Numbers 14:26-35

Contemporary English Version

The Israelites Are Punished for Complaining

²⁶ The Lord told Moses and Aaron ^27-28 to give this message to the people of Israel:

You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted.^{[a] 29 (A)} You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over 20 years old ³⁰ will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own—only Caleb and Joshua^[b] will go in.

³¹ You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the Lord, will let them enter the land you have rejected. ³² You will die here in the desert! ^33 (B) Your children will wander around in this desert 40 years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. ³⁴ I will punish you severely every day for the next 40 years—one year for each day that the land was explored. ³⁵ You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.