וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying:

עַד־מָתַ֗י לָעֵדָ֤ה הָֽרָעָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥מָּה מַלִּינִ֖ים עָלָ֑י אֶת־תְּלֻנּ֞וֹת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵ֧מָּה מַלִּינִ֛ים עָלַ֖י שָׁמָֽעְתִּי׃

Until when shall I have tolerance for this evil congregation that bring complaints against Me? In this context, the term “congregation” refers mainly to the scouts themselves. I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel that they, the scouts, brought against Me.

אֱמֹ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם חַי־אָ֙נִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה אִם־לֹ֕א כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּרְתֶּ֖ם בְּאָזְנָ֑י כֵּ֖ן אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃

Therefore, say to them: I swear as I live – the utterance of the Lord – surely as you yourselves spoke in My ears, when you said that you will die without succeeding to conquer the land, so I shall do to you.

בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַ֠זֶּה יִפְּל֨וּ פִגְרֵיכֶ֜ם וְכָל־פְּקֻדֵיכֶם֙ לְכָל־מִסְפַּרְכֶ֔ם מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וָמָ֑עְלָה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֲלִֽינֹתֶ֖ם עָלָֽי׃

Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and this fate will befall all those of you who were counted in any of your censuses taken for any reason, meaning all those from twenty years old and above, who brought complaints against Me. Your predictions will come true: You will all die. However, this will not happen as a result of war, but rather after years of wandering in the wilderness.

אִם־אַתֶּם֙ תָּבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּ֑הּ כִּ֚י אִם־כָּלֵ֣ב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּ֔ה וִיהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ בִּן־נֽוּן׃

You shall not come into the land, with regard to which I raised My hand and took an oath that I would settle you in it. None of those who are adults today shall reach the Promised Land, except for two single individuals who will be exempt from this decree: Caleb son of Yefuneh and Joshua son of Nun.

וְטַ֨פְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם לָבַ֣ז יִהְיֶ֑ה וְהֵבֵיאתִ֣י אֹתָ֔ם וְיָֽדְעוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מְאַסְתֶּ֖ם בָּֽהּ׃

Instead, I will fulfill My promise to your children, about whom you said they would be taken by the Canaanites for loot. I will bring them into the land, and they shall know the land that you have despised.

וּפִגְרֵיכֶ֖ם אַתֶּ֑ם יִפְּל֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

But your carcasses, you, shall fall in this wilderness, which you will not escape.

וּ֠בְנֵיכֶם יִהְי֨וּ רֹעִ֤ים בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְנָשְׂא֖וּ אֶת־זְנוּתֵיכֶ֑ם עַד־תֹּ֥ם פִּגְרֵיכֶ֖ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

While this is happening, your children shall be wandering about in the wilderness, drifting from place to place for forty years. And they shall bear the consequences of your harlotry until the demise of your carcasses falling in the wilderness, and all of you have passed away.

בְּמִסְפַּ֨ר הַיָּמִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־תַּרְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ֮ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים יוֹם֒ י֣וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֞ה י֣וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֗ה תִּשְׂאוּ֙ אֶת־עֲוֺנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־תְּנוּאָתִֽי׃

In accordance with the number of the days that you scouted the land, forty days, each day for a year, you shall bear your iniquities, adding up to a total of forty years. And as a result of this punishment, you shall know the extent of My estrangement from you, or how far you have strayed from following Me. Alternatively, this means: You shall know the price of refusing to follow My commands.

אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֮ דִּבַּרְתִּי֒ אִם־לֹ֣א ׀ זֹ֣את אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֗ה לְכָל־הָעֵדָ֤ה הָֽרָעָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את הַנּוֹעָדִ֖ים עָלָ֑י בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּ֛ה יִתַּ֖מּוּ וְשָׁ֥ם יָמֻֽתוּ׃

I am the Lord; I have spoken; surely, I will do this to this entire evil congregation that congregated against Me; in this wilderness they shall expire, and there they shall die. Only the next generation will conquer the land.

וְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָת֣וּר אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּשֻׁ֗בוּ וילונו [וַיַּלִּ֤ינוּ] עָלָיו֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה לְהוֹצִ֥יא דִבָּ֖ה עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

The men whom Moses sent to scout the land and returned and brought the entire congregation to complain against him continued to promulgate a slanderous report of the land.

וַיָּמֻ֙תוּ֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים מוֹצִאֵ֥י דִבַּת־הָאָ֖רֶץ רָעָ֑ה בַּמַּגֵּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

The men, promulgators of the evil slanderous report of the land, died in the plague before the Lord. The scouts themselves were the first to die, and they died a difficult, unnatural death. The definite article in the term "the plague" indicates something well-known and terrible.

וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֔וּן וְכָלֵ֖ב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּ֑ה חָיוּ֙ מִן־הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם הַֽהֹלְכִ֖ים לָת֥וּר אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

But Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Yefuneh, lived from among those men who went to scout the land. This was a clear indication that the scouts did not die as a result of some infectious disease they had contracted during their journey, but rather as a direct punishment that afflicted only those who were guilty of circulating slander about the land.

וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֶֽל־כָּל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּֽתְאַבְּל֥וּ הָעָ֖ם מְאֹֽד׃

Moses spoke these words to all the children of Israel. He informed all the adults that as they had rejected the land, and there will be no returning to Egypt, it has been decreed that they will remain in the wilderness until their deaths. And upon hearing this, the people mourned greatly, since they believed in God and in Moses.

וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיַּֽעֲל֥וּ אֶל־רֹאשׁ־הָהָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֶּ֗נּוּ וְעָלִ֛ינוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֛וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה כִּ֥י חָטָֽאנוּ׃

Because the children of Israel felt this remorse, they awoke early in the morning, and ascended to the top of the mountain, saying: Here we are, and we will ascend to the place that the Lord said, the land of Canaan. We wish to repair our earlier error, because we sinned by refusing to go to the land.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֛ה אַתֶּ֥ם עֹבְרִ֖ים אֶת־פִּ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְהִ֖וא לֹ֥א תִצְלָֽח׃

But Moses said to them: Why are you violating the directive of the Lord? God has already issued His decree and therefore it, this initiative of yours, shall not succeed.

אַֽל־תַּעֲל֔וּ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין יְהוָ֖ה בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וְלֹא֙ תִּנָּ֣גְפ֔וּ לִפְנֵ֖י אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃

Do not ascend to try to fight for the land, as the Lord is not in your midst. There is no chance that you will emerge victorious. Consequently, it would be wise to refrain from trying, so that you will not be struck down before your enemies.

כִּי֩ הָעֲמָלֵקִ֨י וְהַכְּנַעֲנִ֥י שָׁם֙ לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם וּנְפַלְתֶּ֖ם בֶּחָ֑רֶב כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֤ן שַׁבְתֶּם֙ מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה עִמָּכֶֽם׃

For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you on the path leading to the land, and if you attempt to enter, you shall fall by the sword; since you have withdrawn from following the Lord, and therefore the Lord will not be with you.

וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַאֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָה֙ וּמֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־מָ֖שׁוּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

Nevertheless, they ventured to go up to the top of the moun- tain range that stood before them on the way to Canaan; yet the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and Moses, did not move from the midst of the camp.

וַיֵּ֤רֶד הָעֲמָלֵקִי֙ וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּהָ֣ר הַה֑וּא וַיַּכּ֥וּם וַֽיַּכְּת֖וּם עַד־הַֽחָרְמָֽה׃ (פ)

The Amalekites and the Canaanites, who lived on that mountain, came down and smote them and crushed them, chasing them until a place that later became known as Horma, because those people met their destruction [ ḥorbanam ] there. They were routed in battle and retreated in humiliation.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם כִּ֣י תָבֹ֗אוּ אֶל־אֶ֙רֶץ֙ מוֹשְׁבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃

The following commandment is addressed not to the adult individuals then assembled in the wilderness, but rather to the children of Israel as a people, since only their descendants would enter the land. Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you will come into the land of your dwellings that I am giving to you,

וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם אִשֶּׁ֤ה לַֽיהוָה֙ עֹלָ֣ה אוֹ־זֶ֔בַח לְפַלֵּא־נֶ֙דֶר֙ א֣וֹ בִנְדָבָ֔ה א֖וֹ בְּמֹעֲדֵיכֶ֑ם לַעֲשׂ֞וֹת רֵ֤יחַ נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה מִן־הַבָּקָ֖ר א֥וֹ מִן־הַצֹּֽאן׃

and you will perform of your own free will a fire offering to the Lord, either in the form of a burnt offering or a peace offering to fulfill a vow, or if you bring a particular animal as a pledge, a gift offering, or at your appointed times, to create a pleasing aroma to the Lord, from the cattle, or from the flock;

וְהִקְרִ֛יב הַמַּקְרִ֥יב קָרְבָּנ֖וֹ לַֽיהוָ֑ה מִנְחָה֙ סֹ֣לֶת עִשָּׂר֔וֹן בָּל֕וּל בִּרְבִעִ֥ית הַהִ֖ין שָֽׁמֶן׃

the one who presents his offering to the Lord shall present a meal offering. He must bring a meal offering from the world of vegetation to accompany his animal offering, in accordance with these measurements: One-tenth of an ephah of high-quality flour made from ground wheat kernels, mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil. In contemporary terms, one-tenth of an ephah is more than 2 L, and a hin is somewhat larger than 1 L.

וְיַ֤יִן לַנֶּ֙סֶךְ֙ רְבִיעִ֣ית הַהִ֔ין תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה עַל־הָעֹלָ֖ה א֣וֹ לַזָּ֑בַח לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ הָאֶחָֽד׃

And in addition, you shall also bring wine to be poured upon the altar as the libation: One-fourth of a hin you shall make these amounts of flour, oil, and wine with the burnt offering or for the peace offering, for one sheep. As explained in the coming verses, the amounts change in accordance with the type of animal brought as an offering.

א֤וֹ לָאַ֙יִל֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה מִנְחָ֔ה סֹ֖לֶת שְׁנֵ֣י עֶשְׂרֹנִ֑ים בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֖מֶן שְׁלִשִׁ֥ית הַהִֽין׃

Or for an offering consisting of a ram, which is an older animal from the same species as the sheep, in the second year of its life, you shall perform a meal offering consisting of two-tenths of an ephah of high-quality flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil.

וְיַ֥יִן לַנֶּ֖סֶךְ שְׁלִשִׁ֣ית הַהִ֑ין תַּקְרִ֥יב רֵֽיחַ־נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃

And you shall present wine as the libation: One-third of a hin, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.