The Israelites Rebel against Moses
1 After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night 2 and complained to Moses and Aaron, “We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert! 3 Is the Lord leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We'd be better off in Egypt.” 4 Then they said to one another, “Let's choose our own leader and go back.”
5 Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd. 6 Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow 7 and said:
We saw the land ourselves, and it's very good. 8 If we obey the Lord, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey. 9 So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The Lord is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us!
10 The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the Lord appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.
Moses Prays for the People
11 The Lord said to Moses, “I have done great things for these people, and they still reject me by refusing to believe in my power. 12 So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs.”
13-16 Moses replied:
With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don't destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren't powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.
17 Show us your great power, Lord. You promised 18 that you love to show mercy and kindness. And you said that you are very patient, but that you will punish everyone guilty of doing wrong—not only them but their children and grandchildren as well.
19 You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.
20 Then the Lord said to Moses:
In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them. 21 But as surely as I live and my power has no limit, 22-23 I swear that not one of these Israelites will enter the land I promised to give their ancestors. These people have seen my power in Egypt and in the desert, but they will never see Canaan. They have disobeyed and tested me too many times.
24 But my servant Caleb isn't like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.
25 Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan. And tomorrow, you'll need to turn around and head back into the desert toward the Red Sea.
The Israelites Are Punished for Complaining
26 The Lord told Moses and Aaron 27-28 to give this message to the people of Israel:
You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted. 29 You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over 20 years old 30 will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own—only Caleb and Joshua will go in.
31 You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the Lord, will let them enter the land you have rejected. 32 You will die here in the desert! 33 Your children will wander around in this desert 40 years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. 34 I will punish you severely every day for the next 40 years—one year for each day that the land was explored. 35 You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.
36 Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the Lord. 37 So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men, 38 but he let Joshua and Caleb live.
The Israelites Fail To Enter Canaan
(Deuteronomy 1.41-45)39 The people of Israel were very sad after Moses gave them the Lord's message. 40 So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head toward the hill country of Canaan. They said, “We were wrong to complain about the Lord. Let's go into the land that he promised us.”
41 But Moses replied, “You're disobeying the Lord! Your plan won't work, 42-43 so don't even try it. The Lord refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you.”
44 But the Israelites ignored Moses and marched toward the hill country, even though the sacred chest and Moses did not go with them. 45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down from the hill country, defeated the Israelites, and chased them as far as the town of Hormah.
Bathu banodudumwa ngekwa Mushe na Aroni
1 Ipapo gubungano lose lakadila guwo, bakalala belila busiku gose. 2 Bakabe beng'ong'ola ngekwa Mushe na Aroni beti, “Kobe kuyita atakabe takafila mu shango ye Egipiti, pana kuti tiwofila mu tjilambanyika itjetji! 3 Apa ini Yahwe bangatizhisa mu shango iyeyi, kuwobulawa nge thumo kene? Bakadzi bedu ne bana bedu bawotapiwa, apa akungayite atingabgwilila ku Egipiti kene?”
4 Ngono bakalebesana bakati, “Atizwishalulileni ntungamili tibgwilileni ku Egipiti!” 5 Ndizo Mushe na Aroni bakathigama bakakotamisa misholo mbeli kwe gubungano lose le Baiziraela. 6 Ngono Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni na Khalebu nkololo wa Jefune, bamwe be bakabe banoshola shango, bakapalula zwiambalo zwabo. 7 Bakadwa gubungano lose le Baiziraela bakati, “Shango yatakapalama kunoishola i shango yakanaka kwazo kwazo. 8 Ha Yahwe bangatishathila, banowotikotosa muili bakatipa iyo, shango inowunga nkaka ne butji gwe nyutji. 9 Koga musitongopandukila Yahwe, kakale musitongotja bathu be shango iyeyije, bamu maboko edu, kubakiligwa kwabo kwakadusiwa mubali, kakale musitongobatja, Yahwe banaswi.” 10 Ipapo gubungano lose likalebesana kuti libakikitidze nge mabgwe bafe. Ngono tjinyolotjo tjedza tja Yahwe tjikazwilakidza pezhugwi kwe nshasha we bushanganilo mu bathu bose be Iziraela.
Mushe unotembezelela Baiziraela
11 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Apa kowodza kukabe lini bathu ibaba bendilengudza kene? Kowodza kukabe lini basingagale moyo mundili, pezhugwi kwe zwilakidzo zose zwingapa zwandakabathamila kene? 12 Ndowobabulaya nge bugwele, ndibe ndibadusa mu thaka, ngono ndowothama ludzi lukulu ndiwe kakale gwakasima kubapinda.”
13 Mushe kadwa Yahwe kati, “Makadusa bathu ibaba mu Egipiti nge simba lenyu; ngono ha Baegipiti bangahwa tjamathama bathu benyu, 14 banowobudza bagali be shango iyeyi. Bathu ibaba bakahwa kale kuti munaswi, imwi Yahwe ne kuti mobong'wa muli patjena ha gole lenyu lima lakaangama pezhugwi kwedu ne kuti moyenda makatitungamila nge gole kuli masikati nenge moto kuli busiku. 15 Ngono ngwenu, ha mungalobesa bathu bose ibaba, shule kwa ikoku zwitjaba zwakahwa ngekwe tjibombo tjenyu zowoti, 16 ‘Ngoti Yahwe bakong'wa kunokotosa bathu ibaba mu shango yabakatuna beti banowobapa iyo, ndizo babalobesa mu tjilambanyika.’ 17 Ngono ngwenu, ndomutembezela Tetshi wangu, thamani kuti simba la Yahwe libe gulu sekwa makagadzabgwe, muti, 18 ‘Yahwe banononoka kuzhala bushongola, kakale bazhele ludo gusingazunguzike, banozwiibhatigwa jinyo ne bupanduki, koga abatowosunungula una nlandu ndodwa, banolobela bana matjinyo abo tate babo kunoti ku tjizekugwana tje butatu ne tje bunna.’ 19 Ndomutembezela Yahwe, muzwiibhatigwe jinyo le bathu ibaba kuyendidzana nge ludo gwenyu gusingazunguzike, ne kuyendidzana na sekwa makabazwiibhatigwa kudwa ku shango ye Egipiti kudzina kowobe nasi.”
20 Ipapo Yahwe bakadabila beti, “Sekwa wakumbila, ndabazwiibhatigwa, 21 koga tjoselele se nditjila, ne shango yose sekwa yawozhala gudzo langu, 22 Bathu bose bakabona gudzo langu ne zwilakidzo zwangu zwandakathama mu Egipiti ne mu tjilambanyika, ngono bakandilika ka gumi bakasihwilile dama langu, 23 Akuna wabo unowobona shango yandakagadzabgwe bobatategulu babo, kakale akuna wa ibabo bakandilengudza unowoibona. 24 Koga nlanda wangu Khalebu, ngoti akabe nge meya isingafanane neye bamwe kakale kandihwilila, ndononkotosa ku shango yaakanoshola, ne zwizekugwana zwizwe zowothuwa shango iyeyo. 25 Sakuno, se Baamaleki ne Bakanana begala mu mikuku, mangwana mushanduke mu ngine mu tjilambanyika nge zila inoyenda ku Gungwa Shaba.”
Yahwe banolobela bathu ng'ong'ola
26 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe na Aroni bakati, 27 “Apa kowodza kukabe lini gubungano ileli lakakombama ling'ong'ola nge kwangu kene? Ndakahwa ndebeleko dze Baiziraela, dze kung'ong'ola kwabo. 28 Ngwenu ubadwe uti, ‘Tjoselele se nditjila, ndowomuthamila sekwa makaleba mulonga mu zebe dzangu, koleba Yahwe. 29 Zwitumbu zwenyu zowoandama mu tjilambanyika itjetji, kudwa muna be makole ali makumi mabili bakazwagwa kuyenda pezhugwi akuna unowongina mu shango iyeyije. 30 Akuna ne nng'ompela wenyu unowoswika mu shango yandakatuna nditi ndowomugadza muili kuzhe kwa Khalebu nkololo wa Jefune na Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni 31 Koga bana benyu bamakati banowotapiwa, ndowobakotosa, banowoziba shango yamakalamba. 32 Koga imwi mowofa zwitumbu zwenyu zwika kandalala mu tjilambanyika itjetji. 33 Bana benyu banowodzungayila mu tjilambanyika bali balisi kwe makole ali makumi manna (40), bedziyilila matjinyo enyu, kudzina nfi we bupelo itumbu tjitje tjiwila mu tjilambanyika. 34 Kuyendidzana nge mazhuba amakapalama shango muishola ali makumi manna (40) zhuba ling'ompela limwe ne limwe limilile gole, ngono mowosenga matjinyo enyu makole ali makumi manna (40). Ndiko kwamunowoziba kuti ku gwadza moyo kwangu kodwani! 35 Imi Yahwe, ndiko ndaleba, oku ndiko kwandinowothama mu gubungano lose ileli libiibi lakakubunganila kundipandukila. Banowoswika pa bhelelo labo mu tjilambanyika itjetji, banowofila ipapo.’ ”
36 Ipapo balume bakabe batumwa ndi Mushe kunoshola shango, bebe bezha bethama gubungano kuti li dudumwe ngekwa Yahwe ngopa mbiko ye manyepkhwa, 37 bakalobesiwa mbeli kwa Yahwe. 38 Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni na Khalebu nkololo wa Jefune ndibo boga bakasala pafa, mu balume bakabe banoshola shango.
Baiziraela banotanga kuthasela
(Matama 1:41-46)39 Kukati Mushe ebikila bathu be Iziraela bose matama iyawa, bakalila tjililo tjikulu. 40 Bakabinduka, bakatathila ku shango ye matombo, bakabe beti, “Tipano, ngatiyendeni kwatakagadziwabgwe ndi Yahwe, ngobe takatjinya.”
41 Koga Mushe kabadwa kati, “Apa ini mutjuluka ndaulo ya Yahwe ngono kusina tjinowopunduka.” 42 Musiyende, zwita zwenyu zonomukulila, Yahwe abate bali mile namwi. 43 Mowonofila mu maboko e Baamaliki ne Bakanana, mowolobesiwa nge thumo, ngobe moshandukila Yahwe, Yahwe abangame namwi. 44 Koga nge misholo yakawoma bakatathila ku shango ye matombo, nenguba kwakajalo Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe basinalo, kene iye Mushe kasibhude mu bukotokelo. 45 Ipapo Baamaliki ne Bakanana bakabe begala mu shango iyeyo ye matombo bakadeluka bakagwa nabo, bakabakulila bakatatana nabo bakanobasiya ku Horima.