New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night.
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The entire community raised their voice and the people wept that night.
2 Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained.
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All the Israelites criticized Moses and Aaron. The entire community said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt or if only we had died in this desert!
3 “Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”
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Why is the LORD bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our children will be taken by force. Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"
4 Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”
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So they said to each other, "Let's pick a leader and let's go back to Egypt."
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel.
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Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembled Israelite community.
6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing.
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But Joshua, Nun's son, and Caleb, Jephunneh's son, from those who had explored the land, tore their clothes
7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land!
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and said to the entire Israelite community, "The land we crossed through to explore is an exceptionally good land.
8 And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.
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If the LORD is pleased with us, he'll bring us into this land and give it to us. It's a land that's full of milk and honey.
9 Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
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Only don't rebel against the LORD and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are our prey. Their defense has deserted them, but the LORD is with us. So don't be afraid of them."
10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.
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But the entire community intended to stone them. Then the LORD's glory appeared in the meeting tent to all the Israelites.
11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?
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The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people disrespect me? And how long will they doubt me after all the signs that I performed among them?
12 I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”
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I'll strike them down with a plague and disown them. Then I'll make you into a great nation, stronger than they."
13 But Moses objected. “What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?” he asked the LORD . “They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt.
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Moses said to the LORD, "The Egyptians will hear, for with your power you brought these people up from among them.
14 Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, LORD, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
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They'll tell the inhabitants of this land. They've heard that you, LORD, are with this people. You, LORD, appear to them face-to-face. Your cloud stands over them. You go before them in a column of cloud by day and in a column of lightning by night.
15 Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say,
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If you kill these people, every last one of them, the nations who heard about you will say,
16 ‘The LORD was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’
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‘The LORD wasn't able to bring these people to the land that he solemnly promised to give them. So he slaughtered them in the desert.'
17 “Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said,
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Now let my master's power be as great as you declared when you said,
18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’
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‘The LORD is very patient and absolutely loyal, forgiving wrongs and disloyalty. Yet he doesn't forgo all punishment, disciplining the grandchildren and great-grandchildren for their ancestors' wrongs.'
19 In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”
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Please forgive the wrongs of these people because of your absolute loyalty, just as you've forgiven these people from their time in Egypt until now."
20 Then the LORD said, “I will pardon them as you have requested.
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Then the LORD said, "I will forgive as you requested.
21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD ’s glory,
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But as I live and as the LORD's glory fills the entire earth,
22 not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice.
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none of the men who saw my glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the desert, but tested me these ten times and haven't listened to my voice,
23 They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it.
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will see the land I promised to their ancestors. All who disrespected me won't see it.
24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.
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But I'll bring my servant Caleb into the land that he explored, and his descendants will possess it because he has a different spirit, and he has remained true to me.
25 Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea. ”
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Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valley, tomorrow turn and march into the desert by the route of the Reed Sea."
26 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
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The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron:
27 “How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me.
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How long will this wicked community complain against me? I've heard the Israelites' dissent as they continue to complain against me.
28 Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.
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Say to them, "As I live," says the LORD, "just as I've heard you say, so I'll do to you.
29 You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die.
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Your dead bodies will fall in this desert. None of you who were enlisted and were registered from 20 years old and above, who complained against me,
30 You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
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will enter the land in which I promised to settle you, with the exception of Caleb, Jephunneh's son, and Joshua, Nun's son.
31 “‘You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised.
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But your children, whom you said would be taken by force, I'll bring them in and they will know the land that you rejected.
32 But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness.
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Your bodies, however, will fall in this desert,
33 And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.
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and your children will be shepherds in the desert for forty years. They will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies fall in the desert.
34 “‘Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’
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For as many days as you explored the land, that is, forty days, just as many years you'll bear your guilt, that is, forty years. This is how you will understand my frustration."
35 I, the LORD, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!”
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I the LORD have spoken. I will do this to the entire wicked community who gathered against me. They will die in this desert. There they'll meet their end.
36 The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the LORD with their bad report—
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The men whom Moses sent out to explore the land had returned and caused the entire community to complain against him by starting a rumor about the land.
37 were struck dead with a plague before the LORD .
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These men died by a plague in the LORD's presence on account of their false rumor.
38 Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
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But Joshua, Nun's son, and Caleb, Jephunneh's son, survived from those men who went to explore the land.
39 When Moses reported the LORD ’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief.
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Moses spoke these words to all the Israelites, and the people mourned bitterly.
40 Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. “Let’s go,” they said. “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the LORD has promised us.”
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They rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain range, saying, "Let's go up to the place the LORD told us to, for we have sinned."
41 But Moses said, “Why are you now disobeying the LORD ’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work.
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But Moses said, "Why do you disobey the LORD's command? It won't succeed.
42 Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you.
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Don't go up, for the LORD isn't with you. Don't be struck down before your enemies.
43 When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD .”
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The Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you and you will fall by the sword because you turned away from the LORD, and the LORD is no longer with you."
44 But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD ’s Covenant left the camp.
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Yet they recklessly ascended toward the top of the mountains, even though Moses and the LORD's chest containing the covenant didn't depart from the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.
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Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites, who lived in those mountains, descended, struck them down, and beat them all the way to Hormah.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible