Numbers 14:1–10

The People Complain

14All night long the people cried out in distress. ²They complained against Moses and Aaron, and said, “It would have been better to die in Egypt or even here in the wilderness! ³Why is the Lord taking us into that land? We will be killed in battle, and our wives and children will be captured. Wouldn’t it be better to go back to Egypt?” ⁴So they said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt!”

⁵Then Moses and Aaron bowed to the ground in front of all the people. ⁶And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of the spies, tore their clothes in sorrow ⁷and said to the people, “The land we explored is an excellent land. ⁸If the Lord is pleased with us, he will take us there and give us that rich and fertile land. ^9*Do not rebel against the Lord and don’t be afraid of the people who live there. We will conquer them easily. The Lord is with us and has defeated the gods who protected them; so don’t be afraid.” ¹⁰The whole community was threatening to stone them to death, but suddenly the people saw the dazzling light of the Lord’s presence appear over the tent.