The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)

Then all ye Congregation lifted vp their voice, and cryed: and the people wept that night,

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: and the whole assemblie said vnto them, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wildernesse: would God we were dead.

Wherefore nowe hath the Lord brought vs into this lande to fall vpon the sworde? our wiues, and our children shall be a pray: were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt?

And they said one to another, Let vs make a Captaine and returne into Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assemblie of the Congregation of the children of Israel.

And Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh two of them that searched the lande, rent their clothes,

And spake vnto all the assemblie of the childre of Israel, saying, The land which we walked through to search it, is a very good lande.

If the Lord loue vs, he will bring vs into this land, and giue it vs, which is a land that floweth with milke and honie.

But rebell not ye against the Lord, neither feare ye the people of the land: for they are but bread for vs: their shielde is departed from the, and the Lord is with vs, feare them not.

And all the multitude saide, Stone them with stones: but the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, before all the children of Israel.

And the Lord said vnto Moses, How long will this people prouoke me, and howe long will it be, yer they beleeue me, for al the signes which I haue shewed among them?

I will smite them with the pestilence and destroy them, and will make thee a greater nation and mightier then they.

Moses Intercedes for Israel

But Moses saide vnto the Lord, When the Egyptians shall heare it, (for thou broughtest this people by thy power from among them)

Then they shall say to the inhabitants of this land, (for they haue heard that thou, Lord, art among this people, and that thou, Lord, art seene face to face, and that thy cloude standeth ouer them, and that thou goest before them by day time in a pillar of a cloude, and in a pillar of fire by night)

That thou wilt kill this people as one man: so the heathen which haue heard the fame of thee, shall thus say,

Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the lande, which he sware vnto them, therefore hath he slaine them in the wildernesse.

And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

The Lord is slowe to anger, and of great mercie, and forgiuing iniquitie, and sinne, but not making the wicked innocent, and visiting the wickednes of the fathers vpon the children, in the thirde and fourth generation:

Be mercifull, I beseech thee, vnto the iniquitie of this people, according to thy great mercie, and as thou hast forgiuen this people from Egypt, euen vntill nowe.

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)

And the Lord said, I haue forgiuen it, according to thy request.

Notwithstanding, as I liue, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.

For all those men which haue seene my glory, and my miracles which I did in Egypt, and in the wildernes, and haue tempted me this ten times, and haue not obeyed my voyce,

Certainely they shall not see the lande, whereof I sware vnto their fathers: neither shall any that prouoke me, see it.

But my seruant Caleb, because he had another spirite, and hath followed me stil, euen him will I bring into the lande, whither he went, and his seede shall inherite it.

Nowe the Amalekites and the Canaanites remaine in the valley: wherefore turne backe to morowe, and get you into the wildernesse, by the way of the red Sea.

After, the Lord spake vnto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

How long shall I suffer this wicked multitude to murmure against me? I haue heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmure against me.

Tell them, As I liue (saith the Lord) I wil surely do vnto you, euen as ye haue spoken in mine eares.

Your carkeises shall fall in this wildernes, and all you that were counted through all your nombers, from twentie yeere olde and aboue, which haue murmured against me,

Ye shall not doubtles come into the land, for the which I lifted vp mine hande, to make you dwell therein, saue Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun.

But your children, (which ye said shoulde be a pray) them will I bring in, and they shall knowe the lande which ye haue refused:

But euen your carkeises shall fall in this wildernes,

And your children shall wander in the wildernesse, fourtie yeeres, and shall beare your whoredomes, vntill your carkeises be wasted in the wildernesse.

After the number of the dayes, in the which ye searched out the lande, euen fourtie dayes, euery day for a yeere, shall ye beare your iniquity, for fourtie yeeres, and ye shall feele my breach of promise.

I the Lord haue said, Certainely I will doe so to all this wicked company, that are gathered together against me: for in this wildernesse they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

The Plague on the Ten Spies

And the men which Moses had sent to search the land (which, when they came againe, made all the people to murmure against him, and brought vp a slander vpon the lande)

Euen those men that did bring vp that vile slander vpon the land, shall die by a plague before the Lord.

But Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, of those men that went to search the land, shall liue.

Then Moses tolde these sayings vnto all the children of Israel, and the people sorowed greatly.

The Defeat at Hormah

(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)

And they rose vp earely in the morning, and gate them vp into the toppe of the mountaine, saying, Loe, we be readie, to goe vp to the place which the Lord hath promised: for wee haue sinned.

But Moses said, Wherefore transgresse yee thus the commandement of the Lord? it will not so come well to passe.

Goe not vp (for the Lord is not among you) lest ye be ouerthrowe before your enemies.

For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sworde: for in as much as ye are turned away from the Lord, the Lord also will not be with you.

Yet they presumed obstinately to goe vp to the top of the mountaine: but the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and Moses departed not out of the campe.

Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites, which dwelt in that mountaine, came downe and smote them, and consumed them vnto Hormah.

(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)

All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!

Why does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?”

They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.

They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.

If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey.

Only don’t rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t fear them.”

But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. The LORD’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.

The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? How long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?

I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them.

They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you LORD are among this people; for you LORD are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,

‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’

Now please let the power of the Lord(a) be great, according as you have spoken, saying,

‘The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’

Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)

The LORD said, “I have pardoned according to your word;

but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the LORD’s glory—

because all those men who have seen my glory and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;

surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.

But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.

Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation that complain against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel, which they complain against me.

Tell them, ‘As I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you.

Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have complained against me,

surely you shall not come into the land concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

But I will bring in your little ones that you said should be captured or killed, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.

But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.

Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.

After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’

I, the LORD, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up an evil report against the land,

even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.

Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

The Defeat at Hormah

(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)

They rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.”

Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper?

Don’t go up, for the LORD isn’t among you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies.

For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you will fall by the sword because you turned back from following the LORD; therefore the LORD will not be with you.”

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of the LORD’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp.

Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.

Footnotes

(a)14:17 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”