Numbers 14

vattissa kol-ha'edah vayyittenu et-qolam vayyivku ha'am ballaylah hahu

The whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night.

vayyillonu al-mosheh ve'al-aharon kol bene yisra'el vayyomeru alehem kol-ha'edah lu-matnu be'erets mitsrayim o bammidbar hazzeh lu-motnu

All the Israelites railed against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt,” the whole community shouted at them, “or if only we might die in this wilderness!”

velamah Adonai mevi otanu el-ha'arets hazzot linpol bakherev nashenu vetappenu yihyu lavaz halo tov lanu shuv mitsrayemah

“Why is GOD taking us to that land to fall by the sword?” “Our wives and children will be carried off!” “It would be better for us to go back to Egypt!”

vayyomeru ish el-akhiv nittenah rosh venashuvah mitsrayemah

And they said to one another, “Let us head back for Egypt.”

vayyippol mosheh ve'aharon al-penehem lifne kol-qehal adat bene yisra'el

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembled congregation of Israelites.

vihoshua bin-nun vekhalev ben-yefunneh min-hattarim et-ha'arets qare'u bigdehem

And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those who had scouted the land, rent their clothes

vayyomeru el-kol-adat bene-yisra'el lemor ha'arets asher avarnu vah latur otah tovah ha'arets me'od me'od

and exhorted the whole Israelite community: “The land that we traversed and scouted is an exceedingly good land.

im-khafets banu Adonai vehevi otanu el-ha'arets hazzot unetanah lanu erets asher-hiv zavat khalav udevash

If pleased with us, GOD will bring us into that land, a land that flows with milk and honey, and give it to us;

akh ba-Adonai al-timrodu ve'attem al-tire'u et-am ha'arets ki lakhmenu hem sar tsillam me'alehem va-Adonai ittanu al-tira'um

only you must not rebel against GOD. Have no fear then of the people of the country, for they are our prey: their protection has departed from them, but GOD is with us. Have no fear of them!”

vayyomeru kol-ha'edah lirgom otam ba'avanim ukhevod Adonai nirah be'ohel mo'ed el-kol-bene yisra'el

As the whole community threatened to pelt them with stones, the Presence of GOD appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites.

vayyomer Adonai el-mosheh ad-anah yena'atsuni ha'am hazzeh ve'ad-anah lo-ya'aminu vi bekhol ha'otot asher asiti beqirbo

And GOD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?

akkennu vaddever ve'orishennu ve'e'eseh otekha legoy-gadol ve'atsum mimmennu

I will strike them with pestilence and disown them, and I will make of you a nation far more numerous than they!”

vayyomer mosheh el-Adonai veshame'u mitsrayim ki-he'elita vekhokhakha et-ha'am hazzeh miqqirbo

But Moses said to GOD, “When the Egyptians, from whose midst You brought up this people in Your might, hear the news,

ve'ameru el-yoshev ha'arets hazzot shame'u ki-attah Adonai beqerev ha'am hazzeh asher-ayin be'ayin nirah attah Adonai va'ananekha omed alehem uve'ammud anan attah holekh lifnehem yomam uve'ammud esh layelah

they will tell it to the inhabitants of that land. Now they have heard that You, O ETERNAL One, are in the midst of this people; that You, O ETERNAL One, appear in plain sight when Your cloud rests over them and when You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

vehemattah et-ha'am hazzeh ke'ish ekhad ve'ameru haggoyim asher-shame'u et-shimakha lemor

If then You slay this people all at once, the nations who have heard Your fame will say,

mibbilti yekholet Adonai lehavi et-ha'am hazzeh el-ha'arets asher-nishba lahem vayyishkhatem bammidbar

‘It must be because GOD was powerless to bring that people into the land promised them on oath that he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

ve'attah yigdal-na koakh adonay ka'asher dibbarta lemor

Therefore, I pray, let my Sovereign’s forbearance be great, as You have declared, saying,

Adonai erekh appayim verav-khesed nose avon vafasha venaqqeh lo yenaqqeh poqed avon avot al-banim al-shilleshim ve'al-ribbe'im

‘GOD! slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of parents upon children, upon the third and fourth generations.’

selakh-na la'avon ha'am hazzeh kegodel khasdekha vekha'asher nasatah la'am hazzeh mimmitsrayim ve'ad-hennah

Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to Your great kindness, as You have forgiven this people ever since Egypt.”

vayyomer Adonai salakhti kidvarekha

And GOD said, “I pardon, as you have asked.

ve'ulam khay-ani veyimmale khevod-Adonai et-kol-ha'arets

Nevertheless, as I live and as GOD’s Presence fills the whole world,

ki khol-ha'anashim haro'im et-kevodi ve'et-ototay asher-asiti vemitsrayim uvammidbar vayenassu oti zeh eser pe'amim velo shame'u beqoli

none of those involved—who have seen My Presence and the signs that I have performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tried Me these many times and have disobeyed Me—

im-yiru et-ha'arets asher nishbati la'avotam vekhol-mena'atsay lo yiruha

shall see the land that I promised on oath to their fathers; none of those who spurn Me shall see it.

ve'avdi khalev eqev hayetah ruakh akheret immo vayemalle akharay vahavi'otiv el-ha'arets asher-ba shammah vezaro yorishennah

But My servant Caleb, because he was imbued with a different spirit and remained loyal to Me—him will I bring into the land that he entered, and his offspring shall hold it as a possession.

veha'amaleqi vehakkena'ani yoshev ba'emeq makhar penu use'u lakhem hammidbar derekh yam-suf

Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites occupy the valleys. Start out, then, tomorrow and march into the wilderness by way of the Sea of Reeds.”

vayedabber Adonai el-mosheh ve'el-aharon lemor

GOD spoke further to Moses and Aaron,

ad-matay la'edah hara'ah hazzot asher hemmah mallinim alay et-telunnot bene yisra'el asher hemmah mallinim alay shama'eti

“How much longer shall that wicked community keep muttering against Me? Very well, I have heeded the incessant muttering of the Israelites against Me.

emor alehem khay-ani ne'um-Adonai im-lo ka'asher dibbartem be'oznay ken e'eseh lakhem

Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says GOD, ‘I will do to you just as you have urged Me.

bammidbar hazzeh yippelu figrekhem vekhol-pequdekhem lekhol-misparkhem mibben esrim shanah vama'elah asher halinotem alay

In this very wilderness shall your carcasses drop. Of all of you who were recorded in your various lists from the age of twenty years up, you who have muttered against Me,

im-attem tavo'u el-ha'arets asher nasati et-yadi leshakken etkhem bah ki im-kalev ben-yefunneh vihoshua bin-nun

none shall enter the land in which I swore to settle you—save Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

vetappekhem asher amartem lavaz yihyeh veheveti otam veyade'u et-ha'arets asher me'astem bah

Your children who, you said, would be carried off—these will I allow to enter; they shall know the land that you have rejected.

ufigrekhem attem yippelu bammidbar hazzeh

But your carcasses shall drop in this wilderness,

uvenekhem yihyu ro'im bammidbar arba'im shanah venase'u et-zenutekhem ad-tom pigrekhem bammidbar

while your children roam the wilderness for forty years, suffering for your faithlessness, until the last of your carcasses is down in the wilderness.

bemispar hayyamim asher-tartem et-ha'arets arba'im yom yom lashanah yom lashanah tisu et-avonotekhem arba'im shanah vidatem et-tenu'ati

You shall bear your punishment for forty years, corresponding to the number of days—forty days—that you scouted the land: a year for each day. Thus you shall know what it means to thwart Me.

ani Adonai dibbarti im-lo zot e'eseh lekhol-ha'edah hara'ah hazzot hanno'adim alay bammidbar hazzeh yittammu vesham yamutu

I GOD have spoken: Thus will I do to all that wicked band that has banded together against Me: in this very wilderness they shall die and so be finished off.’”

veha'anashim asher-shalakh mosheh latur et-ha'arets vayyashuvu (vylvnv) [vayyallinu] alayw et-kol-ha'edah lehotsi dibbah al-ha'arets

As for those whom Moses sent to scout the land—the ones who came back and caused the whole community to mutter against him by spreading calumnies about the land—

vayyamutu ha'anashim motsi'e dibbat-ha'arets ra'ah bammaggefah lifne Adonai

those who spread such calumnies about the land died of plague, by GOD’s will.

vihoshua bin-nun vekhalev ben-yefunneh khayu min-ha'anashim hahem haholekhim latur et-ha'arets

Of those involved in going to scout the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.

vayedabber mosheh et-haddevarim ha'elleh el-kol-bene yisra'el vayyitabbelu ha'am me'od

When Moses repeated these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome by grief.

vayyashkimu vabboqer vayya'alu el-rosh-hahar lemor hinnennu ve'alinu el-hammaqom asher-amar Adonai ki khatanu

Early next morning they set out toward the crest of the hill country, saying, “We are prepared to go up to the place that GOD has spoken of, for we were wrong.”

vayyomer mosheh lammah zeh attem overim et-pi Adonai vehiv lo titslakh

But Moses said, “Why do you transgress GOD’s command? This will not succeed.

al-ta'alu ki en Adonai beqirbekhem velo tinnagefu lifne oyevekhem

Do not go up, lest you be routed by your enemies, for GOD is not in your midst.

ki ha'amaleqi vehakkena'ani sham lifnekhem unefaltem bekharev ki-al-ken shavtem me'akhare Adonai velo-yihyeh Adonai immakhem

For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there to face you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned from following GOD and GOD will not be with you.”

vayyapilu la'alot el-rosh hahar va'aron berit-Adonai umosheh lo-mashu miqqerev hammakhaneh

Yet defiantly they marched toward the crest of the hill country, though neither GOD’s Ark of the Covenant nor Moses stirred from the camp.

vayyered ha'amaleqi vehakkena'ani hayyoshev bahar hahu vayyakkum vayyakketum ad-hakhormah

And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came down and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah.