Spies Sent into Canaan

13 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ^2 (A)“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” ³ So Moses sent them from ^(B)the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel.

²¹ So they went up and spied out the land ^(A)from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, ^(B)near Lebo-hamath. ²² They went up into ^(C)the Negeb and came to ^(D)Hebron. ^(E)Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the ^(F)descendants of Anak, were there. (^(G)Hebron was built seven years before ^(H)Zoan in Egypt.) ²³ And ^(I)they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. ²⁴ That place was called the Valley of Eshcol,^[a] because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.

Report of the Spies

²⁵ At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. ²⁶ And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at ^(J)Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It ^(K)flows with milk and honey, ^(L)and this is its fruit. ^28 (M)However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. ^29 (N)The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. ^(O)And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

³⁰ But ^(P)Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

²⁵ For circumcision indeed is of value ^(A)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶ So, if ^(B)a man who is uncircumcised keeps ^(C)the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded^[a] as circumcision? ²⁷ Then he who is physically^[b] uncircumcised but keeps the law ^(D)will condemn you who have ^(E)the written code^[c] and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸ For ^(F)no one is a Jew ^(G)who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹ But a Jew is one ^(H)inwardly, and ^(I)circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^(J)His praise is not from man but from God.

God's Righteousness Upheld

3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ² Much in every way. To begin with, ^(K)the Jews were entrusted with ^(L)the oracles of God. ^3 (M)What if some were unfaithful? ^(N)Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ By no means! ^(O)Let God be true though ^(P)every one were a liar, as it is written,

⁵ But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict ^(S)wrath on us? (^(T)I speak in a human way.) ⁶ By no means! For then how could ^(U)God judge the world? ⁷ But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, ^(V)why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸ And why not ^(W)do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often ^(A)will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ^(B)As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished ^(C)to settle accounts with his servants.^{[a] 24} When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ^(D)ten thousand ^(E)talents.^{[b] 25 (F)}And since he could not pay, his master ordered him ^(G)to be sold, with his wife and ^(H)children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant^{[c] (I)}fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and ^(J)forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred ^(K)denarii,^[d] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ^33 (L)And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ^34 (M)And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^{[e] (N)}until he should pay all his debt. ^35 (O)So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother ^(P)from your heart.”