34. When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow:
35. “Not a single person of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors!
36. The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.”
37. As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there.
38. However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land.
39. Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it.
40. But as for you, turn back and head for the desert by the way to the Red Sea.”
41. Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country.
42. But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’”
43. I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord and recklessly went up to the hill country.
44. The Amorite inhabitants of that area confronted you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah.
45. Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to you whatsoever.
46. Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time – indeed, for the full time.