Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



All the Israelite congregation raised their voices and cried out loud all that night. They complained to Moses and Aaron: If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land? Is it just to have us die in battle? Our wives and children will be taken as prisoners of war! Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt? read more.
They said to each other: Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt. Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole congregation of Israel assembled there.

Even so they were not willing to go. They rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God: You complained in your tents, and said: Jehovah hates us so he brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brothers caused us to lose heart. They said: The people are stronger and taller than we are. The cities are large and the walls go up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.'


The children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of Jehovah. Jehovah swore that he would not show them the land, which he swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land that flows with milk and honey.

Even so they were not willing to go. They rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God:

All the Israelite congregation raised their voices and cried out loud all that night. They complained to Moses and Aaron: If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land? Is it just to have us die in battle? Our wives and children will be taken as prisoners of war! Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt? read more.
They said to each other: Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt. Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole congregation of Israel assembled there. At the same time, two of those who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothes in despair. They said to the entire congregation of Israel: The land we explored is very good. If Jehovah is pleased with us, he will take us there and give us that rich and fertile land. Do not rebel against Jehovah. Do not be afraid of the people who live there. We will conquer them easily. Jehovah is with us and has defeated the gods who protected them. Do not be afraid. The whole congregation threatened to stone them to death. Then suddenly the people saw the dazzling light of Jehovah's presence (glory) (splendor) appear over the tent.

They refused to enter the pleasant land. They did not believe what he said. They complained in their tents. They did not obey Jehovah.


Leaving the Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting for them. They said: May Jehovah see what you have done and judge you! You have made Pharaoh and his officials hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.

The next day the whole congregation of Israel complained to Moses and Aaron. They said: You have killed Jehovah's people.

Even so they were not willing to go. They rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God: You complained in your tents, and said: Jehovah hates us so he brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brothers caused us to lose heart. They said: The people are stronger and taller than we are. The cities are large and the walls go up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.'

The entire congregation complained about Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelites said to them: If only Jehovah had allowed us to die in Egypt! There we sat by our pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted! You brought us out into this desert to let us all starve to death!

So they complained to Moses about this: Give us water to drink! Moses said: Why do you complain to me? Why do you test Jehovah? The people were thirsty for water. They complained to Moses and asked: Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to make us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?


They complained to Moses and Aaron: If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land? Is it just to have us die in battle? Our wives and children will be taken as prisoners of war! Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt? They said to each other: Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.

The congregation was without water. So they gathered to confront Moses and Aaron. The people complained to Moses. They said: If only we had died when the other Israelites died in Jehovah's presence! Did you bring Jehovah's assembly into this desert just to have us all die and our animals? read more.
Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us into this terrible place? This is no place to plant crops. Even figs, grapes, and pomegranates will not grow here. And there is no water to drink!

They moved from Mount Hor following the road that goes to the Red Sea. That way they could go around Edom. The people became impatient on the trip and criticized God and Moses. They said: Why did you make us leave Egypt only to let us die in the desert? There is no bread or water, and we cannot stand this awful food! Jehovah sent poisonous snakes among the people. They bit the people, and many of the Israelites died.

How can I alone bear your encumbrance, your burden, and your strife?


You are just like your parents! You are a bunch of sinners trying to make Jehovah angry at Israel again.

Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock and said to them: Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?

How can I alone bear your encumbrance, your burden, and your strife?

Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites: This evening you will know that it was Jehovah who brought you out of Egypt. In the morning you will see the glory of Jehovah's presence. He hears your complaints against him. But what are we that you complain against us?

Moses came close enough to the camp at the foot of the mountain to see the bull-calf and to see the people dancing. He became furious! He threw down the tablets he was carrying and broke them. He took the bull-calf that they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it. Moses asked Aaron: What did these people do to harm you? Why did you make them sin in this terrible way? read more.
Aaron said, Do not be angry with me. You know the people as well as I do. They are determined to do evil. They said to me: 'That man Moses led us out of Egypt, but now we do not know what has happened to him. Make us a god to lead us.' Then I asked them to bring me their gold earrings. They took them off and gave them to me. I threw the gold into a fire, and out came this bull. Moses saw that the people were naked. Aaron had made them naked to their shame among their enemies. Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said: Who is on Jehovah's side? Come to me. All the sons of Levi came to him. He said to them, Jehovah, the God of Israel says: 'Each man put his sword by his side. Go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp. Kill each one his brother, and each one his neighbor, and each one his kindred.' The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. About three thousand men died that day. Moses said: Today you are ordained as Jehovah's. God gave you a blessing today. Each of you fought with your own sons and brothers. The next day Moses said to the people: You have committed a serious sin. Now I will go up the mountain to Jehovah. Maybe I will be able to make a payment for your sin and make atonement with Jehovah for your sin.

Moses asked: Why are you disobeying Jehovah's command? Your plan will not work!

Even so they were not willing to go. They rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God: You complained in your tents, and said: Jehovah hates us so he brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brothers caused us to lose heart. They said: The people are stronger and taller than we are. The cities are large and the walls go up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.' read more.
I said to you: 'Do not be afraid of them. Jehovah your God leads you. He will fight for you just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes! You saw how Jehovah your God carried you like a father carries his son all the way until you reached this place.' Yet in all this you did not trust Jehovah your God. He went ahead of you to find places for you to camp. He offered fire by night and cloud by day to show you the way you should go. Jehovah heard what you said. He was angry and solemnly swore: Not one man of this evil generation will see that good land, which I swore to give your fathers, Except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it. I will give him and his descendants the land he walks on. This is because he followed Jehovah wholeheartedly. Jehovah was angry with me because of you. He said to me: 'You will also not go there. Your assistant Joshua son of Nun will go there. He will lead the people into the land. Encourage him to go there. The little ones that you said would be taken captive will enter the land. Your children who do not know good from bad will go in. I will give it to them and they will possess it. But you must turn around and go back through the desert toward the Red Sea.' You answered: 'We have sinned against Jehovah. We will fight just as Jehovah our God commanded us.' When every man puts on his armor and weapons of war they will be ready to go to the mountain. But Jehovah said to me: 'Tell them, do not go and fight! I am not with you. Your enemies will defeat you.' I told you, but you would not listen. You disobeyed Jehovah's command and proudly invaded the mountainous region.

I saw that you had indeed sinned against Jehovah your God. You made yourselves an idol, cast in the shape of a calf. You turned aside quickly from the way Jehovah had commanded you. I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands and smashed them before your eyes. I fell down before Jehovah. Like the first, forty days and nights I did not eat or drink. This was because of all your sin you committed in doing what was evil in the sight of Jehovah to provoke Him to anger. read more.
I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure from Jehovah. For he was wrathful against you to the point of destroying you! But Jehovah listened to me that time also. Jehovah was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him! So I also prayed for Aaron at the same time. I took your sinful thing, the calf that you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it. I ground it very small until it was as fine as dust. I threw its dust into the brook that flowed down the mountain. Again at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked Jehovah to anger. Jehovah sent you from Kadesh-barnea. He said: 'Go up and possess the land I have given you.' Then you rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God. You did not believe him. You did not listen to his voice! You have rebelled against Jehovah from the day I knew you.

Moses called together all the people of Israel and said: You saw for yourselves what Jehovah did to the king of Egypt, to his officials, and to his entire country. You saw the terrible plagues, the miracles, and the great wonders that Jehovah performed. To this very day Jehovah has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

I know how rebellious you are. You are impossible to deal with. While I am alive and still with you, you are rebelling against Jehovah. How much more rebellious will you be after I die? Assemble all the elders of your tribes and your officers in front of me. As they listen, I will speak these words and call on heaven and earth to testify against them. I know that after I die you will become thoroughly corrupt and turn from the way I have commanded you to live. In the days to come disasters will happen to you because you will make Jehovah furious by doing what he considers evil.

Jeshurun (Israel) grew fat and disrespectful. You got fat! You were stuffed! You over eat! He abandoned the God who made him and scornfully treated the rock of his salvation. They made God furious because they worshiped foreign gods and angered him (stirred up his zeal) because they worshiped worthless idols. They sacrificed to demons that are not God. They served gods they did not know. These were new gods who came from nearby, gods your ancestors never worshiped. read more.
You ignored the rock that fathered you and forgot the God who gave you life.