Numbers 13:25-14:11

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Spies’ Reports

²⁵ When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, ²⁶ they proceeded to come 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 Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to 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 moreover, we saw ^(E)the ^[b]descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ Amalek is living in the land of ^(F)the Negev and the Hittites and 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 surely overcome it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “^(I)We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” ³² So they gave out to the sons of Israel ^(J)a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is ^(K)a land that devours its ^[d]inhabitants; and ^(L)all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. ³³ There also we saw the ^(M)Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and ^(N)we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

The People Rebel

14 Then all the congregation ^[e]lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept ^[f]that night. ² All the sons of Israel ^(O)grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “^(P)Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! ³ 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 us 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 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 ^[g]prey. Their ^[h]protection has been removed 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.

Moses Pleads for the People

^11 (AB)The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will ^(AC)they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?