1. When Moses had led the Hebrews away from thence to a place called
Paran, which was near to the borders of the Canaanites, and a place
difficult to be continued in, he gathered the multitude together to a
congregation; and standing in the midst of them, he said, "Of the
two things that God determined to bestow upon us, liberty, and the
possession of a Happy Country, the one of them ye already are partakers
of, by the gift of God, and the other you will quickly obtain; for we
now have our abode near the borders of the Canaanites, and nothing can
hinder the acquisition of it, when we now at last are fallen upon it: I
say, not only no king nor city, but neither the whole race of mankind,
if they were all gathered together, could do it. Let us therefore
prepare ourselves for the work, for the Canaanites will not resign up
their land to us without fighting, but it must be wrested from them by
great struggles in war. Let us then send spies, who may take a view of
the goodness of the land, and what strength it is of; but, above all
things, let us be of one mind, and let us honor God, who above all is
our helper and assister."

2. When Moses had said thus, the multitude requited him with marks of
respect; and chose twelve spies, of the most eminent men, one out of
each tribe, who, passing over all the land of Canaan, from the borders
of Egypt, came to the city Hamath, and to Mount Lebanon; and having
learned the nature of the land, and of its inhabitants, they came home,
having spent forty days in the whole work. They also brought with them
of the fruits which the land bare; they also showed them the excellency
of those fruits, and gave an account of the great quantity of the good
things that land afforded, which were motives to the multitude to go to
war. But then they terrified them again with the great difficulty there
was in obtaining it; that the rivers were so large and deep that they
could not be passed over; and that the hills were so high that they
could not travel along for them; that the cities were strong with walls,
and their firm fortifications round about them. They told them also,
that they found at Hebron the posterity of the giants. Accordingly these
spies, who had seen the land of Canaan, when they perceived that all
these difficulties were greater there than they had met with since
they came out of Egypt, they were aftrighted at them themselves, and
endeavored to affright the multitude also.

3. So