Numbers 12-13

New International Version

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam^(A) and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife,^(B) for he had married a Cushite. ²“Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”^(C) And the Lord heard this.^(D)

³(Now Moses was a very humble man,^(E) more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

⁴At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. ⁵Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud;^(F) he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, ⁶he said, “Listen to my words:

“When there is a prophet among you,
    I, the Lord, reveal^(G) myself to them in visions,^(H)
    I speak to them in dreams.^(I)
⁷But this is not true of my servant Moses;^(J)
    he is faithful in all my house.^(K)
⁸With him I speak face to face,
    clearly and not in riddles;^(L)
    he sees the form of the Lord.^(M)
Why then were you not afraid
    to speak against my servant Moses?”^(N)

⁹The anger of the Lord burned against them,^(O) and he left them.^(P)

¹⁰When the cloud lifted from above the tent,^(Q) Miriam’s skin was leprous^[a]—it became as white as snow.^(R) Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,^(S) ¹¹and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.^(T) ¹²Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”

¹³So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!^(U)”

¹⁴The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face,^(V) would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp^(W) for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” ¹⁵So Miriam was confined outside the camp^(X) for seven days,^(Y) and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

¹⁶After that, the people left Hazeroth^(Z) and encamped in the Desert of Paran.^(AA)

Exploring Canaan

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

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

from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zakkur;

⁵from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;

⁶from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;^(AG)

⁷from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;

⁸from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;^(AH)

⁹from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;

¹⁰from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;

¹¹from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;

¹²from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;

¹³from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;

¹⁴from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;

¹⁵from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.

¹⁶These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore^(AI) the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun^(AJ) the name Joshua.)^(AK)

¹⁷When Moses sent them to explore Canaan,^(AL) he said, “Go up through the Negev^(AM) and on into the hill country.^(AN) ¹⁸See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. ¹⁹What 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? ²⁰How 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.^(AO)” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)^(AP)

²¹So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin^(AQ) as far as Rehob,^(AR) toward Lebo Hamath.^(AS) ²²They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,^(AT) where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai,^(AU) the descendants of Anak,^(AV) lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)^(AW) ²³When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,^[b]^(AX) 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^(AY) and figs.^(AZ) ²⁴That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. ²⁵At the end of forty days^(BA) they returned from exploring the land.^(BB)

Report on the Exploration

²⁶They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh^(BC) in the Desert of Paran.^(BD) There they reported to them^(BE) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.^(BF) ²⁷They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!^(BG) Here is its fruit.^(BH) ²⁸But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.^(BI) We even saw descendants of Anak^(BJ) there.^(BK) ²⁹The Amalekites^(BL) live in the Negev; the Hittites,^(BM) Jebusites^(BN) and Amorites^(BO) live in the hill country;^(BP) and the Canaanites^(BQ) live near the sea and along the Jordan.^(BR)”

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

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

Footnotes

Numbers 12:10 The Hebrew for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
Numbers 13:23 Eshkol means cluster; also in verse 24.

Isaiah 2

New International Version

The Mountain of the Lord^(A)

2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:^(B)

²In the last days^(C)

the mountain^(D) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;^(E)
it will be exalted^(F) above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.^(G)

³Many peoples^(H) will come and say,

“Come, let us go^(I) up to the mountain^(J) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law^(K) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.^(L)
⁴He will judge^(M) between the nations
    and will settle disputes^(N) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.^(O)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,^(P)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

⁵Come, descendants of Jacob,^(Q)
let us walk in the light^(R) of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

⁶You, Lord, have abandoned^(S) your people,
    the descendants of Jacob.^(T)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
    they practice divination^(U) like the Philistines^(V)
    and embrace^(W) pagan customs.^(X)
⁷Their land is full of silver and gold;^(Y)
    there is no end to their treasures.^(Z)
Their land is full of horses;^(AA)
    there is no end to their chariots.^(AB)
⁸Their land is full of idols;^(AC)
    they bow down^(AD) to the work of their hands,^(AE)
    to what their fingers^(AF) have made.
⁹So people will be brought low^(AG)
    and everyone humbled^(AH)—
    do not forgive them.^[a]^(AI)

¹⁰Go into the rocks, hide^(AJ) in the ground
    from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty!^(AK)
¹¹The eyes of the arrogant^(AL) will be humbled^(AM)
    and human pride^(AN) brought low;^(AO)
the Lord alone will be exalted^(AP) in that day.^(AQ)

¹²The Lord Almighty has a day^(AR) in store
    for all the proud^(AS) and lofty,^(AT)
for all that is exalted^(AU)
    (and they will be humbled),^(AV)
¹³for all the cedars of Lebanon,^(AW) tall and lofty,^(AX)
    and all the oaks of Bashan,^(AY)
¹⁴for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,^(AZ)
¹⁵for every lofty tower^(BA)
    and every fortified wall,^(BB)
¹⁶for every trading ship^[b]^(BC)
    and every stately vessel.
¹⁷The arrogance of man will be brought low^(BD)
    and human pride humbled;^(BE)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,^(BF)
¹⁸    and the idols^(BG) will totally disappear.^(BH)

¹⁹People will flee to caves^(BI) in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground^(BJ)
from the fearful presence^(BK) of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,^(BL)
    when he rises to shake the earth.^(BM)
²⁰In that day^(BN) people will throw away
    to the moles and bats^(BO)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,^(BP)
    which they made to worship.^(BQ)
²¹They will flee to caverns in the rocks^(BR)
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,^(BS)
    when he rises^(BT) to shake the earth.^(BU)

²²Stop trusting in mere humans,^(BV)
who have but a breath^(BW) in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?^(BX)

Footnotes

Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish

Psalm 119:145-176

New International Version

ק Qoph

¹⁴⁵I call with all my heart;^(A) answer me, Lord,
    and I will obey your decrees.^(B)
¹⁴⁶I call out to you; save me^(C)
    and I will keep your statutes.
¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn^(D) and cry for help;
    I have put my hope in your word.
¹⁴⁸My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,^(E)
    that I may meditate on your promises.
¹⁴⁹Hear my voice^(F) in accordance with your love;^(G)
    preserve my life,^(H) Lord, according to your laws.
¹⁵⁰Those who devise wicked schemes^(I) are near,
    but they are far from your law.
¹⁵¹Yet you are near,^(J) Lord,
    and all your commands are true.^(K)
¹⁵²Long ago I learned from your statutes^(L)
    that you established them to last forever.^(M)

ר Resh

¹⁵³Look on my suffering^(N) and deliver me,^(O)
    for I have not forgotten^(P) your law.
¹⁵⁴Defend my cause^(Q) and redeem me;^(R)
    preserve my life^(S) according to your promise.^(T)
¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked,
    for they do not seek out^(U) your decrees.
¹⁵⁶Your compassion, Lord, is great;^(V)
    preserve my life^(W) according to your laws.^(X)
¹⁵⁷Many are the foes who persecute me,^(Y)
    but I have not turned^(Z) from your statutes.
¹⁵⁸I look on the faithless with loathing,^(AA)
    for they do not obey your word.^(AB)
¹⁵⁹See how I love your precepts;
    preserve my life,^(AC) Lord, in accordance with your love.
¹⁶⁰All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.^(AD)

ש Sin and Shin

¹⁶¹Rulers persecute me^(AE) without cause,
    but my heart trembles^(AF) at your word.
¹⁶²I rejoice^(AG) in your promise
    like one who finds great spoil.^(AH)
¹⁶³I hate and detest^(AI) falsehood
    but I love your law.^(AJ)
¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous laws.^(AK)
¹⁶⁵Great peace^(AL) have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.^(AM)
¹⁶⁶I wait for your salvation,^(AN) Lord,
    and I follow your commands.
¹⁶⁷I obey your statutes,
    for I love them^(AO) greatly.
¹⁶⁸I obey your precepts^(AP) and your statutes,^(AQ)
    for all my ways are known^(AR) to you.

ת Taw

¹⁶⁹May my cry come^(AS) before you, Lord;
    give me understanding^(AT) according to your word.^(AU)
¹⁷⁰May my supplication come^(AV) before you;
    deliver me^(AW) according to your promise.^(AX)
¹⁷¹May my lips overflow with praise,^(AY)
    for you teach me^(AZ) your decrees.
¹⁷²May my tongue sing^(BA) of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.^(BB)
¹⁷³May your hand be ready to help^(BC) me,
    for I have chosen^(BD) your precepts.
¹⁷⁴I long for your salvation,^(BE) Lord,
    and your law gives me delight.^(BF)
¹⁷⁵Let me live^(BG) that I may praise you,
    and may your laws sustain me.
¹⁷⁶I have strayed like a lost sheep.^(BH)
    Seek your servant,
    for I have not forgotten^(BI) your commands.