5. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel.
6. And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
7. and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.
8. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.
9. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
10. Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
11. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?
12. I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13. But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them,
14. and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
15. Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say,
16. ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’