5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite community, “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land.m 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey,n and give it to us. 9 Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them.o Their protectionp has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!”

10 While the whole community threatened to stone them,q the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.

GOD’S JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL’S REBELLION

11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them?r 12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are.”s

13 But Moses replied to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it, for by your strength you brought up this people from them. 14 They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land.t They have heard that you, Lord, are among these people, how you, Lord, are seen face to face, how your cloud stands over them, and how you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.u 15 If you kill this people with a single blow,B,v the nations that have heard of your famew will declare, 16 ‘Since the Lord wasn’t able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them,x he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’y

17 “So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as you have spoken: 18 The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love,z forgiving iniquity and rebellion.aa But he will not leave the guilty unpunished,ab bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation.ac 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love,ad just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”