Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, February 15 [Press play below]

13.1 Jehovah now spoke to Moses, saying:
13.2 “Send out men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send out one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a chieftain among them.”
13.3 So Moses sent them out from the wilderness of Paran at the order of Jehovah. All the men were heads of the Israelites.
13.4 These are their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;
13.5 of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;
13.6 of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
13.7 of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
13.8 of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun;
13.9 of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;
13.10 of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;
13.11 of the tribe of Joseph, for the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;
13.12 of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;
13.13 of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;
13.14 of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;
13.15 of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
13.16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses gave the name Joshua to Hoshea the son of Nun.
13.17 When Moses was sending them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them: “Go up there into the Negeb, and then go up into the mountainous region.
13.18 You must see what kind of land it is and whether the people who are dwelling in it are strong or weak, few or many,
13.19 and whether the land is good or bad and whether the cities they are dwelling in are encampments or fortifications.
13.20 And find out whether the land is rich or poor and whether there are trees in it or not. You must be courageous and take some of the fruitage of the land.” Now it was the season of the first ripe grapes.
13.21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath.
13.22 When they went up into the Negeb, they came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the Anakim, were living. Incidentally, Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan of Egypt.
13.23 When they came to the Valley of Eshcol, there they cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes, which two of the men had to carry on a bar, as well as some of the pomegranates and figs.
13.24 They called that place the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster that the Israelites cut down from there.
13.25 At the end of 40 days, they returned from spying out the land.
13.26 So they came back to Moses and Aaron and all the assembly of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back a report to all the assembly and showed them the fruitage of the land.
13.27 This is what they reported to Moses: “We entered the land into which you sent us, and it is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruitage.
13.28 Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the fortified cities are very great. We also saw the Anakim there.
13.29 The Amalekites are dwelling in the land of the Negeb, and the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites are dwelling in the mountainous region, and the Canaanites are dwelling by the sea and along the Jordan.”
13.30 Then Caleb tried to calm the people as they stood before Moses by saying: “Let us go up immediately, and we are sure to take possession of it, because we can surely conquer it.”
13.31 But the men who went up with him said: “We are not able to go up against the people, because they are stronger than we are.”
13.32 And they kept on giving the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out, saying: “The land that we passed through to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of extraordinary size.
13.33 And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who are from the Nephilim, and in comparison we seemed like grasshoppers, both to us and to them.”
14.1 Then all the assembly raised their voice, and the people continued crying out and weeping all through that night.
14.2 All the Israelites began to murmur against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly spoke against them, saying: “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
14.3 Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?”
14.4 They were even saying to one another: “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”
14.5 At this Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground before the whole assembled congregation of the Israelites.
14.6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who spied out the land, ripped their garments apart,
14.7 and they said this to all the assembly of the Israelites: “The land that we passed through to spy out is a very, very good land.
14.8 If Jehovah is pleased with us, he will certainly bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that is flowing with milk and honey.
14.9 But you must not rebel against Jehovah, and you must not fear the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and Jehovah is with us. Do not fear them.”
14.10 However, all the assembly talked of stoning them. But Jehovah’s glory appeared on the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
14.11 Then Jehovah said to Moses: “How much longer will this people treat me without respect, and how much longer will they not put faith in me in spite of all the signs that I performed among them?
14.12 Let me strike them with pestilence and drive them away, and let me make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.”
14.13 But Moses said to Jehovah: “Then the Egyptians, from whose midst you brought this people out by your power, will hear,
14.14 and they will speak about it to the inhabitants of this land. These also have heard that you, Jehovah, are among this people and have appeared to them face-to-face. You are Jehovah, and your cloud is standing over them, and you are going before them in the pillar of cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night.
14.15 If you put this people to death all at once, the nations who have heard of your fame would say this:
14.16 ‘Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
14.17 Please, now, Jehovah, let your power be great, as you promised when you said:
14.18 ‘Jehovah, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love, pardoning error and transgression, but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation.’
14.19 Forgive, please, the error of this people according to your great loyal love, just as you have pardoned this people from Egypt until now.”
14.20 Then Jehovah said: “I forgive them according to your word.
14.21 But on the other hand, as surely as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah.
14.22 However, not one of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness and yet have kept testing me these ten times and have not listened to my voice
14.23 will ever see the land about which I swore to their fathers. No, not one of those treating me without respect will see it.
14.24 But because my servant Caleb had a different spirit and kept following after me wholeheartedly, I will certainly bring him into the land where he went, and his offspring will take possession of it.
14.25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are dwelling in the valley, you should turn back tomorrow and set off for the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”
14.26 Jehovah then said to Moses and Aaron:
14.27 “How much longer will this evil assembly keep up this murmuring against me? I have heard what the Israelites are murmuring against me.
14.28 Say to them, ‘“As surely as I live,” declares Jehovah, “I will do to you just what I have heard you speak!
14.29 In this wilderness your corpses will fall, yes, the whole number of you from 20 years old and up who were registered, all of you who have murmured against me.
14.30 None of you will enter into the land that I swore to have you reside in except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
14.31 “‘“And I will bring in your children, who you said would become plunder, and they will get to know the land that you have rejected.
14.32 But your own corpses will fall in this wilderness.
14.33 Now your sons will become shepherds in the wilderness 40 years, and they will have to answer for your acts of unfaithfulness until the last one of your corpses falls in the wilderness.
14.34 According to the number of the days that you spied out the land, 40 days, a day for a year, a day for a year, you will answer for your errors 40 years, for you will know what it means to oppose me.
14.35 “‘“I, Jehovah, have spoken. This is what I will do to all this evil assembly, those who have gathered together against me: In this wilderness they will come to their end, and here they will die.
14.36 The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who caused the whole assembly to murmur against him when they returned with a bad report about the land,
14.37 yes, the men who brought back the bad report about the land will be struck down and die before Jehovah.
14.38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who went to spy out the land, will certainly keep living.”’”
14.39 When Moses spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people began to mourn a great deal.
14.40 Moreover, they got up early in the morning and tried to go up to the top of the mountain, saying: “Here we are ready to go up to the place that Jehovah spoke about, for we have sinned.”
14.41 But Moses said: “Why are you going beyond the order of Jehovah? This will not succeed.
14.42 Do not go up, for Jehovah is not with you; and you will be defeated by your enemies.
14.43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there to face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you turned away from following Jehovah, Jehovah will not be with you.”
14.44 However, they presumptuously went toward the top of the mountain, but the ark of Jehovah’s covenant and Moses did not move away from the middle of the camp.
14.45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who were dwelling in that mountain came down and struck them, scattering them as far as Hormah.
15.1 Jehovah spoke further to Moses, saying:
15.2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When you eventually come into the land that I am giving you to dwell in
15.3 and you make an offering by fire to Jehovah from the herd or from the flock—whether a burnt offering or a sacrifice to perform a special vow or a voluntary offering or an offering during your seasonal festivals, in order to make a pleasing aroma to Jehovah—
15.4 the one presenting his offering must also present to Jehovah a grain offering of fine flour, a tenth of an ephah, mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil.
15.5 You should also offer wine as a drink offering, a fourth of a hin, together with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice of each male lamb.
15.6 Or for a ram, you should make a grain offering of two tenths of an ephah measure of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil.
15.7 And you should present wine as a drink offering, a third of a hin, as a pleasing aroma to Jehovah.
15.8 “‘But if you should offer a male of the herd as a burnt offering or a sacrifice to perform a special vow or communion sacrifices to Jehovah,
15.9 you should also present together with the male of the herd a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah measure of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil.
15.10 You should also present wine as a drink offering, half a hin, as an offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to Jehovah.
15.11 This is what should be done for each bull or for each ram or for each of the male lambs or of the goats.
15.12 Whatever may be the number that you offer, that is what you should do for each one, according to their number.
15.13 This is how every native-born Israelite should present an offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to Jehovah.
15.14 “‘If a foreigner who is residing with you or one who has been in your midst for many of your generations should also make an offering by fire, as a pleasing aroma to Jehovah, he should do just as you do.
15.15 You who are of the congregation and the foreigner who is residing with you will have one statute. It will be a lasting statute for all your generations. The foreign resident should be the same as you before Jehovah.
15.16 There should be one law and one judicial decision for you and for the foreigner who is residing with you.’”
15.17 Jehovah went on to say to Moses:
15.18 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I am bringing you
15.19 and you eat any of the bread of the land, you should make a contribution to Jehovah.
15.20 You should make a contribution of the firstfruits of your coarse meal as ring-shaped loaves. Like the contribution of a threshing floor is the way you should contribute it.
15.21 Some of the firstfruits of your coarse meal you should give as a contribution to Jehovah throughout your generations.
15.22 “‘Now if you make a mistake and fail to observe all these commandments that Jehovah has spoken to Moses,
15.23 all that Jehovah has commanded you through Moses from the day that Jehovah commanded and onward for your generations,
15.24 and if it was done by mistake and without the knowledge of the assembly, the whole assembly must offer one young bull as a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to Jehovah, together with its grain offering and its drink offering according to the regular procedure, and one young goat as a sin offering.
15.25 The priest will make atonement for the whole assembly of the Israelites, and it will be forgiven them, because it was a mistake, and they brought as their offering an offering made by fire to Jehovah and their sin offering before Jehovah for their mistake.
15.26 It will be forgiven the whole assembly of the Israelites and the foreigner who is residing in their midst, because it was by mistake on the part of all the people.
15.27 “‘If any person should sin by mistake, then he must present a female goat in its first year for a sin offering.
15.28 And the priest will make atonement for the person who made a mistake by an unintentional sin before Jehovah, so as to make atonement for it, and it will be forgiven him.
15.29 As for the native-born among the Israelites and the foreigner who is residing in their midst, there should be one law for you in the matter of doing something unintentionally.
15.30 “‘But the person who does something deliberately, whether he is native-born or a foreign resident, is blaspheming Jehovah and must be cut off from among his people.
15.31 Because he has despised Jehovah’s word and broken his commandment, that person should be cut off without fail. His own error is upon him.’”
15.32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man collecting pieces of wood on the Sabbath day.
15.33 Those who found him collecting wood brought him up to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly.
15.34 They committed him into custody because it had not been specified what should be done to him.
15.35 And Jehovah said to Moses: “The man should be put to death without fail, and the whole assembly should stone him outside the camp.”
15.36 So the whole assembly brought him outside the camp and stoned him so that he died, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
15.37 Jehovah went on to say this to Moses:
15.38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that they must make for themselves fringed edges on the skirts of their garments throughout their generations, and they are to put a blue string above the fringed edge of the skirt.
15.39 ‘You must have this fringed edge so that you will see it and remember all the commandments of Jehovah and observe them. You must not follow your own hearts and eyes, which are leading you to spiritual prostitution.
15.40 This will help you remember, and you will observe all my commandments and be holy to your God.
15.41 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to prove myself your God. I am Jehovah your God.’”