The People Refuse to Obey the Lord
1That night all the members of the community raised their voices. They wept out loud. 2The Israelites spoke against Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or even in this desert. 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land? We’re going to be killed by swords. Our enemies will capture our wives and children. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4They said to one another, “We should choose another leader. We should go back to Egypt.”
5Then Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground. They did it in front of the whole community of Israel gathered there. 6Joshua, the son of Nun, tore his clothes. So did Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. Joshua and Caleb were two of the men who had checked out the land. 7They spoke to the whole community of Israel. They said, “We passed through the land and checked it out. It’s very good. 8If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll lead us into that land. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He’ll give it to us. 9But don’t refuse to obey him. And don’t be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The Lord is with us. So nothing can save them. Don’t be afraid of them.”
10But all the people talked about killing Joshua and Caleb by throwing stones at them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting. All the Israelites saw it. 11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people not respect me? How long will they refuse to believe in me? They refuse even though I have done many signs among them. 12So I will strike them down with a plague. I will destroy them. But I will make you into a greater and stronger nation than they are.”
13Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it. You used your power to bring these people up from among them. 14And the Egyptians will tell the people who live in Canaan about it. Lord, they have already heard a lot about you. They’ve heard that you are with these people. They’ve heard that you have been seen face to face. They’ve been told that your cloud stays over them. They’ve heard that you go in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day. They’ve been told that you go in front of them in a pillar of fire at night. 15Suppose you put all these people to death and leave none alive. Then the nations who have heard these things about you will talk. They’ll say, 16‘The Lord promised to give these people the land of Canaan. But he wasn’t able to bring them into it. So he killed them in the desert.’
17“Now, Lord, show your strength. You have said, 18‘I am the Lord. I am slow to get angry. I am full of love. I forgive those who sin. I forgive those who refuse to obey. But I do not let guilty people go without punishing them. I cause the sin of the parents to affect their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.’ 19Lord, your love is great. So forgive the sin of these people. Forgive them just as you have done from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, just as you asked. 21You can be sure that I live. You can be just as sure that my glory fills the whole earth. 22And here is what you can be just as sure of. Not one of these people will see the land I promised to give them. They have seen my glory. They have seen the signs I did in Egypt. And they have seen what I did in the desert. But they did not obey me. And they have tested me ten times. 23So not even one of them will ever see the land I promised to give to their people of long ago. The person who has not respected me will never see it. 24But my servant Caleb has a different spirit. He follows me with his whole heart. So I will bring him into the land he went to. And his children after him will receive land there. 25The Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys. So turn back tomorrow. Start out toward the desert. Go along the way that leads to the Red Sea.”
26The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27“How long will this evil community speak against me? I have heard these Israelites talk about how unhappy they are. 28So tell them, ‘Here is what I am announcing. I am the Lord. You can be sure that I live. And here is what you can be just as sure of. I will do to you the very thing that I heard you say. 29You will die in this desert. Every one of you 20 years old or more will die. Every one of you who was counted in the list of the people will die. Every one of you who has spoken out against me will be wiped out. 30I lifted up my hand and promised to make this land your home. But now not all of you will enter the land. Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, will enter it. So will Joshua, the son of Nun. They are the only ones who will enter the land. 31You have said that your enemies would capture your children. But I will bring your children in to enjoy the land you have turned your backs on. 32As for you, you will die in the desert. 33Your children will be shepherds here for 40 years. They will suffer because you were not faithful. They will suffer until the last of your bodies lies here in the desert. 34For 40 years you will suffer for your sins. That is one year for each of the 40 days you checked out the land. You will know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35I, the Lord, have spoken. I will surely do these things to this entire evil community of Israel. They have joined together against me. They will meet their end in this desert. They will die here.”
36So the Lord struck down the men Moses had sent to check out the land. They had returned and had spread a bad report about the land. And that had made the whole community speak out against Moses. 37Those men were to blame for spreading the bad report. So the Lord struck them down. They died of a plague. 38Only two of the men who went to check out the land remained alive. One of them was Joshua, the son of Nun. The other was Caleb, the son of Jephunneh.
39Moses reported to all the Israelites what the Lord had said. And they became very sad. 40Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country. “We have sinned,” they said. “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised to give us.”
41But Moses said, “Why aren’t you obeying the Lord’s command? You won’t succeed. 42So don’t go up. The Lord isn’t with you. Your enemies will win the battle over you. 43The Amalekites and the Canaanites will meet you on the field of battle. You have turned away from the Lord. So he won’t be with you. And you will be killed by swords.”
44But they wouldn’t listen. They still went up toward the highest point in the hill country. They went up even though Moses didn’t move from the camp. They went even though the ark of the Lord’s covenant didn’t move from the camp. 45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down. They attacked the Israelites. They won the battle over them. They chased the Israelites all the way to Hormah.
以色列人發怨言
1當晚，全體會眾放聲大哭，整夜哀號。 2他們埋怨摩西和亞倫說：「我們還不如死在埃及或曠野！ 3耶和華為什麼把我們領到這裡來，讓我們死於刀下？我們的妻兒必被擄去。我們還不如返回埃及。」 4他們彼此議論說：「我們選一位首領帶我們回埃及吧！」
5摩西和亞倫俯伏在以色列全體會眾面前。 6打探迦南的人中，嫩的兒子約書亞和耶孚尼的兒子迦勒撕裂衣服， 7對以色列全體會眾說：「我們去打探的地方是佳美之地。 8如果耶和華喜悅我們，祂必把我們帶到那片土地，將那奶蜜之鄉賜給我們。 9你們不要背叛耶和華，也不要害怕那裡的人，他們不過是我們的獵物，他們已失去庇護。耶和華與我們同在，不要怕他們。」 10但全體會眾威脅要用石頭打死他們二人。這時耶和華的榮光在會幕中向以色列人顯現。
11耶和華對摩西說：「這些人藐視我要到何時呢？我在他們中間行了這麼多神蹟，他們仍然不相信我。 12我要用瘟疫毀滅他們，不讓他們承受那片土地。但我要使你成為大國，比他們更強盛。」 13摩西對耶和華說：「你曾經用大能把以色列人從埃及領出來，埃及人聽說這事後， 14一定會告訴迦南的居民。那裡的居民早已聽說你耶和華與以色列人同在，你面對面向他們顯現，你的雲彩停留在他們上面，你白天用雲柱、黑夜用火柱引導他們。 15如果你把他們全部消滅，那些聽過你威名的列國就會議論說， 16『耶和華無法把以色列人領到祂起誓要賜給他們的地方，所以在曠野把他們殺了。』 17因此，求主彰顯偉大的權能，正如你所宣告的， 18『耶和華不輕易發怒，充滿慈愛；祂赦免罪惡和過犯，但決不免除罪責，必向子孫追討父輩的罪債，直到三四代。』 19從他們離開埃及直到現在，你一直在饒恕他們，求你以偉大的慈愛再次赦免這些人的罪。」
20耶和華說：「我聽你的祈求，赦免他們。 21但我憑我的永恆起誓，正如大地充滿我的榮耀一樣確實， 22-23他們絕對看不到我起誓要賜給他們祖先的土地，藐視我的人都看不到那片土地。這些人見過我的榮耀，見過我在埃及和曠野所行的神蹟，卻仍然不聽我的話，試探我十次之多。 24但我的僕人迦勒並非如此，他全心跟從我，所以我必帶他進入那片他去過的土地，讓他的子孫擁有那片產業。 25由於亞瑪力人和迦南人住在山谷中，明天你們要轉回，沿紅海的路前往曠野。」
26耶和華對摩西和亞倫說： 27「這邪惡的會眾向我發怨言要到何時呢？我已聽見以色列人對我的埋怨。 28你們去把我的話告訴他們，『以色列人啊，我憑我的永恆起誓，我必照你們所說的對待你們。 29你們當中凡登記在冊、二十歲以上向我發怨言的人，必倒斃在這曠野中， 30除耶孚尼的兒子迦勒和嫩的兒子約書亞之外，你們無人能進入我起誓應許的那片土地。 31你們說你們的兒女會被擄去，但我要把他們帶到那裡，讓他們享有那片你們厭棄的土地。 32而你們必死在這曠野。 33你們的兒女要在曠野飄泊四十年，為你們的不忠而受苦，直到你們都死在曠野。 34你們打探了那地方四十天，你們要為自己的罪受苦四十年，一年頂一天。那時，你們就知道與我為敵的後果。』 35我耶和華已經說過。我必使你們這群與我為敵的惡人死在曠野，無一倖免。」
36摩西派去打探迦南的人回來以後危言聳聽，以致會眾向摩西發怨言。 37打探的人因而染上瘟疫，死在耶和華面前， 38只有嫩的兒子約書亞和耶孚尼的兒子迦勒得以倖免。
39摩西傳達完耶和華的話後，以色列人非常悲傷。 40他們次日清早起來到山頂去，說：「我們知罪了，現在我們要去耶和華應許的地方。」 41摩西說：「你們為什麼要違背耶和華的命令？你們不會成功的。 42不要去！耶和華已經不在你們中間，你們會被敵人打敗。 43你們會遇見亞瑪力人和迦南人，並喪身在他們刀下，因為你們離棄耶和華，祂不再與你們同在。」 44儘管耶和華的約櫃和摩西都沒有出營，他們卻擅自上山頂去。 45住在山區的亞瑪力人和迦南人下來擊潰了他們，一路追殺他們到何珥瑪。
