Exploring Canaan

13 The Lord said to Moses, “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.”

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

from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zakkur;

from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;

from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;(F)

from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;

from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;(G)

from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 13:23 Eshkol means cluster; also in verse 24.

Doce espías exploran Canaán

13 El Señor le dijo a Moisés: «Envía hombres a explorar la tierra de Canaán, la tierra que les daré a los israelitas. Envía a un jefe de cada una de las doce tribus de sus antepasados». Entonces Moisés hizo lo que el Señor le ordenó y envió a doce hombres desde el campamento en el desierto de Parán, todos jefes de las tribus de Israel. Estas eran las tribus y los nombres de sus jefes:

Tribu Jefe
de RubénSamúa, hijo de Zacur
de SimeónSafat, hijo de Hori
de JudáCaleb, hijo de Jefone
de IsacarIgal, hijo de José
de EfraínOseas, hijo de Nun
de BenjamínPalti, hijo de Rafú
10 de ZabulónGadiel, hijo de Sodi
11 de Manasés, hijo de JoséGadi, hijo de Susi
12 de DanAmiel, hijo de Gemali
13 de AserSetur, hijo de Micael
14 de NeftalíNahbi, hijo de Vapsi
15 de GadGeuel, hijo de Maqui

16 Estos son los nombres de los hombres que Moisés envió a explorar la tierra. (A Oseas, hijo de Nun, Moisés le dio el nombre de Josué).

17 Moisés envió a los hombres a explorar la tierra y les dio las siguientes instrucciones: «Vayan al norte a través del Neguev hasta la zona montañosa. 18 Fíjense cómo es la tierra y averigüen si sus habitantes son fuertes o débiles, pocos o muchos. 19 Observen cómo es la tierra en que habitan. ¿Es buena o mala? ¿Viven en ciudades amuralladas o sin protección, a campo abierto? 20 El terreno, ¿es fértil o estéril? ¿Abundan los árboles? Hagan todo lo posible por traer muestras de las cosechas que encuentren». (Era la temporada de la cosecha de las primeras uvas maduras).

21 Así que subieron y exploraron la tierra desde el desierto de Zin hasta Rehob, cerca de Lebo-hamat. 22 Yendo al norte, atravesaron el Neguev y llegaron a Hebrón donde vivían Ahimán, Sesai y Talmai, todos descendientes de Anac. (La antigua ciudad de Hebrón fue fundada siete años antes de la ciudad egipcia de Zoán). 23 Cuando llegaron al valle de Escol, cortaron una rama con un solo racimo de uvas, tan grande ¡que tuvieron que transportarlo en un palo, entre dos! También llevaron muestras de granadas e higos. 24 A ese lugar se le llamó el valle de Escol (que significa «racimo») por el racimo de uvas que los israelitas cortaron allí.

Informe de los espías

25 Después de explorar la tierra durante cuarenta días, los hombres regresaron 26 a Moisés, a Aarón y a toda la comunidad de Israel en Cades, en el desierto de Parán. Informaron a toda la comunidad lo que vieron y les mostraron los frutos que tomaron de la tierra. 27 Este fue el informe que dieron a Moisés: «Entramos en la tierra a la cual nos enviaste a explorar y en verdad es un país sobreabundante, una tierra donde fluyen la leche y la miel. Aquí está la clase de frutos que allí se producen. 28 Sin embargo, el pueblo que la habita es poderoso y sus ciudades son grandes y fortificadas. ¡Hasta vimos gigantes allí, los descendientes de Anac! 29 Los amalecitas viven en el Neguev y los hititas, los jebuseos y los amorreos viven en la zona montañosa. Los cananeos viven a lo largo de la costa del mar Mediterráneo[a] y a lo largo del valle del Jordán».

30 Pero Caleb trató de calmar al pueblo que se encontraba ante Moisés.

—¡Vamos enseguida a tomar la tierra!—dijo—. ¡De seguro podemos conquistarla!

31 Pero los demás hombres que exploraron la tierra con él, no estuvieron de acuerdo:

—¡No podemos ir contra ellos! ¡Son más fuertes que nosotros!

32 Entonces comenzaron a divulgar entre los israelitas el siguiente mal informe sobre la tierra: «La tierra que atravesamos y exploramos devorará a todo aquel que vaya a vivir allí. ¡Todos los habitantes que vimos son enormes! 33 Hasta había gigantes,[b] los descendientes de Anac. ¡Al lado de ellos nos sentíamos como saltamontes y así nos miraban ellos!».

Footnotes

  1. 13:29 En hebreo del mar.
  2. 13:33 En hebreo nefilim.

13 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.

And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.

Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.

Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.

Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.

Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.

10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.

11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.

12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.

13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.

14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.

15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:

18 And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;

19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;

20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.

21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.

25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Spies Sent into Canaan

13 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (A)“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” So Moses sent them from (B)the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; (C)from the tribe of Judah, (D)Caleb the son of Jephunneh; from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; from the tribe of Ephraim, (E)Hoshea the son of Nun; from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16 These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called (F)Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.

17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into (G)the Negeb and go up into (H)the hill country, 18 and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, 20 and whether the land is (I)rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. (J)Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

21 So they went up and spied out the land (K)from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, (L)near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into (M)the Negeb and came to (N)Hebron. (O)Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the (P)descendants of Anak, were there. ((Q)Hebron was built seven years before (R)Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And (S)they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol,[a] because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.

Report of the Spies

25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at (T)Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It (U)flows with milk and honey, (V)and this is its fruit. 28 (W)However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 (X)The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. (Y)And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

30 But (Z)Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 (AA)Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So (AB)they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and (AC)all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the (AD)Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the (AE)Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves (AF)like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 13:24 Eshcol means cluster