Numbers 14

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The whole community then cried out in dismay, and the people wept al that night.	1 At this, the whole community broke out with loud cries, and even in the night the people wailed.
2 Al the Israelites muttered at Moses and Aaron, and the whole community said to them, 'Would toGod we had died in Egypt, or even that we had died in this desert!	2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, the whole community saying to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that here in the desert we were dead!
3 Why has Yahweh brought us to this country, for us to perish by the sword and our wives and childrento be seized as booty? Should we not do better to go back to Egypt?'	3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land only to have us fall by the sword? Our wives and little ones will be taken as booty. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?"
4 And they said to one another, 'Let us appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.'	4 So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and go back to Egypt."
5 At this, Moses and Aaron threw themselves on their faces in front of the whole assembled communityof Israelites,	5 But Moses and Aaron fell prostrate before the whole assembled community of the Israelites;
6 while Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of the men who had reconnoitred thecountry, tore their clothes	6 while Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, who had been in the party that scouted the land, tore their garments
7 and addressed the whole community of Israelites as fol ows, 'The country we went to reconnoitre is agood country, an excel ent country.	7 and said to the whole community of the Israelites, "The country which we went through and explored is a fine, rich land.
8 If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will lead us into this country and give it to us. It is a country flowingwith milk and honey.	8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us in and give us that land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
9 But do not rebel against Yahweh or be afraid of the people of the country, for we shal gobble themup. Their protecting shade has deserted them, while we have Yahweh on our side. Do not be afraid of them.'	9 But do not rebel against the LORD! You need not be afraid of the people of that land; they are but food for us! Their defense has left them, but the LORD is with us. Therefore, do not be afraid of them."
10 The whole community was talking of stoning them, when the glory of Yahweh appeared to al theIsraelites, inside the Tent of Meeting,	10 In answer, the whole community threatened to stone them. But then the glory of the LORD appeared at the meeting tent to all the Israelites.
11 and Yahweh said to Moses: 'How much longer wil these people treat me with contempt? How muchlonger will they refuse to trust me, in spite of al the signs I have displayed among them?	11 And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn me? How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
12 I shall strike them with pestilence and disown them. And of you I shall make a new nation, greaterand mightier than they are.'	12 I will strike them with pestilence and wipe them out. Then I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."
13 Moses said to Yahweh: 'Suppose the Egyptians hear about this -- for by your power you broughtthese people out of their country-	13 But Moses said to the LORD: "Are the Egyptians to hear of this? For by your power you brought out this people from among them.
14 and tel the people living in this country. They have heard that you, Yahweh, are with this people,and that you, Yahweh, show yourself to them face to face; that your cloud stands over them and that you gobefore them in a pil ar of cloud by day and a pil ar of fire by night.	14 And are they to tell of it to the inhabitants of this land? It has been heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people; you, LORD, who plainly reveal yourself! Your cloud stands over them, and you go before them by day in a column of cloud and by night in a column of fire.
15 If you kil this people now as though it were one man, then the nations who have heard about youwil say,	15 If now you slay this whole people, the nations who have heard such reports of you will say,
16 "Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the country which he had sworn to give them, and sohe has slaughtered them in the desert."	16 'The LORD was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them; that is why he slaughtered them in the desert.'
17 No, my Lord! Now is the time to assert your power as you promised when you said, earlier,	17 Now then, let the power of my Lord be displayed in its greatness, even as you have said,
18 "Yahweh, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving faults and transgression, and yet lettingnothing go unchecked, punishing the parents' guilt in the children to the third and fourth generation."	18 'The LORD is slow to anger and rich in kindness, forgiving wickedness and crime; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children to the third and fourth generation for their fathers' wickedness.'
19 In your most faithful love, please forgive this people's guilt, as you have done from Egypt until now.'	19 Pardon, then, the wickedness of this people in keeping with your great kindness, even as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now."
20 Yahweh said, 'I forgive them as you ask.	20 The LORD answered: "I pardon them as you have asked.
21 But -- as I live, and as the glory of Yahweh fills the whole world-	21 Yet, by my life and the LORD'S glory that fills the whole earth,
22 of all these people who have seen my glory and the signs that I worked in Egypt and in the desert,who have put me to the test ten times already and not obeyed my voice,	22 of all the men who have seen my glory and the signs I worked in Egypt and in the desert, and who nevertheless have put me to the test ten times already and have failed to heed my voice,
23 not one shal see the country which I promised to give their ancestors. Not one of those who havetreated me contemptuously will see it.	23 not one shall see the land which I promised on oath to their fathers. None of these who have spurned me shall see it.
24 However, since my servant Caleb is of another spirit and since he has obeyed me completely, I shallbring him into the country where he has been, and his descendants will own it	24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me unreservedly, I will bring him into the land where he has just been, and his descendants shall possess it.
25 (the Amalekites and Canaanites occupy the plain). Tomorrow you wil turn about and go back intothe desert, in the direction of the Sea of Suph.'	25 But now, since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn away tomorrow and set out in the desert on the Red Sea road."
26 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:	26 The LORD also said to Moses and Aaron:
27 'How much longer am I to endure this perverse community muttering against me? I have heard whatthe Israelites mutter against me.	27 "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the Israelites against me.
28 Say to them, "As I live, Yahweh declares, I shal do to you what I have heard you saying.	28 Tell them: By my life, says the LORD, I will do to you just what I have heard you say.
29 In this desert your dead bodies wil fal , al you who were counted in the census, from the age oftwenty years and over who have muttered against me.	29 Here in the desert shall your dead bodies fall. Of all your men of twenty years or more, registered in the census, who grumbled against me,
30 I swear none of you will enter the country where I swore most solemnly to settle you, except Calebson of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun.	30 not one shall enter the land where I solemnly swore to settle you, except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun.
31 Your children, who you said would be seized as booty, wil be the ones whom I shal bring in so thatthey get to know the country you disdained,	31 Your little ones, however, who you said would be taken as booty, I will bring in, and they shall appreciate the land you spurned.
32 but, as for you, your dead bodies wil fall in this desert	32 But as for you, your bodies shall fall here in the desert,
33 and your children wil be nomads in the desert for forty years, bearing the consequences of yourfaithlessness, until the last one of you lies dead in the desert.	33 here where your children must wander for forty years, suffering for your faithlessness, till the last of you lies dead in the desert.
34 For forty days you reconnoitred the country. Each day wil count as a year: for forty years you willbear the consequences of your guilt and learn what it means to reject me."	34 Forty days you spent in scouting the land; forty years shall you suffer for your crimes: one year for each day. Thus you will realize what it means to oppose me.
35 I, Yahweh, have spoken: this is how I swear to treat this entire perverse community united againstme. In this desert, to the last man, they shall die.'	35 I, the LORD, have sworn to do this to all this wicked community that conspired against me: here in the desert they shall die to the last man."
36 The men whom Moses had sent to reconnoitre the country and who on their return had incited thewhole community of Israel to mutter about him by disparaging it,	36 And so it happened to the men whom Moses had sent to reconnoiter the land and who on returning had set the whole community grumbling against him by spreading discouraging reports about the land;
37 these men who had disparaged the country were al struck dead before Yahweh.	37 these men who had given out the bad report about the land were struck down by the LORD and died.
38 Of the men who had gone to reconnoitre the country, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son ofJephunneh were left alive.	38 Of all the men who had gone to reconnoiter the land, only Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, survived.
39 When Moses told all the Israelites what had been said, the people set up a great outcry.	39 When Moses repeated these words to all the Israelites, the people felt great remorse.
40 Early next morning they set out for the heights of the hil country saying, 'Look, we wil set out for theplace about which Yahweh said that we have sinned.'	40 Early the next morning they started up into the foothills, saying, "Here we are, ready to go up to the place that the LORD spoke of: for we were indeed doing wrong."
41 To which, Moses said, 'Why disobey Yahweh's order? No success wil come of doing so.	41 But Moses said, "Why are you again disobeying the LORD'S orders? This cannot succeed.
42 Do not go, for Yahweh is not among you, and you wil be defeated by your enemies.	42 Do not go up, because the LORD is not in your midst; if you go, you will be beaten down before your enemies.
43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are ahead of you, and you wil be put to the sword, since youhave turned away from Yahweh, and Yahweh is not with you.'	43 For there the Amalekites and Canaanites face you, and you will fall by the sword. You have turned back from following the LORD; therefore the LORD will not be with you."
44 All the same, they presumptuously set off for the heights of the hil country. Neither the ark of thecovenant of Yahweh nor Moses left the camp.	44 Yet they dared to go up into the foothills, even though neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses left the camp.
45 The Amalekites and Canaanites living in those highlands then came down, defeated them andharried them al the way to Hormah.	45 And the Amalekites and Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came down and defeated them, beating them back as far as Hormah.