But I will not stop loving David or fail to keep my promise to him.

The LORD answered, "I will forgive them, as you have asked.

I was afraid of the LORD's fierce anger, because he was furious enough to destroy you; but once again the LORD listened to me.

I will come to you and save you. I will destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not destroy you. I will not let you go unpunished; but when I punish you, I will be fair. I, the LORD, have spoken."

I thought that then my people would have reverence for me and accept my discipline, that they would never forget the lesson I taught them. But soon they were behaving as badly as ever.

Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold earrings which your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me."

Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin."

So the LORD sent a disease on the people, because they had caused Aaron to make the gold bull-calf.

While there was still plenty of meat for them to eat, the LORD became angry with the people and caused an epidemic to break out among them.

That place was named Kibroth Hattaavah (which means "Graves of Craving"), because there they buried the people who had craved meat.

The LORD answered, "I will forgive them, as you have asked.

none of these people will live to enter that land. They have seen the dazzling light of my presence and the miracles that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, but they have tried my patience over and over again and have refused to obey me.

But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land which he explored, and his descendants will possess the land

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

Now give them this answer: 'I swear that as surely as I live, I will do to you just what you have asked. I, the LORD, have spoken.

I promised to let you live there, but not one of you will, except Caleb and Joshua.

You will die here in this wilderness.

You will suffer the consequences of your sin for forty years, one year for each of the forty days you spent exploring the land. You will know what it means to have me against you!

But the LORD reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, "Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them."

"Aaron is not going to enter the land which I promised to give to Israel; he is going to die, because the two of you rebelled against my command at Meribah.

"But because of you people the LORD was angry with me and would not listen. Instead, he said, 'That's enough! Don't mention this again!

The LORD was also angry enough with Aaron to kill him, so I prayed for Aaron at the same time.

This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.

They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.