14Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. ²All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron,^j and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder.^k Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”^l ⁴So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”

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

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

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Cross references

j Ex 16:2,7–8; 17:3; Nm 14:27; 16:11,41; Ps 59:15
k Gn 34:29; Nm 14:31
l Nm 11:5; Dt 17:16; Neh 9:17; Ac 7:39
m Ex 3:8; Nm 13:27; Dt 1:25; 3:25
n Ex 3:8; Lv 20:24; Nm 13:17; 16:13–14
o Nm 14:3
p Ps 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7; 91:1; Is 49:2; 51:16
q Ex 17:4; Mt 23:37