39 You thought your little children would be taken by your enemies. But those children, who are still too young to know right from wrong, will go into the land. I will give it to them. Your children will take the land for their own.

40 But you—you must turn around, take the road to the Red Sea and go back into the desert.’

41 “Then you said, ‘Moses, we sinned against the LORD, but now we will do what the LORD our God commanded us before—we will go and fight.’ “Then each of you put on your weapons. You thought it would be easy to go and take the hill country.