Liber Numeri 14
1 igitur vociferans omnis turba flevit nocte illa
All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2 et murmurati sunt contra Mosen et Aaron cuncti filii Israhel dicentes
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 utinam mortui essemus in Aegypto et non 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 Aegyptum
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 dixeruntque alter ad alterum constituamus nobis ducem et revertamur in Aegyptum
They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”
5 quo audito Moses et Aaron ceciderunt proni in terram coram omni multitudine filiorum Israhel
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
6 at vero Iosue filius Nun et Chaleb filius Iepphonne qui et ipsi lustraverant terram sciderunt vestimenta sua
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.
7 et ad omnem multitudinem filiorum Israhel locuti sunt terram quam circuivimus valde bona est
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 si propitius fuerit Dominus inducet nos in eam et tradet humum lacte et melle manantem
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 nolite rebelles esse contra Dominum neque timeatis populum terrae huius quia sicut panem ita eos possumus devorare recessit ab illis omne praesidium Dominus nobiscum est nolite metuere
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 cumque clamaret omnis multitudo et lapidibus eos vellet opprimere apparuit gloria Domini super tectum foederis cunctis filiis Israhel
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 et dixit Dominus ad Mosen usquequo detrahet mihi populus iste quousque non credent mihi in omnibus signis quae feci coram eis
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 feriam igitur eos pestilentia atque consumam te autem faciam principem super gentem magnam et fortiorem quam haec est
I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13 et ait Moses ad Dominum ut audiant Aegyptii de quorum medio eduxisti populum istum
Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from amongst them.
14 et habitatores terrae huius qui audierunt quod tu Domine in populo isto sis et facie videaris ad faciem et nubes tua protegat illos et in columna nubis praecedas eos per diem et in columna ignis per noctem
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 quod occideris tantam multitudinem quasi unum hominem et dicant
Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
16 non poterat introducere populum in terram pro qua iuraverat idcirco occidit eos in solitudine
‘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 magnificetur ergo fortitudo Domini sicut iurasti dicens
Now please let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying,
18 Dominus patiens et multae misericordiae auferens iniquitatem et scelera nullumque innoxium derelinquens qui visitas peccata patrum in filios in tertiam et quartam generationem
‘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 dimitte obsecro peccatum populi tui huius secundum magnitudinem misericordiae tuae sicut propitius fuisti egredientibus de Aegypto usque ad locum istum
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 dixitque Dominus dimisi iuxta verbum tuum
The LORD said, “I have pardoned according to your word;
21 vivo ego et implebitur gloria Domini universa terra
but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the LORD’s glory—
22 attamen omnes homines qui viderunt maiestatem meam et signa quae feci in Aegypto et in solitudine et temptaverunt me iam per decem vices nec oboedierunt voci meae
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 non videbunt terram pro qua iuravi patribus eorum nec quisquam ex illis qui detraxit mihi intuebitur eam
surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.
24 servum meum Chaleb qui plenus alio spiritu secutus est me inducam in terram hanc quam circuivit et semen eius possidebit eam
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 quoniam Amalechites et Chananeus habitant in vallibus cras movete castra et revertimini in solitudinem per viam maris Rubri
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 locutusque est Dominus ad Mosen et Aaron dicens
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27 usquequo multitudo haec pessima murmurat contra me querellas filiorum Israhel audivi
“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 dic ergo eis vivo ego ait Dominus sicut locuti estis audiente me sic faciam vobis
Tell them, ‘As I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you.
29 in solitudine hac iacebunt cadavera vestra omnes qui numerati estis a viginti annis et supra et murmurastis contra 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 non intrabitis terram super quam levavi manum meam ut habitare vos facerem praeter Chaleb filium Iepphonne et Iosue filium 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 parvulos autem vestros de quibus dixistis quod praedae hostibus forent introducam ut videant terram quae vobis displicuit
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 vestra cadavera iacebunt in solitudine
But as for you, your dead bodies shall 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 shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.
34 iuxta numerum quadraginta dierum quibus considerastis terram annus pro die inputabitur et quadraginta annis recipietis iniquitates vestras et scietis ultionem meam
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 quoniam sicut locutus sum ita faciam omni multitudini huic pessimae quae consurrexit adversum me in solitudine hac deficiet et morietur
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 igitur omnes viri quos miserat Moses ad contemplandam terram et qui reversi murmurare fecerant contra eum omnem multitudinem detrahentes terrae quod esset mala
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 mortui sunt atque percussi in conspectu Domini
even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
38 Iosue autem filius Nun et Chaleb filius Iepphonne vixerunt ex omnibus qui perrexerant ad considerandam terram
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 locutusque est Moses universa verba haec ad omnes filios Israhel et luxit populus nimis
Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.
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 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 quibus Moses cur inquit transgredimini verbum Domini quod vobis non cedet in prosperum
Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper?
42 nolite ascendere non enim est Dominus vobiscum ne corruatis coram inimicis vestris
Don’t go up, for the LORD isn’t amongst you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies.
43 Amalechites et Chananeus ante vos sunt quorum gladio corruetis eo quod nolueritis adquiescere Domino nec erit Dominus vobiscum
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 at illi contenebrati ascenderunt in verticem montis arca autem testamenti Domini et Moses non recesserunt de castris
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 descenditque Amalechites et Chananeus qui habitabant in monte et percutiens eos atque concidens persecutus est usque Horma
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.
