2. And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said unto them, Oh, that we might die in the land of Egypt or that we might die in this wilderness!
3. And why has the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Would it not be better for us to return into Egypt?
4. And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
5. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
6. And Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who were of those that had spied out the land, rent their clothes;
7. and they spoke unto all the company of the sons of Israel, saying, The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceeding good land.
8. If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.
9. Therefore, do not be rebels against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are our bread; their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.
10. Then all the multitude spoke of stoning them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the testimony before all the sons of Israel.
11. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? How long will it be before they believe me, with all the signs which I have done among them?
12. I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
13. And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, for thou didst bring this people out of the midst of them with thy might;
14. and the inhabitants of this land will say, for they have already heard that thou, oh Lord, wast among this people, that thou, O Lord, art seen face to face, and that thy cloud was over them, and that thou didst go before them by day time in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night;
15. and that thou hast caused all this people to die as one man; and the Gentiles who have heard of thy fame will speak, saying,
16. Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore unto them; therefore, he has slain them in the wilderness.
17. And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18. The Lord is longsuffering and of great mercy, letting go of iniquity and transgression and absolving, but by no means absolving the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generations.
19. Pardon now the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.