Israel’s Rebellion (Deuteronomy 1:26–33)
1 CPDV And so, crying out, the entire crowd wept throughout that night. BSB BSB: Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept.
2 CPDV And all the sons of Israel were murmuring against Moses and Aaron, saying: BSB BSB: All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
3 CPDV “If only we had died in Egypt,” and, “If only we would perish in this vast wilderness,” and, “May the Lord not lead us into this land, lest we fall by the sword, and our wives, as well as our children, be led away as captives. Is it not better to return to Egypt?” BSB BSB: Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
4 CPDV And they said to one another, “Let us appoint our leader, and so return to Egypt.” BSB BSB: So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
5 CPDV And when Moses and Aaron heard this, they fell prone on the ground in the sight of the multitude of the sons of Israel. BSB BSB: Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.
6 CPDV Yet truly, Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who themselves had also viewed the land, tore their garments, BSB BSB: Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
7 CPDV and they said to the entire multitude of the sons of Israel: “The land that we circled through is very good. BSB BSB: and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land.
8 CPDV If the Lord will be gracious to us, he will lead us into it, and he will give us the land flowing with milk and honey. BSB BSB: If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.
9 CPDV Do not choose to be rebellious against the Lord. And do not fear the people of this land, for, like bread, so are we able to devour them. All protection has withdrawn from them. The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid.” BSB BSB: Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”
10 CPDV And when the entire multitude cried out, and they wanted to crush them with stones, the glory of the Lord appeared, over the roof of the covenant, to all the sons of Israel. BSB BSB: But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting.
11 CPDV And the Lord said to Moses: “How long will this people disparage me? How long will they refuse to believe me, despite all the signs that I have wrought before them? BSB BSB: And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
12 CPDV Therefore, I will strike them with a pestilence, and so I will consume them. But you I will make the ruler over a great nation, and one which is mightier than this one.” BSB BSB: I will strike them with a plague and destroy them—and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.”
Moses Intercedes for Israel 13 CPDV And Moses said to the Lord: “But then the Egyptians, from whose midst you led out this people, BSB BSB: But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them.
14 CPDV and the inhabitants of this land, who have heard that you, O Lord, are among this people, and that you are seen face to face, and that your cloud protects them, and that you go before them with a column of cloud by day, and a column of fire by night, BSB BSB: And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
15 CPDV may hear that you have killed so great a multitude, as if they were one man, and they may say: BSB BSB: If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,
16 CPDV ‘He was not able to lead the people into the land about which he had sworn. Therefore, he slew them in the wilderness.’ BSB BSB: ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17 CPDV Therefore, may the strength of the Lord be magnified, just as you swore, saying: BSB BSB: So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared:
18 CPDV ‘The Lord is patient and full of mercy, taking away iniquity and wickedness, and forsaking no one who is harmless. He visits the sins of the fathers upon the sons, to the third and fourth generation.’ BSB BSB: ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’
19 CPDV Forgive, I beg you, the sins of this people, according to the greatness of your mercy, just as you have been gracious to them in their journey from Egypt to this place.” BSB BSB: Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”
God’s Forgiveness and Judgment (Deuteronomy 1:34–40)
20 CPDV And the Lord said: “I have forgiven them according to your word. BSB BSB: “I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied.
21 CPDV Also, as I live, the entire world shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. BSB BSB: “Yet as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled with the glory of the LORD,
22 CPDV And yet, all the men who have seen my majesty, and the signs that I have wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tested me ten times already, and yet have not obeyed my voice, BSB BSB: not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times—
23 CPDV these shall not see the land, about which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who detracted me gaze upon it. BSB BSB: not one will ever see the land that I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have treated Me with contempt will see it.
24 CPDV My servant Caleb, who, being full of another spirit, has followed me, I will lead into this land, through which he has wandered, and his offspring shall possess it. BSB BSB: But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it.
25 CPDV For the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys. Tomorrow, move the camp and return into the wilderness, by the way of the Red Sea.” BSB BSB: Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”
26 CPDV And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
27 CPDV “How long will this very wicked multitude murmur against me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel. BSB BSB: “How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints that the Israelites are making against Me.
28 CPDV Therefore, say to them: As I live, says the Lord, as you spoke in my hearing, so will I do to you. BSB BSB: So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.
29 CPDV In the wilderness, here shall your carcasses lie. All you who were numbered from twenty years and above, and who have murmured against me, BSB BSB: Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.
30 CPDV you shall not enter into the land, over which I lifted up my hand to cause you to live there, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. BSB BSB: Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31 CPDV But your little ones, about whom you said that they would be a prey to the enemies, I will lead them in, so that they may see the land that has displeased you. BSB BSB: But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.
32 CPDV Your carcasses shall lie in the wilderness. BSB BSB: As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
33 CPDV Your sons shall wander in the desert for forty years, and they shall bear your fornication, until the carcasses of their fathers are consumed in the desert. BSB BSB: Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.
34 CPDV According to the number of the forty days, during which you examined the land, one year shall be charged for each day. And so, for forty years you shall take back your iniquities, and you shall know my retribution. BSB BSB: In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.
35 CPDV For just as I have spoken, so shall I do, to this entire most wicked multitude, which has risen up together against me. In the wilderness, here shall it fade away and die.” BSB BSB: I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this entire wicked congregation, which has conspired against Me. They will meet their end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”
The Plague on the Ten Spies 36 CPDV Therefore, all the men, whom Moses had sent to contemplate the land, and who, having returned, had caused the entire multitude to murmur against him, disparaging the land as if it were evil, BSB BSB: So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land—
37 CPDV suffered death and were struck down in the sight of the Lord. BSB BSB: those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.
38 CPDV But only Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, out of all those who had journeyed to examine the land. BSB BSB: Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
39 CPDV And Moses spoke all these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned exceedingly. BSB BSB: And when Moses relayed these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly.
The Defeat at Hormah (Deuteronomy 1:41–46)
40 CPDV And behold, rising up at first light, they climbed to the top of the mountain, and they said, “We are prepared to ascend to the place, about which the Lord has spoken, for we have sinned.” BSB BSB: Early the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.”
41 CPDV And Moses said to them: “Why do you transgress the word of the Lord, merely because it will not result in prosperity for you? BSB BSB: But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed!
42 CPDV Do not ascend, for the Lord is not with you, lest you be overthrown before your enemies. BSB BSB: Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you.
43 CPDV The Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, by whose sword you shall be ruined, for you were not willing to consent to the Lord, and so the Lord is not with you.” BSB BSB: For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.”
44 CPDV But they, having been darkened, ascended to the top of the mountain. But the ark of the testament of the Lord, and Moses, did not withdraw from the camp. BSB BSB: But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp.
45 CPDV And the Amalekites descended, along with those Canaanites who were living in the mountains. And so, striking and cutting them down, they pursued them all the way to Hormah. BSB BSB: Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.