34. The Lord heard what you said. He was angry and he swore:
35. Not even one of these people—this wicked generation!—will see the wonderful land that I promised to give to your ancestors.
36. The only exception is Caleb, Jephunneh’s son. He will see it. I will give the land he walked on to him and his children for this reason: he was completely devoted to the Lord.(
37. The Lord was even angry with me because of what you did. "You won’t enter the land either," God said.
38. "But Nun’s son Joshua, your assistant, will enter it. Strengthen him because he’s the one who will help Israel inherit the land.")
39. Now as for your toddlers, those you said would be taken in war, and your young children who don’t yet know right and wrong—they will enter the land. I will give it to them. They will possess it!
40. But you all must now turn around. Head back toward the wilderness along the route of the Reed Sea.
41. You replied to me: "We’ve sinned against the Lord! We will go up! We will fight, just as the Lord our God commanded." Each one of you grabbed your weapons. You thought it would be easy to go up into the hills.
42. But the Lord told me: Tell them: Don’t go up! Don’t fight because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.
43. I reported this to you but you wouldn’t listen. You disobeyed the Lord’s instruction. Hotheadedly, you went up into the hills.
44. And the Amorites who lived in those hills came out to meet you in battle. They chased you like bees give chase! They gave you a beating from Seir all the way to Hormah.