Numbers 14:3-20

New Living Translation

³“Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”

⁵Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. ⁶Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. ⁷They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! ⁸And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. ⁹Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

¹⁰But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.^[a] ¹¹And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? ¹²I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”

Moses Intercedes for the People

¹³But Moses objected. “What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?” he asked the Lord. “They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt. ¹⁴Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, Lord, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say, ¹⁶‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’

¹⁷“Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, ¹⁸‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ ¹⁹In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

²⁰Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested.

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Footnotes

14:10 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.

Numbers 14:3-20

New International Version

³Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(A) Our wives and children^(B) will be taken as plunder.^(C) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(D)” ⁴And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.^(E)”

⁵Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown^(F) in front of the whole Israelite assembly^(G) gathered there. ⁶Joshua son of Nun^(H) and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes^(I) ⁷and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.^(J) ⁸If the Lord is pleased with us,^(K) he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(L) and will give it to us.^(M) ⁹Only do not rebel^(N) against the Lord. And do not be afraid^(O) of the people of the land,^(P) because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with^(Q) us.^(R) Do not be afraid of them.”^(S)

¹⁰But the whole assembly talked about stoning^(T) them. Then the glory of the Lord^(U) appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. ¹¹The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?^(V) How long will they refuse to believe in me,^(W) in spite of all the signs^(X) I have performed among them? ¹²I will strike them down with a plague^(Y) and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation^(Z) greater and stronger than they.”^(AA)

¹³Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.^(AB) ¹⁴And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard^(AC) that you, Lord, are with these people^(AD) and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face,^(AE) that your cloud stays over them,^(AF) and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.^(AG) ¹⁵If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, ¹⁶‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath,^(AH) so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’^(AI)

¹⁷“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: ¹⁸‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.^(AJ) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’^(AK) ¹⁹In accordance with your great love, forgive^(AL) the sin of these people,^(AM) just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”^(AN)