Twelve Men Are Sent into Canaan
(Deuteronomy 1.19-33)1 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 Horifrom Simeon,
Caleb son of Jephunnehfrom Judah,
Igal son of Josephfrom Issachar,
Joshua son of Nunfrom Ephraim,
Palti son of Raphufrom Benjamin,
Gaddiel son of Sodifrom Zebulun,
Gaddi son of Susifrom Manasseh,
Ammiel son of Gemallifrom Dan,
Sethur son of Michaelfrom Asher,
Nahbi son of Vophsifrom Naphtali,
and Geuel son of Machifrom 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 clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai. 23-24 When they got to Bunch Valley, 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 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 clans. 29 Besides that, the Amalekites live in the Southern Desert; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are in the hill country; and the Canaanites 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 In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.”
Shodzi mu shango ye Kanana
(Matama 1:19-33)1 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 2 “Tola bamwe batungamili mu njudzi dzili gumi lina mbili dze Iziraela ubatume bayende banoshola shango ye Kanana, yandinopa Baiziraela.” 3 Nge ndaulo ya Yahwe Mushe katuma shodzi dzidwa mu tjilambanyika tje Parani. Bose bakabe bali batungamili be Baiziraela. 4 Awa ndiwo mazina abo; kudwa mu ludzi gwa Rubheni ndi Shamua nkololo wa Zakhuri; 5 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Simiyoni ndi Shafati nkololo wa Hori; 6 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Juda ndi Khalebu nkololo wa Jefune; 7 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Isakari ndi Igali nkololo wa Josefa; 8 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Ifureimi ndi Hosheya nkololo wa Nuni; 9 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Bhenjamini ndi Paleti nkololo wa Rafu; 10 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Zebuluni ndi Gadieli nkololo wa Sodi; 11 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Josefa igo gwa Manase ndi Gadi nkololo wa Susi; 12 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Dani ndi Amiyeli nkololo wa Gemali; 13 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Asheri ndi Sethuri nkololo wa Mikaele; 14 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Nafutali ndi Nahibhi nkololo wa Vofisi; 15 kudwa mu ludzi gwa Gadi ndi Geuele nkololo wa Maki. 16 Awa ndiwo mazina e balume bakabe batumwa ndi Mushe kunoshola shango. Mushe katumila Hosheya nkololo wa Nuni zina linoyi Joshuwa.
17 Kwakati Mushe ebatuma kunoshola shango ye Kanana kabadwa kati, “Yendani ku Negebu, mube mutathila mu shango ye matombo. 18 Mubone kuti i shango yakatini, ne kuti bathu bagele muili bakasima kene abazosima, kakale mubone kuti bashomanana kene banjinji. 19 Mubone kuti shango yabagele yakanaka kene yakabipa ne kuti kene mizi yabagele yakabakiligwa kene ayizobakiligwa nge luswingo. 20 Mubone kene i shango ina mavu akakola kene asakakola, ina miti kene isina. Mutjele mimwe mitjelo ye shango iyeyo muyisenge muzhe nayo. Ipapo kwakabe kuli tjibaka tje mitjelo itangisa kubidwa.”
21 Ipapo bakayendila pezhugwi bakashola shango kudwa mu tjilambanyika tje Zini kunoti ku Rehobu, pejo nge nkoba we Hamati. 22 Bakayendila pezhugwi mu Negebu, bakanoswika ku Heburoni; pakabe pegala Ahimani na Sheshayi na Talemayi, zwizekugwana zwa Anakimu. (Heburoni yakabakiwa makole ali kutendeka itangila Zoani ku Egipiti.) 23 Bakaswika ku Nkuku we Eshikholi, bakathubula lutabi gwe nzhambi, bakagusenga bakagupikisana nge bhangwana bali babili, bakazha ne mitjelo ye pomegiranate ne phaya. 24 (Pathu ipapo pakadang'wa Nkuku we Eshikholi ngobe Baiziraela bakathubula lutabi gwe nzhambi po.)
25 Bakashanduka shule kwe mazhuba ali makumi manna (40) bedwa kunoshola shango. 26 Bakaswika kuna Mushe na Aroni ne gubungano lose le Baiziraela mu tjilambanyika tje Parani, ku Kadeshi, bakababikila sekwa bakayenda, bebuya bebalakidza mitjelo ye shango yabazha nayo. 27 Bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Takaswika ku shango yamakatituma ko, malebeswa inowunga nkaka ne butji gwe nyutji! Eyi ndiyo mitjelo yayo. 28 Nenguba kwakajalo bathu bagele mu shango iyeyije bakasima, ne mizi yabo yakabakiligwa nge luswingo kakale mikulu kwazo, kakale takabona zwizekugwana zwa Anakimu ikweno. 29 Baamaleki banogala mu shango ye Negebu; Bahiti ne Bajebusi ne Baamori banogala mu shango ye matombo; Bakanana banogala pejo ne gungwa, mu supho we gwizi gwe Jorodani.”
30 Khalebu kanyaladza bathu mbeli kwa Mushe, kabadwa kati, “Ngatiyendeniko tjinyolotjo tinoitapa, takazwilizanila, towobakulila.” 31 Koga balume bakabe bayenda na Khalebu bakan'dabila beti, “Atingatubule kunogwa ne bathu ibabaje, ngobe bakasima kutipinda.” 32 Ndizo bakabikila Baizaraela mbiko isi iyo ngekwe shango yabakabe banoshola beti, “Shango yatakapalama tiishola, i shango inoja bagali bayo, ne bathu batakabona muili balume bakakulila pezhugwi. 33 Kakale takabona makwelemba ikweno, zwizekugwana zwa Anakimu, tikazwibona tili batukununu se zwipombobushwa, ndiko sekwa takafanila kuzwilinga mubali.”