Numbers 14:13–20

Moses Intercedes for the People

¹³But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them,^{* 14}and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.^{* 15}Now if you kill this people as one, then the nations who have heard about you will say, ¹⁶‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’^{* 17}And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying,

¹⁸‘The Lord is slow to anger

and abounding in steadfast love,

forgiving iniquity and transgression,

but by no means clearing the guilty,

visiting the iniquity of the parents

upon the children

to the third and the fourth generation.’^*

¹⁹“Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now.”^*

²⁰Then the Lord said, “I do forgive, just as you have asked;^*