Numbers 13
Moses sent 12 men, one from each tribe, to explore the land of Canaan, which God had promised to the Israelites. The men were instructed to examine the land, its people, and its cities, and to bring back some of its fruits. After 40 days, the men returned and reported that the land was fertile and abundant, but its occupants were strong and the cities were walled. However, Caleb encouraged the Israelites to take possession of the land, while the other men discouraged them, describing the inhabitants as giants and the land as devouring its inhabitants.
And there, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying"Send men, who may examine the land of Canaan, which I will give to the sons of Israel, one from the rulers of each tribe.Moses did what the Lord had commanded, sending, from the desert of Paran, leading men, whose names are thesefrom the tribe of Ruben, Shammua the son of Zaccurfrom the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Horifrom the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunnehfrom the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Josephfrom the tribe of Ephraim, Hosea the son of Nunfrom the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphufrom the tribe of Zebulon, Gaddiel the son of Sodifrom the tribe of Joseph, of the scepter of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susifrom the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemallifrom the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michaelfrom the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsifrom the tribe of Gad, Guel the son of MachiThese are the names of the men, whom Moses sent to examine the land. And he called Hosea, the son of Nun, JoshuaAnd so, Moses sent them to examine the land of Canaan, and he said to them: "Ascend by the south side. And when you arrive at the mountainsconsider the land, as to what kind it may be, and the people, who are its inhabitants, whether they may be strong or weak, whether they may be few in number or manyand the land itself, whether it is good or bad, what kind of cities, walled or without wallsthe soil, rich or barren, forested or without trees. Be strong, and bring us some of the fruits of the land." Now it was the time when the first ripe grapes were ready to be eatenAnd when they had ascended, they explored the land from the desert of Sin, all the way to Rehob, as one enters into HamathAnd they ascended by the south side. And they arrived at Hebron, where there were Ahiman and Shishai and Talmai, the sons of Anak. For Hebron was founded seven years before Tanis, the city of EgyptAnd continuing on as far as the Torrent of the Cluster of Grapes, they cut off a vine with its grapes, which two men carried on a board. Likewise, they took from the pomegranates and the figs of that placewhich was called Nehel Eshcol, that is, the Torrent of the Cluster of Grapes, because the sons of Israel had carried a cluster of grapes from thereAnd those exploring the land returned after forty days, having circulated through the entire regionAnd they went to Moses and Aaron, and to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel in the desert of Paran, which is in Kadesh. And speaking to them, and to the entire multitude, they showed them the fruits of the landAnd they explained, saying: "We went into the land, to which you sent us, which, it is true, flows with milk and honey, as one can know by these fruitsBut it has very strong occupants, and the cities are great and also walled. We saw the race of Anak thereAmalek lives in the south. The Hethite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite live in the mountains. And truly, the Canaanite stays near the sea and around the streams of the Jordan.During these events, Caleb, to restrain the murmuring of the people who rose up against Moses, said, "Let us ascend and possess the land, for we will be able to obtain it.Yet truly, the others, who had been with him, were saying, "By no means are we able to ascend to this people, because they are stronger than we are.And before the sons of Israel they disparaged the land, which they had inspected, saying: "The land, which we viewed, devours its inhabitants. The people, upon whom we gazed, were of lofty statureThere, we saw some monsters among the sons of Anak, of the race of giants; by comparison with them, we seemed like locusts.
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