even those menwho broughtout the very badreportof the landdiedby a plaguebeforethe LORD.
A thousandmay fallat your sideAnd tenthousandat your righthand,[But] it shall not approachyou.
thereforethussaysthe LORD,"Behold,I am about to punishShemaiahthe Nehelamiteand his descendants;he will not haveanyonelivingamongthispeople,and he will not seethe goodthat I am about to doto My people,"declaresthe LORD,"becausehe has preachedrebellionagainstthe LORD."'"
And firecameout from the presenceof the LORDand consumedthem, and they diedbeforethe LORD.
So they gaveout to the sonsof Israela badreportof the landwhichthey had spiedout, saying,"The landthroughwhichwe have gone,in spyingit out, is a landthat devoursits inhabitants;and allthe peoplewhomwe sawin it are menof [great] size.
"I will smitethem with pestilenceand dispossessthem, and I will makeyou into a nationgreaterand mightierthanthey."
But Joshuathe sonof Nunand Calebthe sonof Jephunnehremainedaliveout of thosemenwho wentto spyout the land.
Firealso cameforthfrom the LORDand consumedthe two hundredand fiftymenwho were offeringthe incense.
But those who diedby the plaguewere 14,700,besidesthose who diedon accountof Korah.
The peoplethus contendedwith Mosesand spoke,saying,"Ifonlywe had perishedwhen our brothersperishedbeforethe LORD!
"But the donkeysawme and turnedasidefrom me thesethreetimes.Ifshe had not turnedasidefrom me, I would surelyhave killedyou just now,and let her live."
Those who diedby the plaguewere 24,000
Norgrumble,as someof them did,and were destroyedby the destroyer.
Nevertheless,with mostof them Godwas not well-pleased;for they were laid lowin the wilderness.
And with whomwas He angryfor fortyyears?Was it not with thosewhosinned,whosebodiesfellin the wilderness?
And to whomdid He swearthat they would not enterHis rest,but to thosewhowere disobedient?
NowI desireto remindyou, though you knowall thingsonce for all,that the Lord,after savinga peopleout of the landof Egypt,subsequentlydestroyedthosewho did not believe.
