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Numbers 11:24-13:33
Contemporary English Version
Numbers 11:24-13:33
Contemporary English Version
24 Moses told the people what the Lord had said. Then he chose 70 respected leaders and went with them to the sacred tent. While the leaders stood in a circle around the tent, Moses went inside, 25 and the Lord spoke with him. Then the Lord took some authority[a] from Moses and gave it to the 70 leaders. And when the Lord's Spirit took control of them, they started shouting like prophets. But they did it only this one time.
26 Eldad and Medad were two leaders who had not gone to the tent. But when the Spirit took control of them, they began shouting like prophets right there in camp. 27 A boy ran to Moses and told him about Eldad and Medad.
28 Joshua[b] was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, “Sir, you must stop them!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet.” 30 Then Moses and the 70 leaders went back to camp.
The Lord Sends Quails
31 Some time later the Lord sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel's camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about a meter high for many kilometers in every direction. 32 The people picked up quails for two days—each person filled at least ten large baskets. Then they spread them out to dry. 33 But before the meat could be eaten, the Lord became angry and sent a deadly disease through the camp.
34 After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place “Graves for the Greedy.”[c]
35 Israel then broke camp and traveled to Hazeroth.
Miriam and Aaron Are Jealous of Moses
12 1-3 (A) Although Moses was the most humble person in all the world, Miriam and Aaron started complaining, “Moses had no right to marry that woman from Ethiopia![d] Who does he think he is? The Lord has spoken to us, not just to him.”
The Lord heard their complaint 4 and told Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to come to the entrance of the sacred tent. 5 There the Lord appeared in a cloud and told Aaron and Miriam to come closer. 6 Then after commanding them to listen carefully, he said:
“I, the Lord, speak to prophets
in visions and dreams.
7 (B) But my servant Moses
is the leader of my people.
8 He sees me face to face,
and everything I say to him
is perfectly clear.
You have no right to criticize
my servant Moses.”
9 The Lord became angry with Aaron and Miriam. And after the Lord left 10 and the cloud disappeared from over the sacred tent, Miriam's skin turned white with leprosy.[e] When Aaron saw what had happened to her, 11 he said to Moses, “Sir, please don't punish us for doing such a foolish thing. 12 Don't let Miriam's flesh rot away like a child born dead!”
13 Moses prayed, “Lord God, please heal her.”
14 (C) But the Lord replied, “Miriam would be disgraced for seven days if her father had punished her by spitting in her face. So make her stay outside the camp for seven days, before coming back.”
15 The people of Israel did not move their camp until Miriam returned seven days later. 16 Then they left Hazeroth and set up camp in the Paran Desert.
Twelve Men Are Sent into Canaan
(Deuteronomy 1.19-33)
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Choose a leader from each tribe and send them into Canaan to explore the land I am giving you.”
3 So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel's camp in the Paran Desert 4-16 with orders to explore the land of Canaan. And here are their names:
Shammua son of Zaccur
from Reuben,
Shaphat son of Hori
from Simeon,
Caleb son of Jephunneh
from Judah,
Igal son of Joseph
from Issachar,
Joshua son of Nun
from Ephraim,[f]
Palti son of Raphu
from Benjamin,
Gaddiel son of Sodi
from Zebulun,
Gaddi son of Susi
from Manasseh,
Ammiel son of Gemalli
from Dan,
Sethur son of Michael
from Asher,
Nahbi son of Vophsi
from Naphtali,
and Geuel son of Machi
from Gad.
17 Before Moses sent them into Canaan, he said:
After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country 18 and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are, 19-20 and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It's time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.
21 The twelve men left to explore Canaan from the Zin Desert in the south all the way to the town of Rehob near Lebo-Hamath in the north. 22 As they went through the Southern Desert, they came to the town of Hebron, which was seven years older than the Egyptian town of Zoan. In Hebron, they saw the three Anakim[g] clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai. 23-24 When they got to Bunch Valley,[h] they cut off a branch with such a huge bunch of grapes, that it took two men to carry it on a pole. That's why the place was called Bunch Valley. Along with the grapes, they also took back pomegranates[i] and figs.
The Men Report Back to the People
25 After exploring the land of Canaan for 40 days, 26 the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit 27 and said:
Look at this fruit! The land we explored is rich with milk and honey. 28 But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are large and walled. We even saw the three Anakim[j] clans. 29 Besides that, the Amalekites live in the Southern Desert; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are in the hill country; and the Canaanites[k] live along the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
30 Caleb calmed down the crowd and said, “Let's go and take the land. I know we can do it!”
31 But the other men replied, “Those people are much too strong for us.” 32 Then they started spreading rumors and saying, “We won't be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants. 33 (D) In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.”
Footnotes
- 11.25 some authority: Or “some of the Spirit's power.”
- 11.28 Joshua: Hebrew “Joshua son of Nun.”
- 11.34 Graves for the Greedy: Or “Kibroth-Hattaavah.”
- 12.1-3 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
- 12.10 leprosy: See the note at 5.2,3.
- 13.4-16 Joshua … Ephraim: Hebrew “Hoshea son of Nun from Ephraim; Moses renamed him Joshua.”
- 13.22 Anakim: Perhaps a group of very large people (see Deuteronomy 2.10,11, 20,21).
- 13.23,24 Bunch Valley: Or “Eshcol Valley.”
- 13.23,24 pomegranates: A bright red fruit that looks like an apple.
- 13.28 Anakim: See the note at 13.22.
- 13.29 Amalekites … Hittites … Jebusites … Amorites … Canaanites: These people lived in Canaan before the Israelites.
Numbers 11:24-13:33
New International Version
Numbers 11:24-13:33
New International Version
24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud(A) and spoke with him,(B) and he took some of the power of the Spirit(C) that was on him and put it on the seventy elders.(D) When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied(E)—but did not do so again.
26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them,(F) and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Joshua son of Nun,(G) who had been Moses’ aide(H) since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”(I)
29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets(J) and that the Lord would put his Spirit(K) on them!”(L) 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail(M) in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits[a] deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.[b] Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth(N) and before it could be consumed, the anger(O) of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.(P) 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah,[c](Q) because there they buried the people who had craved other food.
35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth(R) and stayed there.
Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses
12 Miriam(S) and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife,(T) for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”(U) And the Lord heard this.(V)
3 (Now Moses was a very humble man,(W) more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud;(X) he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal(Y) myself to them in visions,(Z)
I speak to them in dreams.(AA)
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;(AB)
he is faithful in all my house.(AC)
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;(AD)
he sees the form of the Lord.(AE)
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”(AF)
9 The anger of the Lord burned against them,(AG) and he left them.(AH)
10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent,(AI) Miriam’s skin was leprous[d]—it became as white as snow.(AJ) Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,(AK) 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.(AL) 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!(AM)”
14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face,(AN) would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp(AO) for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp(AP) for seven days,(AQ) and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
16 After that, the people left Hazeroth(AR) and encamped in the Desert of Paran.(AS)
Exploring Canaan
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore(AT) the land of Canaan,(AU) which I am giving to the Israelites.(AV) From each ancestral tribe(AW) send one of its leaders.”
3 So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.(AX) 4 These are their names:
from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zakkur;
5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;
6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;(AY)
7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;
8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;(AZ)
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 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(BA) the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun(BB) the name Joshua.)(BC)
17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan,(BD) he said, “Go up through the Negev(BE) and on into the hill country.(BF) 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.(BG)” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)(BH)
21 So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin(BI) as far as Rehob,(BJ) toward Lebo Hamath.(BK) 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,(BL) where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai,(BM) the descendants of Anak,(BN) lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)(BO) 23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,[e](BP) 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(BQ) and figs.(BR) 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(BS) they returned from exploring the land.(BT)
Report on the Exploration
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh(BU) in the Desert of Paran.(BV) There they reported to them(BW) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.(BX) 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!(BY) Here is its fruit.(BZ) 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.(CA) We even saw descendants of Anak(CB) there.(CC) 29 The Amalekites(CD) live in the Negev; the Hittites,(CE) Jebusites(CF) and Amorites(CG) live in the hill country;(CH) and the Canaanites(CI) live near the sea and along the Jordan.(CJ)”
30 Then Caleb(CK) 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.”(CL) 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report(CM) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours(CN) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.(CO) 33 We saw the Nephilim(CP) there (the descendants of Anak(CQ) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers(CR) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 11:31 That is, about 3 feet or about 90 centimeters
- Numbers 11:32 That is, possibly about 1 3/4 tons or about 1.6 metric tons
- Numbers 11:34 Kibroth Hattaavah means graves of craving.
- Numbers 12:10 The Hebrew for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
- Numbers 13:23 Eshkol means cluster; also in verse 24.
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