Numbers 14:26–45

26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.l 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live,m declares the Lord, I will do to youn the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fallo—every one of you twenty years old or morep who was counted in the censusq and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the landr I swore with uplifted hands to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneht and Joshua son of Nun.u 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.v 32 But as for you, your bodies will fallw in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years,x suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty yearsy—one year for each of the forty days you explored the landz—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these thingsa to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.b”

36 So the men Moses had sentc to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumbled against him by spreading a bad reporte about it—37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad reportf about the land were struck down and died of a plagueg before the Lord. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land,h only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.i

39 When Moses reported thisj to all the Israelites, they mournedk bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country,l saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!m”

41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed!n 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,o 43 for the Amalekitesp and the Canaanitesq will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with your and you will fall by the sword.”

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went ups toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.t 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanitesu who lived in that hill countryv came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.w