Le quatrième Livre de Moïse, appelé Nombres

Chapître 14

1

And all the congregation lifted up^{4 5414 4} their voice, and cried; and the people wept⁴ that night.

2

And all the children of Israel murmured¹¹ against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said⁴ unto them, Would God that we had died¹ in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died¹ in this wilderness!

3

And wherefore hath the LORD brought⁵⁶ us unto this land, to fall² by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return² into Egypt?

4

And they said⁴ one to another, Let us make⁴ a captain, and let us return⁴ into Egypt.

5

Then Moses and Aaron fell⁴ on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, [which were] of them that searched⁶ the land, rent¹ their clothes:

7

And they spake⁴ unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying,² The land, which we passed¹ through to search² it, [is] an exceeding ³⁹⁶⁶ good land.

8

If the LORD delight¹ in us, then he will bring⁵² us into this land, and give¹ it us; a land which floweth⁶ with milk and honey.

9

Only rebel⁴ not ye against the LORD, neither fear⁴ ye the people of the land; for they [are] bread for us: their defence is departed¹ from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear⁴ them not.

10

But all the congregation bade⁴ stone² them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared⁸ in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

11

And the LORD said⁴ unto Moses, How long will this people provoke¹⁷ me? and how long will it be ere they believe⁵⁵ me, for all the signs which I have shewed¹ among them?

12

I will smite⁵⁵ them with the pestilence, and disinherit⁵⁵ them, and will make⁴ of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

13

And Moses said⁴ unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear¹ [it], (for thou broughtest up⁵² this people in thy might from among them;)

14

And they will tell¹ [it] to the inhabitants⁶ of this land: [for] they have heard¹ that thou LORD [art] among this people, that thou LORD art seen⁸ face to face, and [that] thy cloud standeth⁶ over them, and [that] thou goest⁶ before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

15

Now [if] thou shalt kill⁵² [all] this people as one man, then the nations which have heard¹ the fame of thee will speak,¹ saying,²

16

Because the LORD was not able² to bring⁵³ this people into the land which he sware⁸ unto them, therefore he hath slain⁴ them in the wilderness.

17

And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great,⁴ according as thou hast spoken,¹⁴ saying,²

18

The LORD [is] longsuffering, ⁶³⁹ and of great mercy, forgiving⁶ iniquity and transgression, and by no means¹⁵ clearing¹⁷ [the guilty], visiting⁶ the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation].

19

 Pardon,³ I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven¹ this people, from Egypt even until now.

20

And the LORD said,⁴ I have pardoned¹ according to thy word:

21

But [as] truly [as] I live, all the earth shall be filled¹¹ with the glory of the LORD.

22

Because all those men which have seen⁶ my glory, and my miracles, which I did¹ in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted¹⁷ me now these ten times, and have not hearkened¹ to my voice;

23

Surely they shall not see⁴ the land which I sware⁸ unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked¹⁸ me see⁴ it:

24

But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully,¹⁷ him will I bring⁵² into the land whereinto he went;¹ and his seed shall possess⁵⁵ it.

25

(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt⁶ in the valley.) To morrow turn³ you, and get³ you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

26

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,²

27

How long [shall I bear with] this evil congregation, which murmur⁵⁶ against me? I have heard¹ the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur⁵⁶ against me.

28

 Say³ unto them, [As truly as] I live, saith⁷ the LORD, as ye have spoken¹⁴ in mine ears, so will I do⁴ to you:

29

Your carcases shall fall⁴ in this wilderness; and all that were numbered⁷ of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured⁵² against me,

30

Doubtless ye shall not come⁴ into the land, [concerning] which I sware ^{5375 1} to make you dwell¹⁵ therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

31

But your little ones, which ye said¹ should be a prey, them will I bring in,⁵² and they shall know¹ the land which ye have despised.¹

32

But [as for] you, your carcases, they shall fall⁴ in this wilderness.

33

And your children shall wander⁶ in the wilderness forty years, and bear¹ your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted² in the wilderness.

34

After the number of the days in which ye searched¹ the land, [even] forty days, each day ⁸¹⁴¹ for a year, ⁸¹⁴¹ shall ye bear⁴ your iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know¹ my breach of promise.

35

I the LORD have said,¹⁴ I will surely ³⁸⁰⁸ do⁴ it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together¹² against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed,¹¹ and there they shall die.⁴

36

And the men, which Moses sent¹ to search² the land, who returned,⁴ and made all the congregation to murmur^{55 3885 11} against him, by bringing up⁵³ a slander upon the land,

37

Even those men that did bring up⁵⁶ the evil report upon the land, died⁴ by the plague before the LORD.

38

But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, [which were] of the men ⁵⁸² that went⁶ to search² the land, lived¹ [still].

39

And Moses told¹⁷ these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned¹⁰¹ greatly.

40

And they rose up early⁵⁵ in the morning, and gat them up⁴ into the top of the mountain, saying,² Lo, we [be here], and will go up¹ unto the place which the LORD hath promised:¹ for we have sinned.¹

41

And Moses said,⁴ Wherefore now do ye transgress⁶ the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.⁴

42

Go not up,⁴ for the LORD [is] not among you; that ye be not smitten¹¹ before your enemies.⁶

43

For the Amalekites and the Canaanites [are] there before you, and ye shall fall¹ by the sword: because ye are turned away¹ from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.

44

But they presumed⁵⁵ to go up² unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed¹ not out of the camp.

45

Then the Amalekites came down,⁴ and the Canaanites which dwelt⁶ in that hill, and smote⁵⁵ them, and discomfited⁵⁵ them, [even] unto Hormah.