Numbers 14:1-12

Expanded Bible

The People Complain Again

14 That night all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] in the camp began crying loudly. ² All the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] ·complained [grumbled] against Moses and Aaron, and all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or in this ·desert [wilderness]. ³ Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to ·be killed with [^Lmake us fall by] swords? Our wives and children will be ·taken away [war plunder]. We would be better off going back to Egypt.” ⁴ They said to each other, “Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

⁵ Then Moses and Aaron ·bowed [^Lfell] facedown in front of all the ·Israelites [^Lassembly/crowd of the community/congregation/assembly of the sons/^Tchildren of Israel] gathered there. ⁶ Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who had ·explored [spied on] the land, tore their clothes [^Critual of grief]. ⁷ They said to all of the ·Israelites [^Lcommunity/congregation/assembly of the sons/^Tchildren of Israel], “The land we ·explored [spied on] is very good. ⁸ If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land and give us that ·fertile land [^Lland flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8]. ⁹ Don’t ·turn [rebel] against the Lord! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land! We will chew them up. They have no protection, but the Lord is with us. So don’t be afraid of them.”

¹⁰ Then all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] talked about ·killing them with stones [stoning them]. But the glory of the Lord [^Crepresenting his manifest presence] appeared at the Meeting Tent to all the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel]. ¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people ·ignore [despise] me? How long will they not believe me in spite of the ·miracles [signs] I have done among them? ¹² I will ·give them a terrible sickness [^Lstrike them with disease/pestilence] and ·get rid of [disinherit; dispossess] them. But I will make you into a great nation that will be stronger than they are [Ex. 32:10].”