Numbers 14:1–10

Israel Refuses to Enter Canaan

14So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people ^awept that night. ^2bAnd all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³Why has the Lord brought us to this land to ¹fall by the sword, that our wives and ^cchildren should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴So they said to one another, ^d“Let us select a leader and ^ereturn to Egypt.”

⁵Then Moses and Aaron ²fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

⁶But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; ⁷and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: ^f“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. ⁸If the Lord ^gdelights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ^h‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ ⁹Only ⁱdo not rebel against the Lord, ^jnor fear the people of the land, for ^kthey ³are our bread; their protection has departed from them, ^land the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

^10mAnd all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now ⁿthe glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.