Exploring Canaan

13 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Send some men to explore^(A) the land of Canaan,^(B) which I am giving to the Israelites.^(C) From each ancestral tribe^(D) send one of its leaders.”

³ So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.^{(E) 4} These are their names:

¹⁶ These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore^(H) the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun^(I) the name Joshua.)^(J)

¹⁷ When Moses sent them to explore Canaan,^(K) he said, “Go up through the Negev^(L) and on into the hill country.^{(M) 18} See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. ¹⁹ What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? ²⁰ How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.^(N)” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)^(O)

²¹ So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin^(P) as far as Rehob,^(Q) toward Lebo Hamath.^{(R) 22} They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,^(S) where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai,^(T) the descendants of Anak,^(U) lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)^{(V) 23} When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,^[a](W) they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates^(X) and figs.^{(Y) 24} That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. ²⁵ At the end of forty days^(Z) they returned from exploring the land.^(AA)

Report on the Exploration

²⁶ They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh^(AB) in the Desert of Paran.^(AC) There they reported to them^(AD) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.^{(AE) 27} They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!^(AF) Here is its fruit.^{(AG) 28} But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.^(AH) We even saw descendants of Anak^(AI) there.^{(AJ) 29} The Amalekites^(AK) live in the Negev; the Hittites,^(AL) Jebusites^(AM) and Amorites^(AN) live in the hill country;^(AO) and the Canaanites^(AP) live near the sea and along the Jordan.^(AQ)”

³⁰ Then Caleb^(AR) silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”^{(AS) 32} And they spread among the Israelites a bad report^(AT) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours^(AU) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.^{(AV) 33} We saw the Nephilim^(AW) there (the descendants of Anak^(AX) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers^(AY) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,^(A) and had seen what Jesus did,^(B) believed in him.^{(C) 46} But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees^(D) called a meeting^(E) of the Sanhedrin.^(F)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.^{(G) 48} If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas,^(H) who was high priest that year,^(I) spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”^(J)

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.^{(K) 53} So from that day on they plotted to take his life.^(L)

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.^(M) Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(N) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing^(O) before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus,^(P) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

The People Rebel

14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.^{(A) 2} All the Israelites grumbled^(B) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!^(C) Or in this wilderness!^{(D) 3} Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(E) Our wives and children^(F) will be taken as plunder.^(G) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(H)” ⁴ And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.^(I)”

⁵ Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown^(J) in front of the whole Israelite assembly^(K) gathered there. ⁶ Joshua son of Nun^(L) and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes^{(M) 7} and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.^{(N) 8} If the Lord is pleased with us,^(O) he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(P) and will give it to us.^{(Q) 9} Only do not rebel^(R) against the Lord. And do not be afraid^(S) of the people of the land,^(T) because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with^(U) us.^(V) Do not be afraid of them.”^(W)

¹⁰ But the whole assembly talked about stoning^(X) them. Then the glory of the Lord^(Y) 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?^(Z) How long will they refuse to believe in me,^(AA) in spite of all the signs^(AB) I have performed among them? ¹² I will strike them down with a plague^(AC) and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation^(AD) greater and stronger than they.”^(AE)

¹³ Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.^{(AF) 14} And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard^(AG) that you, Lord, are with these people^(AH) and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face,^(AI) that your cloud stays over them,^(AJ) and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.^{(AK) 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,^(AL) so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’^(AM)

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.^(AN) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’^{(AO) 19} In accordance with your great love, forgive^(AP) the sin of these people,^(AQ) just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”^(AR)

²⁰ The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them,^(AS) as you asked. ²¹ Nevertheless, as surely as I live^(AT) and as surely as the glory of the Lord^(AU) fills the whole earth,^{(AV) 22} not one of those who saw my glory and the signs^(AW) I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times^(AX)— ²³ not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath^(AY) to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt^(AZ) will ever see it.^{(BA) 24} But because my servant Caleb^(BB) has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly,^(BC) I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.^{(BD) 25} Since the Amalekites^(BE) and the Canaanites^(BF) are living in the valleys, turn^(BG) back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.^[a](BH)”

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,^(C)

² To Timothy,^(D) my dear son:^(E)

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Thanksgiving

³ I thank God,^(G) whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience,^(H) as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.^{(I) 4} Recalling your tears,^(J) I long to see you,^(K) so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith,^(L) which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice^(M) and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.^{(N) 7} For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,^(O) but gives us power,^(P) love and self-discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed^(Q) of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner.^(R) Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel,^(S) by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved^(T) us and called^(U) us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done^(V) but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed^(W) through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus,^(X) who has destroyed death^(Y) and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹ And of this gospel^(Z) I was appointed^(AA) a herald and an apostle and a teacher.^{(AB) 12} That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame,^(AC) because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard^(AD) what I have entrusted to him until that day.^(AE)

¹³ What you heard from me,^(AF) keep^(AG) as the pattern^(AH) of sound teaching,^(AI) with faith and love in Christ Jesus.^{(AJ) 14} Guard^(AK) the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.^(AL)

Examples of Disloyalty and Loyalty

¹⁵ You know that everyone in the province of Asia^(AM) has deserted me,^(AN) including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁶ May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus,^(AO) because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed^(AP) of my chains.^{(AQ) 17} On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day!^(AR) You know very well in how many ways he helped me^(AS) in Ephesus.^(AT)