¹⁶ These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore^(A) the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun^(B) the name Joshua.)^(C)

¹⁷ When Moses sent them to explore Canaan,^(D) he said, “Go up through the Negev^(E) and on into the hill country.^{(F) 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.^(G)” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)^(H)

²⁵ At the end of forty days^(A) they returned from exploring the land.^(B)

Report on the Exploration

²⁶ They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh^(C) in the Desert of Paran.^(D) There they reported to them^(E) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.^{(F) 27} They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!^(G) Here is its fruit.^{(H) 28} But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.^(I) We even saw descendants of Anak^(J) there.^(K)

³⁰ Then Caleb^(A) 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.”^{(B) 32} And they spread among the Israelites a bad report^(C) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours^(D) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.^{(E) 33} We saw the Nephilim^(F) there (the descendants of Anak^(G) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers^(H) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

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)

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