God's New Revelations

The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 14 -

(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)
1
And all the congregation lifts up, and they give forth their voice, and the people weep during that night;
2
and all the sons of Israel murmur against Moses and against Aaron, and all the congregation says to them, “O that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, O that we had died!
3
And why is YHWH bringing us to this land to fall by the sword, [that] our wives and our infants become a prey? Is it not good for us to return to Egypt?”
4
And they say to one another, “Let us appoint a head and return to Egypt.”
5
And Moses falls—Aaron alsoon their faces, before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
6
And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those spying out the land, have torn their garments,
7
and they speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land into which we have passed over to spy it out [is] a very, very good land;
8
if YHWH has delighted in us, then He has brought us into this land, and has given it to us, a land which is flowing with milk and honey;
9
only, do not rebel against YHWH: and you, do not fear the people of the land, for they [are] our bread; their defense has turned aside from off them, and YHWH [is] with us; do not fear them.”
10
And all the congregation says to stone them with stones, and the glory of YHWH has appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the sons of Israel.
11
And YHWH says to Moses, “Until when does this people despise Me? And until when do they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have done in its midst?
12
I strike it with pestilence, and dispossess it, and make you become a nation greater and mightier than it.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

13
And Moses says to YHWH, “Then the Egyptians have heard! For with Your power You have brought up this people out of their midst,
14
and they have said [it] to the inhabitant of this land, they have heard that You, YHWH, [are] in the midst of this people, that You are seen eye to eyeO YHWH, and Your cloud is standing over themand in a pillar of cloud You are going before them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15
And You have put to death this people as one man, and the nations who have heard Your fame have spoken, saying,
16
From YHWH’s want of ability to bring in this people to the land which He has sworn to them, He slaughters them in the wilderness.
17
And now, please let the power of my Lord be great, as You have spoken, saying,
18
YHWH [is] slow to anger and of great kindness, bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third and on a fourth [generation]—
19
please forgive the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of Your kindness, and as You have borne with this people from Egypt, even until now.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)
20
And YHWH says, “I have forgiven according to your word,
21
but nevertheless, as I live, indeed, the whole earth is filled [with] the glory of YHWH,
22
for all the men who are seeing My glory and My signs which I have done in Egypt and in the wilderness, and try Me these ten times, and have not listened to My voice
23
they do not see the land which I have sworn to their fathers, indeed, none of those despising Me see it;
24
but My servant Caleb, because there has been another spirit with him, and he is fully after MeI have brought him into the land to where he has entered, and his seed possesses it.
25
And the Amalekite and the Canaanite are dwelling in the valley; tomorrow turn and journey for yourselves into the wildernessthe way of the Red Sea.”
26
And YHWH speaks to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27
Until when [do I bear] with this evil congregationthey who are murmuring against Me? The murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against Me, I have heard;
28
say to them: As I livea declaration of YHWHif, as you have spoken in My ears, do I not do so to you?
29
Your carcasses fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered ones, to all your number, from a son of twenty years and upward, who have murmured against Me;
30
you do not come into the land [for] which I have lifted up My hand to cause you to dwell in it, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31
As for your infantsof whom you have said, They become a spoil—I have even brought them in, and they have known the land which you have kicked against;
32
as for youyour carcasses fall in this wilderness,
33
and your sons are shepherding in the wilderness [for] forty years, and have borne your whoredoms until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness;
34
by the number of the days [in] which you spied out the land, forty daysa day for a year, a day for a yearyou bear your iniquities [for] forty years, and you have known My opposition;
35
I, YHWH, have spoken; if, nonetheless, I do this to all this evil congregation who are meeting against Methey are consumed in this wilderness, and there they die.”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

36
Then the men whom Moses has sent to spy out the land, [who] then return and cause all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing out an evil account concerning the land,
37
even the men bringing out an evil account of the land, they die by the plague before YHWH;
38
and Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh have lived, of those men who go to spy out the land.
39
And Moses speaks these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourn exceedingly,

The Defeat at Hormah

(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)
40
and they rise early in the morning, and go up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we [are], and we have come up to the place which YHWH has spoken of, for we have sinned.”
41
And Moses says, “Why [is] this [that] you are transgressing the command of YHWH? For it does not prosper;
42
do not go up, for YHWH is not in your midst, and you are not struck before your enemies;
43
for the Amalekite and the Canaanite [are] there before you, and you have fallen by the sword, because that you have turned back from after YHWH, and YHWH is not with you.”
44
And they presume to go up to the top of the mountain, but the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH, and Moses, have not departed out of the midst of the camp.
45
And the Amalekite and the Canaanite who are dwelling in that mountain come down and strike them, and beat them down to Hormah.
(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)
1
All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2
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
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
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.
6
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.
7
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 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 don’t rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t fear them.”
10
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
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 among them?
12
I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

13
Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them.
14
They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you LORD are among 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 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 swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’
17
Now please let the power of the Lord(a) be great, according as you have spoken, saying,
18
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
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.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)
20
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 LORD’s glory
22
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 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 has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.
25
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
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27
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
Tell them, ‘As I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you.
29
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 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 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 dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
33
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 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. 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.”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

36
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 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 who went to spy out the land.
39
Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

The Defeat at Hormah

(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)
40
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
Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper?
42
Don’t go up, for the LORD isn’t among you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies.
43
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 LORD’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp.
45
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.

Footnotes

(a)14:17 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”