The people murmur at the news.

1 ¶ And all² the congregationº lifted upºª² their voice,º and cried;ºª and the peopleº weptºª that² night.º 2 And all² the childrenº of Israelº murmuredºª against² Mosesº and against² Aaron:º and the whole² congregationº saidºª unto² them, Would God¹ that² we had diedºª in the landº of Egypt!º or² would Godº we had diedºª in this² wilderness!º 3 And wherefore² hath the LORDº broughtºª us unto² this² land,º to fallºª by the sword,º that our wivesº and our childrenº should be² a prey?º were it not² betterº for us to returnºª into Egypt?º 4 And they saidºª oneº to² another,º Let us makeºª a captain,º and let us returnºª into Egypt.º 5 Then Mosesº and Aaronº fellºª on² their facesº beforeº all² the assemblyº of the congregationº of the childrenº of Israel.º

Joshua and Caleb labour to still them.

6 ¶ And Joshuaº the sonº of Nun,º and Calebº the sonº of Jephunneh,º [which were] of² them that searchedºª² the land,º rentºª their clothes:º 7 And they spakeºª unto² all² the companyº of the childrenº of Israel,º saying,ºª The land,º which² we passed¹ª through² to searchºª it, [is] an exceedingº goodº land.º 8 If² the LORDº delightºª in us, then he will bringºª us into² this² land,º and giveºª it us; a landº which² flowethºª with milkº and honey.º 9 Only² rebelºª not² ye against the LORD,º neither² fearºª ye²² the peopleº of the land;º for² they² [are] breadº for us: their defenceº is departedºª from²² them, and the LORDº [is] with² us: fearºª them not.² 10 But all² the congregationº badeºª stoneºª them with stones.º And the gloryº of the LORDº appearedºª in the tabernacleº of the congregationº before² all² the childrenº of Israel.º

God threateneth them.

11 ¶ And the LORDº saidºª unto² Moses,º How long²² will this² peopleº provokeºª me? and how long²² will it be ereº they believeºª me, for all² the signsº which² I have shewedºª amongº them? 12 I will smiteºª them with the pestilence,º and disinheritºª them, and will makeºª of thee a greaterº nationº and mightierº than² they.

Moses persuadeth God, and obtaineth pardon.

13 ¶ And Mosesº saidºª unto² the LORD,º Then the Egyptiansº shall hearºª [it], (for² thou broughtest upºª² this² peopleº in thy mightº from amongº² them;) 14 And they will tellºª [it] to² the inhabitantsºª of this² land:º [for] they have heardºª that² thou² LORDº [art] amongº this² people,º that² thou² LORDº art seenºª faceº to face,º and [that] thy cloudº standethºª over² them, and [that] thou² goestºª beforeº them, by day timeº in a pillarº of a cloud,º and in a pillarº of fireº by night.º

15 ¶ Now [if] thou shalt killºª [all]² this² peopleº as oneº man,º then the nationsº which² have heardºª² the fameº of thee will speak,ºª saying,ºª 16 Because²² the LORDº was not¹ ableºª to bringºª² this² peopleº into² the landº which² he swareºª unto them, therefore he hath slainºª them in the wilderness.º 17 And now,² I beseech thee,² let the powerº of my Lordº be great,ºª according¹ as² thou hast spoken,ºª saying,ºª 18 The LORDº [is] longsuffering,ºº and of greatº mercy,º forgivingºª iniquityº and transgression,º and by no means¹ª clearingºª² [the guilty], visitingºª the iniquityº of the fathersº upon² the childrenº unto² the thirdº and fourthº [generation]. 19 Pardon,ºª I beseech thee,² the iniquityº of this² peopleº according unto the greatnessº of thy mercy,º and as² thou hast forgivenºª this² people,º from Egyptº² even until² now.º 20 And the LORDº said,ºª I have pardonedºª according to thy word:º 21 But [as] trulyº [as] I² live,º² all² the earthº shall be filledºª with the gloryº of the LORD.º 22 Because² all² those men¹² which have seenºª² my glory,º and my miracles,º which² I didºª in Egyptº and in the wilderness,º and have temptedºª¹ me now these² tenº times,º and have not² hearkenedºª to my voice;º 23 Surely² they shall not¹ seeºª² the landº which² I swareºª unto their fathers,º neither² shall any² of them that provokedºª me seeºª it: 24 But my servantº Caleb,º becauseº he had² anotherº spiritº with² him, and hath followed¹ me fully,ºª² him will I bringºª into² the landº whereinto²² he went;ºª and his seedº shall possessºª it. 25 (Now the Amalekitesº and the Canaanitesº dweltºª in the valley.)º To morrowº turnºª you, and getºª you into the wildernessº by the wayº of the Redº sea.º

The murmurers are deprived of entering into the land.

26 ¶ And the LORDº spakeºª unto² Mosesº and unto² Aaron,º saying,ºª 27 How long²² [shall I bear with] this² evilº congregation,º which² murmurºª against² me? I have heardºª² the murmuringsº of the childrenº of Israel,º which² they² murmurºª against² me. 28 Sayºª unto² them, [As truly as]¹ I² live,º saithºª the LORD,º as² ye have spokenºª in mine ears,º so² will I doºª to you: 29 Your carcasesº shall fallºª in this² wilderness;º and all² that were numberedºª of you, according to your whole² number,º from twentyº yearsº oldº² and upward,º which² have murmuredºª against² me, 30 Doubtless² ye² shall not¹ comeºª into² the land,º [concerning] which² I swareººª² to make you dwellºª therein, save²² Calebº the sonº of Jephunneh,º and Joshuaº the sonº of Nun.º 31 But your little ones,º which² ye saidºª should be² a prey,º them will I bring in,ºª and they shall knowºª² the landº which² ye have despised.ºª 32 But [as for] you,² your carcases,º they shall fallºª in this² wilderness.º 33 And your childrenº shall wanderºª² in the wildernessº fortyº years,º and bearºª² your whoredoms,º until² your carcasesº be wastedºª in the wilderness.º 34 After the numberº of the daysº in which² ye searchedºª² the land,º [even] fortyº days,º each day¹ for a year,ºº shall ye bearºª² your iniquities,º [even] fortyº years,º and ye shall knowºª² my breach of promise.º 35 I² the LORDº have said,ºª I will surelyºº doºª itº unto all² this² evilº congregation,º that are gathered togetherºª against² me: in this² wildernessº they shall be consumed,ºª and there² they shall die.ºª

The men who raised the evil report die by a plague.

36 And the men,¹² which² Mosesº sentºª to searchºª² the land,º who returned,ºª and made² all² the congregationº to murmurºªªª against² him, by bringing upºª a slanderº upon² the land,º 37 Even those¹ men¹² that did bring upºª the evilº reportº upon the land,º diedºª by the plagueº beforeº the LORD.º 38 But Joshuaº the sonº of Nun,º and Calebº the sonº of Jephunneh,º [which were] of² the men¹¹² that wentºª to searchºª² the land,º livedºª [still]. 39 And Mosesº toldºª² these² sayingsº unto² all² the childrenº of Israel:º and the peopleº mournedºª greatly.º

The people that would invade the land against the will of God are smitten.

40 ¶ And they rose up earlyºª in the morning,º and gat them upºª into² the topº of the mountain,º saying,ºª Lo,º we [be here], and will go upºª unto² the placeº which² the LORDº hath promised:ºª for² we have sinned.ºª 41 And Mosesº said,ºª Wherefore² now² do ye² transgressºª² the commandmentº of the LORD?º but it² shall not² prosper.ºª 42 Go not up,ºª² for² the LORDº [is] not² amongº you; that ye be not² smittenºª beforeº your enemies.ºª 43 For² the Amalekitesº and the Canaanitesº [are] there² beforeº you, and ye shall fallºª by the sword:º because²²² ye are turned¹ª away¹² from²² the LORD,º therefore the LORDº will not² be² with² you. 44 But they presumedºª to go upºª unto² the hillº top:º nevertheless the arkº of the covenantº of the LORD,º and Moses,º departedºª not² out¹ of²² the camp.º 45 Then the Amalekitesº came down,ºª and the Canaanitesº which dweltºª in that² hill,º and smoteºª them, and discomfitedºª them, [even] unto² Hormah.º