26 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, dicens:
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron. He said,
27 Usquequo multitudo hæc pessima murmurat contra me? querelas filiorum Israël audivi.
“How long must I tolerate this evil community that criticizes me? I have heard the complaining of the people of Israel against me.
28 Dic ergo eis: Vivo ego, ait Dominus: sicut locuti estis audiente me, sic faciam vobis.
Say to them, 'As I live,' says Yahweh, 'as you have spoken in my hearing, I will do this to you:
29 In solitudine hac jacebunt cadavera vestra. Omnes qui numerati estis a viginti annis et supra, et murmurastis contra me,
Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all you who complained against me, you who were counted in the census, the whole number of the people from twenty years old and upward.
30 non intrabitis terram, super quam levavi manum meam ut habitare vos facerem, præter Caleb filium Jephone, et Josue filium Nun.
You will certainly not go into the land that I promised to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31 Parvulos autem vestros, de quibus dixistis quod prædæ hostibus forent, introducam, ut videant terram, quæ vobis displicuit.
But your little ones who you said would be victims, I will take them into the land. They will experience the land that you have rejected!
32 Vestra cadavera jacebunt in solitudine.
As for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.
33 Filii vestri erunt vagi in deserto annis quadraginta, et portabunt fornicationem vestram, donec consumantur cadavera patrum in deserto,
Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years. They must bear the consequences of your acts of rebellion until the end of your corpses in the wilderness.
34 juxta numerum quadraginta dierum, quibus considerastis terram: annus pro die imputabitur. Et quadraginta annis recipietis iniquitates vestras, et scietis ultionem meam:
Just as the number of the days during which you examined the land—forty days, you must likewise bear the consequences of your sins for forty years—one year for every day, and you must know what it is like for me to oppose you.
35 quoniam sicut locutus sum, ita faciam omni multitudini huic pessimæ, quæ consurrexit adversum me: in solitudine hac deficiet, et morietur.
I, Yahweh, have spoken. I will certainly do this to all this evil community that is gathered together against me. They will be completely cut off, and here they will die.'”
36 Igitur omnes viri, quos miserat Moyses ad contemplandam terram, et qui reversi murmurare fecerant contra eum omnem multitudinem, detrahentes terræ quod esset mala,
So the men Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made the entire community grumble against Moses by spreading a bad report about the land—
37 mortui sunt atque percussi in conspectu Domini.
these men who had brought out a bad report about the land were struck down, and they died of a plague before Yahweh.
38 Josue autem filius Nun, et Caleb filius Jephone, vixerunt ex omnibus qui perrexerant ad considerandam terram.
Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
39 Locutusque est Moyses universa verba hæc ad omnes filios Israël, et luxit populus nimis.
When Moses reported these words to all the people of Israel, they mourned very deeply.
40 Et ecce mane primo surgentes ascenderunt verticem montis, atque dixerunt: Parati sumus ascendere ad locum, de quo Dominus locutus est: quia peccavimus.
They rose up early in the morning and went to the top of the mountain and said, “Look, we are here, and we will go to the place that Yahweh has promised, for we have sinned.”
41 Quibus Moyses: Cur, inquit, transgredimini verbum Domini, quod vobis non cedet in prosperum?
But Moses said, “Why are you now violating Yahweh's command? You will not succeed.
42 nolite ascendere: non enim est Dominus vobiscum: ne corruatis coram inimicis vestris.
Do not go, because Yahweh is not with you to prevent you from being defeated by your enemies.
43 Amalecites et Chananæus ante vos sunt, quorum gladio corruetis, eo quod nolueritis acquiescere Domino: nec erit Dominus vobiscum.
The Amalekites and Canaanites are there, and you will die by the sword because you turned back from following Yahweh. So he will not be with you.”
44 At illi contenebrati ascenderunt in verticem montis. Arca autem testamenti Domini et Moyses non recesserunt de castris.
But they presumed to go up into the hill country; however, neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of Yahweh left the camp.
45 Descenditque Amalecites et Chananæus, qui habitabat in monte: et percutiens eos atque concidens, persecutus est eos usque Horma.
Then the Amalekites came down, and also the Canaanites who lived on those hills. They attacked the Israelites and defeated them all the way to Hormah.
