The Spies’ Reports

²⁵ When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, ²⁶ they went on and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ^[a]in the wilderness of Paran at ^(A)Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ So they reported to him and said, “We came into the land where you sent us, and ^(B)it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and ^(C)this is its fruit. ²⁸ Nevertheless, ^(D)the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And indeed, we saw ^(E)the ^[b]descendants of Anak there! ²⁹ Amalek is living in the land of ^(F)the Negev, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and ^(G)the Amorites are living in the hill country, and ^(H)the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”

³⁰ Then Caleb quieted the people ^[c]before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly prevail over it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “^(I)We are not able to go up against the people, because they are too strong for us.” ³² So they brought ^(J)a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we have gone to spy out is ^(K)a land that devours its inhabitants; and ^(L)all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature. ³³ We also saw the ^[d](M)Nephilim there (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and ^(N)we were like ^[e]grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

The People Rebel

14 Then all the congregation ^[f]raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept ^[g]that night. ² And all the sons of Israel ^(O)grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “^(P)If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness! ³ So why is the Lord bringing us into this land ^(Q)to fall by the sword? ^(R)Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, “^(S)Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”

^5 (T)Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. ⁶ And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; ⁷ and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “^(U)The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. ^8 (V)If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—^(W)a land which flows with milk and honey. ⁹ Only ^(X)do not rebel against the Lord; and do not ^(Y)fear the people of the land, for they will be our ^[h]prey. Their ^[i]protection is gone from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” ^10 (Z)But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then ^(AA)the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.