14:1¹ Then all the community raised a loud cry;² and the people wept³ that night. 14:2 And all the Israelites murmured⁴ against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died⁵ in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness! 14:3 Why has the LORD brought us into this land only to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 14:4 So they said to one another,⁶ “Let’s appoint⁷ a leader⁸ and return⁹ to Egypt.”

14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces¹⁰ before all the assembly of the community of the Israelites. 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, part of those who investigated the land, tore their garments; 14:7 And they said to all the community of the Israelites, saying, “The land which we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly¹¹ good land. 14:8 If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us—a land that is flowing with milk and honey.¹² 14:9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us.¹³ Their protection¹⁴ has turned aside from them; but the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”

14:10 But all the community threatened to stone them.¹⁵ But¹⁶ the glory¹⁷ of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of the meeting.

14:11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise¹⁸ me, and how long will they not believe¹⁹ in me, in spite of the signs that I have done in their midst? 14:12 I will strike them with the pestilence,²⁰ and I will disinherit them; and I will you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they.”

14:13 And Moses said to the LORD, “When the Egyptians hear²¹ it—for you brought up this people in your might from among them— 14:14 then they will tell it to the inhabitants²² of this land. They have heard that you, LORD, are among this people, that you LORD are seen face to face,²³ that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 14:15 If you kill²⁴ all this people at once,²⁵ then the nations which have heard of your fame will speak, saying, 14:16 ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, he slew them in the wilderness.’ 14:17 So now, let the power of my Lord²⁶ be great, just as you have spoken, saying, 14:18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love,²⁷ forgiving iniquity and transgression,²⁸ and by no means clearing²⁹ the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations.’³⁰ 14:19 Please forgive³¹ the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love,³² just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”

14:20 Then the LORD said, “I have forgiven according to your word. 14:21 But truly, as I live,³³ all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD. 14:22 Because all the men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted³⁴ me now these ten times,³⁵ and have not obeyed me, 14:23 they will by no means³⁶ see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither will any of them who despised me see it. 14:24 Only my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him and has followed me fully—I will bring him into the land where he had gone; and his descendants³⁷ will possess it. 14:25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the Valley.)³⁸ Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

14:26 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 14:27 “How long must I bear³⁹ with this evil congregation,⁴⁰ that murmurs against me? I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites, which they murmured against me. 14:28 Say to them, ‘As I live,⁴¹ saith⁴² the LORD, ‘I will surely do to you as you have spoken in my ears.⁴³ 14:29 Your carcasses will fall in this wilderness, and all those numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and higher, who have murmured against me. 14:30 You will by no means enter into the land, where⁴⁴ I swore⁴⁵ to settle⁴⁶ you, except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 14:31 But your little ones, which you said would become spoil of war, I will bring them in, and they will know the LORD whom you have despised. 14:32 But as for you, your carcases will fall in this wilderness, 14:33 and your children will wander⁴⁷ in the wilderness forty years, and suffer for your unfaithfulness,⁴⁸ until your carcases lie finished⁴⁹ in the wilderness. 14:34 After the number of the days which you have investigated this land, even forty days, each day for a year, will you suffer for⁵⁰ your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me.⁵¹ 14:35 I the LORD have said, ‘I will surely do it to all this evil community that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die.”

14:36 And the men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made all the community murmur against him by producing⁵² an evil report about the land, 14:37 even those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD. 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephuneh, who were among⁵³ the men who went to investigate the land, lived. 14:39 When Moses told⁵⁴ these saying to the Israelites, the people mourned⁵⁵ greatly.

14:40 And early⁵⁶ in the morning they went up to the crest of the hill country,⁵⁷ saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place that the LORD commanded,⁵⁸ for we have sinned.”⁵⁹ 14:41 But Moses said, “Where⁶⁰ are you now transgressing the commandment of the LORD? But it will not prosper. 14:42 Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, and you will not be⁶¹ defeated before your enemies. 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”

14:44 But they presumed⁶² to go up to the crest of the hill; although⁶³ neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. 14:45 So the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country swooped⁶⁴ down and attacked them⁶⁵ as far as Hormah.⁶⁶