The People Rebel
1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
10But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”
13Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.14:25 Or the Sea of Reeds”
26The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27“How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”
36So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. 38Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.
39When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!”
41But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! 42Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”
44Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. 45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
Anthu Awukira
1Usiku umenewo gulu lonse la Aisraeli linalira mofuwula kwambiri. 2Ndipo Aisraeli onse anayankhula motsutsana ndi Mose ndi Aaroni. Gulu lonse linanena kwa iwo kuti, “Kunali bwino tikanafera ku Igupto kapena mʼchipululu muno! 3Nʼchifukwa chiyani Yehova akutilowetsa mʼdziko limenelo? Kodi kuti tikaphedwe ndi lupanga? Kuti akazi ndi ana athu akatengedwe ngati katundu wolanda ku nkhondo? Kodi sikungakhale bwino kuti tibwerere ku Igupto?” 4Ndipo anawuzana wina ndi mnzake kuti, “Tiyeni tisankhe mtsogoleri ndipo tibwerere ku Igupto.”
5Koma Mose ndi Aaroni anadzigwetsa pansi chafufumimba pamaso pa Aisraeli onse omwe anasonkhana pamenepo. 6Yoswa mwana wa Nuni ndi Kalebe mwana wa Yefune, omwe anali amodzi mwa amene anakazonda nawo dziko, anangʼamba zovala zawo 7ndipo anati kwa gulu lonse la Aisraeli, “Dziko limene tinakayendamo ndi kuliona ndi labwino kwambiri zedi. 8Ngati Yehova akukondwera nafe, adzatitsogolera kulowa mʼdziko limenelo. Dziko loyenda mkaka ndi uchi adzalipereka kwa ife, 9koma musawukire Yehova. Komanso musaope anthu a mʼdzikomo, pakuti tidzawagonjetsa. Chitetezo chawachokera, koma ife Yehova ali nafe. Musawaope.”
10Koma gulu lonse linayankhula zofuna kuwagenda miyala. Pamenepo ulemerero wa Yehova unaonekera kwa Aisraeli onse ku tenti ya msonkhano. 11Yehova anawuza Mose kuti, “Anthu awa adzandinyoza mpaka liti? Sadzandikhulupirira mpaka liti, ngakhale ndachita zizindikiro zozizwitsa zonsezi pakati pawo? 12Ndidzawakantha ndi mliri ndi kuwawononga. Koma ndidzakusandutsa iwe mtundu waukulu ndi wamphamvu kuposa iwo.”
13Mose anati kwa Yehova, “Aigupto adzamva zimenezi! Mwa mphamvu yanu munawatulutsa anthu amenewa pakati pawo. 14Ndipo iwowo adzawuza anthu okhala mʼdziko lino zimenezi. Anthuwa amva kale kuti Inu Yehova mumakhala pakati pa anthu amenewa ndi kuti Inuyo Yehova mwawaonekera maso ndi maso. Mtambo wanu umakhala pamwamba pawo ndiponso mumayenda nawo mu mtambo woyima, masana ndi moto woyima, usiku. 15Tsono mukawapha anthu onsewa nthawi imodzi, mayiko amene anamva za Inu adzati, 16‘Yehova walephera kuwalowetsa anthuwo mʼdziko lomwe anawalonjeza molumbira, ndipo wawapha mʼchipululu.’
17“Chonde Ambuye wonetsani mphamvu yanu monga munalonjezera kuti, 18‘Yehova sakwiya msanga, ndipo ndi wodzaza ndi chikondi chosasinthika, wokhululukira tchimo ndi kuwukira. Koma Iye sadzaleka kulanga ochimwa. Iyeyo amalanga ana chifukwa cha tchimo la makolo awo kufikira mʼbado wachitatu ndi wachinayi.’ 19Chifukwa cha kukula kwa chikondi chanu chosasinthika, akhululukireni anthuwa tchimo lawo monga mwakhala mukuwakhululukira kuchokera pa nthawi imene anachoka ku Igupto mpaka tsopano.”
20Yehova anayankha kuti, “Ndawakhululukira monga wapemphera. 21Komabe, ndikunenetsa kuti pali Ine, ndiponso pamene dziko lapansi ladzaza ndi ulemerero wa Yehova, 22palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe mwa anthu amene anaona ulemerero wanga ndi zizindikiro zozizwitsa zimene ndinazichita ku Igupto ndi mʼchipululu muno, koma osandimvera ndi kundiyesa kokwanira kakhumi, 23palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe wa anthu amenewa amene adzaone dziko limene ndinalonjeza ndi lumbiro kwa makolo awo. Aliyense amene anandinyoza sadzaliona dzikolo. 24Koma mtumiki wanga Kalebe, pakuti ali ndi mtima wosiyana ndi ena ndiponso amanditsatira ndi mtima wonse, ndidzamulowetsa mʼdziko limene anapitamolo ndipo zidzukulu zake zidzalandira dzikolo ngati cholowa chawo. 25Ndipo popeza kuti Aamaleki ndi Akanaani akukhala ku chigwa, mawa mubwerere ndipo mupite ku chipululu podzera ku Nyanja Yofiira.”
26Yehova anawuza Mose ndi Aaroni kuti, 27“Kodi anthu oyipawa adzangʼungʼudza ndi kutsutsana nane mpaka liti? Ndamva madandawulo a Aisraeli ongʼungʼudzawa. 28Tsono awuze kuti, ‘Ndikulumbira pali Ine,’ akutero Yehova, ‘Ndidzakuchitirani zinthu zonse zimene ndamva inu mukunena: 29Mitembo yanu idzakhala ili ngundangunda mʼchipululu muno; mtembo wa munthu aliyense pakati panu amene ali ndi zaka makumi awiri kapena kupitirirapo, amene anawerengedwa pa chiwerengero chija ndipo anangʼungʼudza motsutsana nane. 30Palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe mwa inu amene adzalowe mʼdziko lomwe ndinalumbira mokweza manja kuti likhale lanu, kupatula Kalebe mwana wa Yefune ndi Yoswa mwana wa Nuni. 31Koma ana anu amene mukunena kuti adzatengedwa ngati katundu wolanda ku nkhondo, Ine ndidzawalowetsa kuti akasangalale mʼdziko limene munalikana. 32Koma inu mitembo yanu idzakhala ngundangunda mʼchipululu muno. 33Ana anu adzakhala abusa mʼchipululu muno zaka makumi anayi, kuvutika chifukwa cha kusakhulupirika kwanu, mpaka munthu womaliza mwa inu atafa mʼchipululu muno. 34Mudzavutika chifukwa cha machimo anu kwa zaka makumi anayi Chaka chimodzi chikuyimira tsiku limodzi la masiku makumi anayi amene munakazonda dziko lija ndipo mudzadziwa kuyipa kwake kwa kukangana ndi Ine.’ 35Ine Yehova, ndanena, ndidzachitadi zimenezi kwa anthu onse oyipawa, amene agwirizana kunditsutsa. Adzathera mʼchipululu momwe muno, adzafera muno basi.”
36Ndipo anthu amene Mose anawatuma kukazonda dziko aja anachoka pamaso pake nachititsa gulu lonse la anthu kuwukira Moseyo chifukwa chofalitsa mbiri yoyipa ya dzikolo. 37Anthu amene ankafalitsa mbiri yoyipa ya dzikolo anakanthidwa ndi mliri ndipo anafa pamaso pa Yehova. 38Mwa anthu amene anakaona dzikolo, Yoswa mwana wa Nuni ndi Kalebe mwana wa Yefune ndi okhawo amene anapulumuka.
39Mose atafotokoza izi kwa Aisraeli onse, anthuwo analira kwambiri. 40Mmamawa tsiku linalo anapita mbali ya ku dziko la mapiri. Iwo anati, “Tachimwa, tipita ku dziko limene Yehova anatilonjeza.”
41Koma Mose anati, “Chifukwa chiyani simukumvera lamulo la Yehova? Zimenezi sizitheka! 42Musapite chifukwa Yehova sali pakati panu. Mudzagonjetsedwa ndi adani anu 43chifukwa kumeneko mukakumana ndi Aamaleki ndi Akanaani. Popeza mwaleka kutsata Yehova, Iyeyo sadzakhala nanu ndipo mudzaphedwa ndi lupanga.”
44Komabe mwa maganizo awo anapita molunjika dziko la mapiri ngakhale kuti Mose sanachoke ndi Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova pa msasa. 45Koma Aamaleki ndi Akanaani amene ankakhala ku dziko lamapirilo anatsika ndi kumenyana nawo ndipo anawakantha mʼnjira yonse mpaka ku Horima.
