¹¹ Then ^(A)they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, ^[a]bringing us out of Egypt?

^12 (A)Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘^[a]Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!”

The People Rebel

14 Then all the congregation ^[a]raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept ^[b]that night. ² And all the sons of Israel ^(A)grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “^(B)If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness! ³ So why is the Lord bringing us into this land ^(C)to fall by the sword? ^(D)Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, “^(E)Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”

^16 (A)In any case, he is not to acquire many horses for himself, nor shall he ^(B)make the people return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since ^(C)the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’