34. You will suffer the consequences of your sin for forty years, one year for each of the forty days you spent exploring the land. You will know what it means to have me against you!
35. I swear that I will do this to you wicked people who have gathered together against me. Here in the wilderness every one of you will die. I, the Lord, have spoken.’ ”
36-37. The men Moses had sent to explore the land brought back a false report which caused the people to complain against the Lord. And so the Lord struck them with a disease, and they died.
38. Of the twelve spies only Joshua and Caleb survived.
39. When Moses told the Israelites what the Lord had said, they mourned bitterly.
40. Early the next morning they started out to invade the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go to the place which the Lord told us about. We admit that we have sinned.”
41. But Moses said, “Then why are you disobeying the Lord now? You will not succeed!
42. Don't go. The Lord is not with you, and your enemies will defeat you.
43. When you face the Amalekites and the Canaanites, you will die in battle; the Lord will not be with you, because you have refused to follow him.”
44. Yet they still dared to go up into the hill country, even though neither the Lord's Covenant Box nor Moses left the camp.
45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived there attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hormah.