Joshua son of Nun(A) and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes(B) and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.(C) If the Lord is pleased with us,(D) he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey,(E) and will give it to us.(F) Only do not rebel(G) against the Lord. And do not be afraid(H) of the people of the land,(I) because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with(J) us.(K) Do not be afraid of them.”(L)

10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning(M) them. Then the glory of the Lord(N) appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?(O) How long will they refuse to believe in me,(P) in spite of all the signs(Q) I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague(R) and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation(S) greater and stronger than they.”(T)

13 Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.(U) 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard(V) that you, Lord, are with these people(W) and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face,(X) that your cloud stays over them,(Y) and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.(Z) 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath,(AA) so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’(AB)

17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.(AC) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’(AD) 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive(AE) the sin of these people,(AF) just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”(AG)

20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them,(AH) as you asked.

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And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

11 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

13 And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)

14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

16 Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

20 And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

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