Study Desk

Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent; and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward,

"See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many.

"And how is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are the people in open camps or in fortifications?

So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath.

When they had gone up into the Negev, they came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak were. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and from there they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs.

they went on and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.

So they reported to him and said, "We came into the land where you sent us, and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.

So they brought 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 a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature.

So they said to one another, "Let's appoint a leader and return to Egypt!"

and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

"Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection is gone from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them."

And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people be disrespectful to Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?

"I will strike them with plague and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they."

and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are in the midst of this people, because You, LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

'Your children, however, whom you said would become plunder—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.

'Also, your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your bodies perish in the wilderness.

'I, the LORD, have spoken, I certainly will do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. They shall be worn out in this wilderness, and there they shall die.'"

In the morning, however, they got up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are; and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned."

'Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven; for it was an unintentional wrong, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their unintentional wrong.