The Wilderness Years

The Amalekites dwell in the South countrey, and the Hittites, and the Iebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountaines, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Iorden.

Then Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and saide, Let vs go vp at once, and possesse it: for vndoubtedly we shall ouercome it.

But the men, that went vp with him, saide, we be not able to goe vp against the people: for they are stronger then we.

So they brought vp an euill report of the land which they had searched for the children of Israel, saying, The lande which we haue gone through to search it out, is a land that eateth vp the inhabitants thereof: for all the people that we sawe in it, are men of great stature. For there we sawe gyants, the sonnes of Anak, which come of the gyants, so that we seemed in our sight like grashoppers: and so wee were in their sight.

Then all ye Congregation lifted vp their voice, and cryed: and the people wept that night,

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: and the whole assemblie said vnto them, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wildernesse: would God we were dead.

Wherefore nowe hath the Lord brought vs into this lande to fall vpon the sworde? our wiues, and our children shall be a pray: were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt?

And they said one to another, Let vs make a Captaine and returne into Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assemblie of the Congregation of the children of Israel.

And Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh two of them that searched the lande, rent their clothes,

And spake vnto all the assemblie of the childre of Israel, saying, The land which we walked through to search it, is a very good lande.

If the Lord loue vs, he will bring vs into this land, and giue it vs, which is a land that floweth with milke and honie.

But rebell not ye against the Lord, neither feare ye the people of the land: for they are but bread for vs: their shielde is departed from the, and the Lord is with vs, feare them not.

And all the multitude saide, Stone them with stones: but the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, before all the children of Israel.

And the Lord said vnto Moses, How long will this people prouoke me, and howe long will it be, yer they beleeue me, for al the signes which I haue shewed among them?

I will smite them with the pestilence and destroy them, and will make thee a greater nation and mightier then they.

But Moses saide vnto the Lord, When the Egyptians shall heare it, (for thou broughtest this people by thy power from among them)

Then they shall say to the inhabitants of this land, (for they haue heard that thou, Lord, art among this people, and that thou, Lord, art seene face to face, and that thy cloude standeth ouer them, and that thou goest before them by day time in a pillar of a cloude, and in a pillar of fire by night)

That thou wilt kill this people as one man: so the heathen which haue heard the fame of thee, shall thus say,

Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the lande, which he sware vnto them, therefore hath he slaine them in the wildernesse.

And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

The Lord is slowe to anger, and of great mercie, and forgiuing iniquitie, and sinne, but not making the wicked innocent, and visiting the wickednes of the fathers vpon the children, in the thirde and fourth generation:

Be mercifull, I beseech thee, vnto the iniquitie of this people, according to thy great mercie, and as thou hast forgiuen this people from Egypt, euen vntill nowe.

And the Lord said, I haue forgiuen it, according to thy request.

Notwithstanding, as I liue, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.