The entire community arose and raised their voices; and the people wept that night.

They railed against Moshe and Aharon—all of Bnei Yisroel—and the entire congregation said to them: “Would we had died in the land of Egypt or in this desert, would that we had died.

Why does Adonoy bring us into this land to fall by the sword; our wives and infants would be as spoils; is it not better for us to return to Egypt?”

They said to each other: “Let us appoint (lit. place) a head and we will return to Egypt.”

Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire gathering of the congregation of Bnei Yisroel.

Yehoshua the son of Nun and Caleiv the son of Yefuneh, who were among those who scouted the land, tore their clothing [in grief].

They said to the entire congregation of Bnei Yisroel, saying: “The land through which we have passed to scout it; that land is very, very good.

If Adonoy desires us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with [produces] milk and honey.

However, do not rebel against [the word of] Adonoy and you do not be afraid of the nation of the land, for they are [as] our bread [delivered into our hands], their protection [strength] is removed from them, and [the word of] Adonoy is with [supports] us; do not be afraid of them.”

The entire congregation said that they should be stoned to death, when the glory of Adonoy appeared in the Tent of Meeting, to all of Bnei Yisroel.

Adonoy said to Moshe: “Until where will this people provoke [before] Me, and how much longer will they have no faith in Me [my word], despite all the signs which I have done in their midst.

I shall smite them with the plague and annihilate them; and I shall make you into a greater and stronger people than they.”

Moshe said to Adonoy: “But Egypt will hear, that You, in Your might have brought up this people from among them.

They will say concerning the inhabitants of this land, they have heard that You, Adonoy, are [Your Shechinah dwells] among this people, Who appears to them eye to eye (face to face) [who have seen Your glorious Shechinah], You, Adonoy; Your Cloud stands over them, in a Pillar of Cloud You go before [lead] them daily and in a Pillar of Fire, nightly.

If You kill this nation like a single man, the nations will say—they who have heard of Your reputation [the fame of Your power]—as follows:

“It is because of Adonoy’s inability to bring this people into the land that He swore to them, that he slaughtered [killed] them in the desert.”

Now, please, let my Master’s power be enhanced [before Hashem] as You spoke, saying;

Adonoy, slow to [distances] anger and abounding in [performing] kindness, forgiving iniquity, [rebellion] and transgression; Who does not completely acquit [pardoning those who return to His Torah, but to those who do not return, He does not acquit], Who will visit the inquities of the fathers upon their [rebellious] children, to the third [generation] and to the fourth [generation.]

Please forgive this people according the magnitude of Your kindness, and as You have borne this people since Egypt until this time.”

Adonoy said, “I have forgiven them, just as you spoke.

However, just as I live and the Glory of Adonoy fills the entire land;

For, all the people who see My glory and My signs which I have done in Egypt and in the desert, and they have tested [before] Me these ten times and they have not listened to My voice [word].

If they will see the land that I have sworn to their fathers; all those who angered [before] Me will not see it.

My servant Caleiv, because he possesed in him a different spirit, and followed Me fully [in fear of Me], I shall bring him into the land to which he came, and his children will cast [its inhabitants] from it.

The Amaleki and the Cana’ani are now dwelling in the valley. Tomorrow turn back and you shall travel the desert by way of the Reed Sea.”

Adonoy spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying:

“Until when will this wicked congregation [exist], those who provoke Me? The complaints of Bnei Yisroel, which they complain against Me, I have heard [before Me].

Say to them: “As I live, says Adonoy, if I do not [do to you] as you have spoken in My ears [before Me]; so I shall do to you.

In this desert your corpses shall fall, all of you who were counted according to your numbers, from twenty years and above, because you have complained against Me,

Surely you shall [not] come into the land to which I raised My Hand [to swear] [sworn by My word] that I would cause you to live in it; except for Caleiv the son of Yefuneh and Yehoshua the son of Nun.

Your infants, about whom you said that they will be as spoils, I shall bring them [there] and they will know the land which you despised.

Your corpses—yours, shall fall in this desert.

Your children, they shall be wanderers [delayed] in the desert for forty years, and they will bear [the burden of] your dissoluteness, until the last of your corpses are in the desert.

According to the number of days which you scouted the land; forty days, a day for a year, a day for a year you will bear the burden of your iniquity forty years, and you will know My displeasure [that you have murmured against Me].

I am Adonoy; I have spoken—[decreed by My word]—if I do not do this to this entire evil congregation that are gathered against Me; in this desert they shall be finished and there they shall die.”

Those men whom Moshe sent to scout the land, who returned and provoked the complaints of the entire congregation against him, by spreading slander about the land;

Those men died—who spread evil slander against the land—in a plague, before Adonoy.

Yehoshua the son of Nun and Caleiv the son of Yefuneh, lived, from among those men who went to scout the land.

Moshe spoke these words to all of Bnei Yisroel, and the people mourned greatly.

They awoke early in the morning and went up to the peak of the mountain, saying: “We are ready to go up to the place of which Adonoy spoke (promised), for we have sinned.”

Moshe said: “Why are you now transgressing the word [decree] of Adonoy; it will not succeed.

Do not go up, for Adonoy is not among you, and do not die before your enemies,

For the Amaleki and the Cana’ani are there before you, and you will fall by the sword, for, you turned from following [the service of] Adonoy, and [the word of] Adonoy will not be with you [to your aid].”

They defiantly went up the mountain peak, but the Ark of the Covenant of Adonoy, and Moshe, did not move from amidst the encampment.

The Amaleki and the Cana’ani swooped down, they who were dwelling in that mountain, and they smote and crushed [persued] them until Chormah.