14Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. ²All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, ^eand 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 little children will become plunder. ^fWouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” ^g⁴So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”

⁵Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground 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. ^h⁸If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, ⁱand 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. ^jTheir protection ^khas been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!”

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

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Cross references

e14:2 Ex 16:2, 7–8; 17:3; Nm 14:27; 16:11, 41; Ps 59:15
f14:3 Gn 34:29; Nm 14:31
g14:3 Nm 11:5; Dt 17:16; Neh 9:17; Ac 7:39
h14:7 Ex 3:8; Nm 13:27; Dt 1:25; 3:25
i14:8 Ex 3:8; Lv 20:24; Nm 13:17; 16:13–14
j14:9 Nm 14:3
k14:9 Ps 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7; 91:1; Is 49:2; 51:16
l14:10 Ex 17:4; Mt 23:37