Numbers

The fourth book of Moses, called Numbers, chapter 13, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 13 New English Translation

Spies Sent Out

   1 The LORD spoke to Moses:
   2 "Send out men to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a leader among them." 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the LORD. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
   4 Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph, namely, the tribe of Manasseh, 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 Vopshi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to investigate the land. And Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.

The Spies' Instructions

   17 When Moses sent them to investigate the land of Canaan, he told them, "Go up through the Negev, and then go up into the hill country 18 and see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, few or many, 19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether or not there are forests in it. And be brave, and bring back some of the fruit of the land." Now it was the time of year for the first ripe grapes.

The Spies' Activities

   21 So they went up and investigated the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, at the entrance of Hamath. 22 When they went up through the Negev, they came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, descendants of Anak, were living. (Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a staff between two men, as well as some of the pomegranates and the figs. 24 That place was called the Eshcol Valley, because of the cluster of grapes that the Israelites cut from there. 25 They returned from investigating the land after forty days.

The Spies' Reports

   26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and to the whole community of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They reported to the whole community and showed the fruit of the land. 27 They told Moses, "We went to the land where you sent us. It is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 But the inhabitants are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan."
   30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, "Let us go up and occupy it, for we are well able to conquer it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!" 32 Then they presented the Israelites with a discouraging report of the land they had investigated, saying, "The land that we passed through to investigate is a land that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there are of great stature. 33 We even saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we seemed liked grasshoppers both to ourselves and to them."

King James Version

   1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
   2 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.
   3 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.
   4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
   5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
   6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
   7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
   8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
   9 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.