Study Desk

And afterward the people set out from Hazeroth, and they encamped in the desert of Paran.

and you will see what the land is like and if the people who inhabit it are strong or weak, or whether they are few or many,

and whether the land that they are inhabiting is good or bad, and whether the cities they are inhabiting are camps or fortifications,

So they went up and explored the land from the desert of Zin until Rehob, at Lebo Hamath.

They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites were. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

And they came up to the valley of Eshcol, and they cut off a vine branch and one cluster of grapes from there; they carried it on a pole between two men, with pomegranates and figs.

And they came to Moses and Aaron and to the entire community of the Israelites in the desert of Paran at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the community, and they showed them the fruit of the land.

And they told him, "We came to the land that you sent us, and it is flowing of milk and honey; this is its fruit.

And the men who went up with him said, "We are not able to go up to the people because they are stronger than us."

And they presented the report of the land that they explored to the Israelites, saying, "The land that we went through to explore is a land that eats its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in its midst are men of great size.

They said to each other, "Let us appoint a leader, and we will return to Egypt."

And they said to all the community of the Israelites, "The land that we went through to explore is an exceptionally good land.

Only do not rebel against Yahweh, and you will not fear the people of the land, because they will be our food. Their protection has been turned from them; Yahweh is with us. You should not fear them."

And Yahweh said to Moses, "How long until this people will despise me, and how long until they will not believe in me, and in all the signs that I have done in their midst?

and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They heard that you, Yahweh, are in the midst of this people, that you are seen eye to eye, and your cloud is standing over them, and in a column of cloud you go before them by day and in a column of fire at night.

they will not see the land that I swore by oath to their ancestors, and all those who despised me will not see it.

But your little children, whom you said would be plunder, I will bring them, and they will know the land that you rejected.

I, Yahweh, have spoken; I will surely do this to all this evil community who has banded together against me. In this desert they will come to an end, and there they will die."

They rose early in the morning and went to the top of the mount, saying, "Here we are. We will go up to the place that Yahweh said, because we have sinned."

But they dared to go to the top of the mountain, and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and Moses did not depart from the midst of the camp.